Northam allocates $20 million to get Virginia Employment Commission modernized

Governor Ralph Northam has allocated $20 million for a new age overhaul of the state unemployment agency that currently ranks near the bottom in the US in determining claims.

Northam said he wants the Virginia Employment Commission fully modernized by October 1 and wants 300 new staff members hired to help expedite resolving cases of ineligibility and fraud.

The governor has also set benchmarks of finalizing cases from 5,700 to 10,000 per week by June 30 and 20,000 by July 31st. The influx of new money will modernize equipment to process claims that have been used for more than 40 years in some instances.

(IMAGE: ST929 ARCHIVES)