Labor commissioner seeks staff, technology to speed unemployment claims and shore up fund oversight
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Summary
Georgia Department of Labor asked for staff and technology investments — including dozens of call‑center and audit positions — to modernize UI services, improve collections and address infrastructure needs; the department reported the UI trust fund at about $1.99 billion, short of federal solvency guidance.
The Georgia Department of Labor outlined staffing and capital requests designed to modernize unemployment insurance and strengthen collections and oversight ahead of the UI system replacement.
Labor Commissioner Barbara Ramirez Holmes told the committee the budget requests include $640,000 for call‑center technology enhancements, $1,642,557 to fund 20 additional collections positions, $998,071 for 15 customer service representatives, and $1,100,583 for 12 financial auditors devoted to employer contribution audits. "The need is urgent. The impact is statewide, and the solution is staffing," she said.
Officials framed those hires as investments that would increase recoveries from delinquent employers and reduce call abandonment (currently above 30%). The department reported an average call wait time of "about 5 minutes and 28 seconds" and said additional staff and upgraded routing should lower wait times and improve service.
On capital needs, GDOL requested $7.6 million in FY27 to address structural and water‑intrusion damage at its Downtown Atlanta central complex; work is estimated to take 18 months once started. The commissioner also reported the UI trust fund balance at about $1.99 billion at year‑end 2025, roughly $1.5 billion below the U.S. Department of Labor's solvency threshold of $3.5 billion, and said the agency is working with the governor's office and the General Assembly on long‑term solutions.
Lawmakers asked for implementation timelines and details about where new positions would be based; the commissioner said roles will be distributed across Atlanta and regional career centers and that technology implementation is planned as soon as funding is available.