PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Last week there was a backlog of 38,000 unprocessed unemployment claims in the state of Oregon. Since Friday, 16,200 of those claims have been processed and the acting director of the Oregon Employment Department said their goal is to clear them all by June 12.

David Gerstenfeld was named to replace Kay Erickson after Gov. Kate Brown ousted her over the weekend. Erickson oversaw the department as the pandemic hit.

In a teleconference with media Wednesday, Gerstenfeld promised to improve communication and transparency about what they’re doing to get people benefits as quickly as possible.

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He said they’ve reached out to the National Guard and are asking for volunteers from the legislative branch to help call people who are still waiting for benefits.

“Our employees hear every day from people who are struggling to buy food, pay rent, and deal with other daily necessities. This weighs on me heavily every day and on our other dedicated public servants as well. To those who have not yet received their benefits, I want to apologize as I am very sorry,” Gerstenfeld said.

Oregon Employment Department online dashboard

“I know you are frustrated and anxious and that many of you have been unable to reach us or get the assistance that you need. While none of us caused the pandemic, it is my responsibility to ensure we get people the benefits they are entitled to. I am dedicated personally and our entire team is dedicated to getting people their benefits as quickly as possible.”

When asked about waiving the waiting week, he said he could not guarantee it would be done by December 31 — the deadline to receive that federal funding — but said again they are working on it.

People continue to struggle getting through on the phones. Gerstenfeld said they fixed the glitch a while ago that was causing calls to disconnect. He also said they were looking at expanding phone hours.