ABC 7/KGO 7 on You Side
By Michael Finney
SAN FRANCISCO -- Anyone who's had to deal with the Employment Development Department over the past year knows how difficult it is to get someone on the phone to help with their unemployment claims. Frustrated workers wish they could just go down to a local EDD office to straighten everything out. Of course, buildings were closed and everyone thought it was because of the pandemic. Now, 7 On Your Side has learned that this started long ago.
When the whole state locked down, EDD buildings were shut down too. However, when the state reopened on June 15, the unemployment offices stayed shut -- and not just because of the pandemic. It turns out, unemployment offices have been closed for the past 25 years.
It's been the same drill over and over for thousands of jobless Californians...