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EDD reports surge in paid family leave claims, outlines fixes; says it is prepared for a possible federal unemployment influx
Summary
At a budget subcommittee hearing, the Employment Development Department (EDD) described system changes and staffing steps to address a rise in Paid Family Leave (PFL) claims, outlined outreach limits and said it has a recession plan and a command center to monitor unemployment trends.
Department of Employment Development officials told Assembly Budget Subcommittee 5 that they have seen increased demand for Paid Family Leave (PFL) and that recent internal IT transitions created temporary slowdowns even as the department is hiring staff and automating processes to improve claims processing.
Gracia Staten, deputy director of the Disability Insurance Branch, said the department transitioned to a single, integrated platform for disability insurance and paid family leave, a move that slowed processing late in 2024 while staff adapted to the new system and duplicate applications rose. Staten said the department redirected resources, added overtime and is in the process of hiring to address the backlog.
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