New Jersey has introduced a new interface for unemployment insurance which simplifies and accelerates the application process. This follows a phased rollout starting in April 11. The new application, which is the first substantive update to the system in over ten years, evolved from a joint project between federal government and New Jersey and Arkansas that was established during the pandemic. New Jersey focused on improving the application process for unemployment support, whereas Arkansas developed a nationwide identity confirmation facility.

The new mobile-friendly application, which is available in Spanish and English, enables users to save their progress and provides a landing page with specific information and next steps. The state has also revised the application’s questions to enhance comprehension and eliminated others. As a result, the need for manual review of applications has decreased by 14% and there has been a 20% increase in claimants taking the correct steps to verify their identity.

The system is integrated with the state’s mainframe, which is due to be replaced as part of a long-term project. The Open UI Initiative of the U.S. Labor Department fully supports this plan, which establishes a common structure for states to progressively develop the unemployment aid system, preventing the need for a complete system overhaul.

The source code for the new application is shareable, allowing other states to adopt the new system if they choose. Any adaptation of the system by other states will need to account for local policy and process differences. However, some essentials such as anti-fraud tools can be implemented nationally.

The system was developed by the New Jersey Department of Labor, the Office of Innovation, and the Office of Information Technology, in collaboration with the U.S. Labor Department, early help from the U.S. Digital Service and financial aid from the Labor Department under the 2021 American Rescue Plan Act.

In addition, to contact the New Jersey Department of Labor for unemployment benefits or other related issues, it can be more convenient to use eddcaller.com. This platform can help in navigating the application questions or other queries related to the unemployment insurance system. It offers valuable information and contact details for nailing the process efficiently.