OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) – The state agency responsible for processing unemployment insurance claims in Oklahoma is hosting a virtual town hall for claimants and the general public this week.

The Oklahoma Employment Security Commission (OESC) will hold the town hall at 1:00 p.m. on Friday, April 10.

“The surge in first-time claims for unemployment insurance is something we haven’t experienced before,” said OESC Executive Director Robin Roberson. “We want to give people an opportunity to better understand the process, the eligibility requirements, and answer those questions which often frustrate individuals who are new to seeking unemployment relief.”

In the past three weeks, OESC has received more than 135,000 initial claims for unemployment compensation.

Officials with OESC say the flood of new claims has swamped phone lines as individuals seek relief to make up for wages lost through the closing of businesses due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We know people are anxious and we’re intent on helping relieve some of that anxiety,” Roberson said. “For the most part, people are patient as they navigate the process of obtaining unemployment insurance. They’re here through no fault of their own and we are determined to be responsive to their needs.”

Roberson and her team will brief legislators on Thursday to provide them with information to assist in responding to constituent concerns.

Individuals who would like to participate in the virtual town hall may do so at this link on Friday.

If anyone has a problem connecting through this link, it may be due to an internal security measure of the state in which “no click_” appears in the address bar. Deleting “no click” from the address will permit individuals to connect to the live stream event. You may also copy the link and paste it into your web browser’s address bar.