Millions of dollars in unemployment benefits paid out

The state Department of Labor is seeing an extremely high volume of unemployment claims for people affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.  State Department of Labor and Regulation Secretary Marcia Hultman spoke during Governor Kristi Noem’s daily news briefing Tuesday to make a request of those who are contacting the department for assistance.

Hultman said that they have been training additional staff within the department to help with the unemployment claims.  She said they have also added staff to the department’s call center to help out.  

Hultman said that around 74-percent of the claims that the department has received have been processed and paid, with the remainder of them having some sort of issue. 

Hultman said that millions of dollars in state and federal benefits have gone out to those who have filed unemployment claims. 

Updated numbers of unemployment claims in the state will be released on Thursday.Â