Contact:	Loree Levy		Date:	February 5, 2009
	Patti Roberts
	(916) 654-9029		News Release No.:		09-06

 

 

State Workforce Services Offices Will Remain Open on Fridays

 

SACRAMENTO - Providing a variety of vital job search assistance to an increasing number of unemployed workers, nearly 250 state Employment Development Department (EDD) field offices will remain open on their regular five-day-a-week schedule, the parent Labor Workforce Development Agency (LWDA) announced today. As previously released, EDD's Unemployment Insurance (UI) Branch will also remain open five-days-a-week. 

 

Unemployment, job search and other services will remain fully available to the public EDD serves, said EDD Director Patrick Henning, who also recommended that those filing claims for UI benefits visit EDD's Web site (www.edd.ca.gov ), the fastest and most convenient method.

 

"We are committed to providing help for the thousands of unemployed Californians who need to replace some of their lost wages and need a little help finding a new job during this recession," said LWDA Acting Secretary Douglas Hoffner. "EDD staff has been working overtime to ensure that unemployment claims are processed and checks issued quickly. We are also providing employment training in emerging industries and job search help. The number of people visiting our field offices has tripled since last year, while staffing has remained level."

 

In addition to the Workforce Services and UI staff working on the furlough days, some Tax Branch staff will also be working due to EDD's revenue generation role for the state in collecting payroll taxes and employee withholdings for Personal Income Taxes. In all, an estimated 4,000 of EDD's 8,000 employees throughout the state will be working on the furlough days.

 

But EDD will have offices closed in other program areas. That includes 22 public offices in the State Disability Insurance (SDI) and Paid Family Leave (PFL) programs, and 10 public Tax offices which assist employers with their payroll tax issues.

 

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EDD News Release No. 09-06                        -2-                                     2/5/09

 

 

 

 

EDD has Workforce Services staff at nearly 250 locations throughout the state, many in One-Stop Career Centers that are shared with other local agencies. EDD will continue to staff all of those offices five days a week. Workforce Services employment experts offer a wide-variety of services, including résumé writing and job interview training, skills assessment, access to job training and to CalJOBs, an online service where they can post résumés and check job openings. You can find an office nearest you by visiting EDD's Web site at www.edd.ca.gov or calling America's Service Locator at 1-877-872-5627.

 

While Workforce Services field offices also offer computers and phones that clients can use to transact Unemployment Insurance business, they are not UI offices. EDD operates no walk-in UI offices. All Unemployment Insurance business is handled online through EDD's Web site, over the phone, or by fax or regular mail.  

 

 

 

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