Español

Applying for Unemployment Benefits is Now Easier and Faster

Starting October 26, more Californians will find it easier to apply for unemployment benefits online. A shorter, more streamlined application is the result of customer research. We developed these updates with the help of more than 4,500 hours of research and testing. Enhancements when applying for unemployment benefits focus on simplifying language, improving instructions, and removing unnecessary questions. These updates, along with enhancing our mobile design and reducing time spent on the application, will allow for a smoother customer experience.

Customer feedback helped to identify pain points in the EDD applications for benefits. Customers often noted the application was too long and the language was confusing – forcing them to stop and seek clarification. For example, technical terms like “Standard or Alternate Base Period” are now explained in simpler language. Hard-to-understand questions like, “Which employer did you work for the longest?” – when sometimes employment is intermittent – have been clarified. We also heard from advocates and front-line employees that customers often mistakenly use the term “laid off” for all kinds of scenarios that may not legally be a layoff. This could lead to payment delays while EDD had to spend more time to clarify with the customer. New descriptive options will help customers more accurately provide the reason they are applying for unemployment.

The revised unemployment application is not only easier to understand, but questions are grouped together in a way to better guide customers through the application process. Customers can now choose from more recognizable dropdown options, rather than long write-in fields. These changes help ensure more accurate responses and help us automate much of the processing. This reduces manual reviews and helps us process claims and pay benefits faster.

We’re starting with the unemployment application. Next, we’ll be working to provide shorter and more simplified applications for Disability Insurance and Paid Family Leave benefits.

The simplified applications are all part of our EDDNext modernization effort, with a goal of completely transforming the EDD customer and employee experience. Our improvements build upon the Department’s language access expansion for communities speaking California’s top eight languages. Translated unemployment applications are available online in English, Spanish, Armenian, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Korean, Tagalog, and Vietnamese.

Empowering Our Workers with Plain Language Training

In collaboration with the Governor’s Office of Data and Innovation (ODI), the Department recently launched a comprehensive training in plain language communication strategies in follow up to other trainings released by ODI earlier this year.

Efforts to simplify customer instructions and forms with plain language at an 8th grade reading level or lower helps everyone with government communication that is easy to understand the first time it’s read or heard.

---

What’s New with ACES?

We successfully migrated the Accounting and Compliance Enterprise System (ACES) to an Amazon Web Services (AWS) cloud solution. ACES is the primary system we use to manage California’s employment tax program for accounting, audit, collection, and data warehousing activities. As one of our most complex systems—with over 100 interfaces with internal and external systems—ACES is the second largest tax processing system in the United States, surpassed only by the Internal Revenue Service. ACES is used to process over $110 billion in annual payroll tax filings from California businesses. It also provides support for over 1.5 million active employers with extensive online self-service tools such as e-Services for Businessand Express Pay – where employers can easily and securely manage their payroll tax accounts.

What does this mean for California employers? AWS is the world’s most comprehensive and broadly adopted cloud services to increase security and innovate faster to best serve you, our customers. We’ve built in significant improvements to safeguard these systems and recover in the event of a disaster. With these efforts, ACES is more resilient and scalable to meet the evolving needs of California businesses.

 

---

Disability Insurance Contact Center Updates

We’re continuing to improve the customer experience when Californians contact us for support with their benefit claims. We have now successfully transitioned all disability calls to a modern, contact center platform. This milestone follows the launch of a pilot project at our Fresno disability office earlier this summer. This Integrated Contact Center project uses the Amazon Connect platform to better enhance communication and streamline services.

Transitioning to this new contact center platform is an important step to delivering an improved customer experience. Disability customers will now be placed on a “virtual” hold – meaning we’ll let them know approximately how long it is going to take to answer their call, and we’ll provide them an estimated time we can call them back later the same day. The availability of a callback is based on call volumes and the number of disability representatives available.

With the entire disability contact center using the modernized platform, we’ll be able to extend new, self-service options to all disability customers contacting us over the phone. The project aims to reduce wait times, minimize call transfers, and increase first-call resolution rates. Disability customers will soon be able to check the status of their claims and payments without waiting on hold to speak to a representative. Future self-service enhancements for callers will include the ability to certify for continued benefits, report the arrival of a new baby, report a return-to-work date, or request a specific form be mailed by the Department.

Stay tuned for more exciting news about modernizing our contact centers!

---

Best Practices to Protect Yourself and Avoid Scammers

It is everyone’s responsibility to fight scammers and help safeguard vital programs and services like those offered by the EDD. Since 2020, our efforts prevented more than $125 billion in attempted fraud. As of February 2024, we seized or recovered nearly $6 billion in unemployment funds. We encourage all Californians to protect their personal information, stay informed about common scams, and report fraud attempts when they occur.

Protect Your Personal Information
Scammers use your personal information to apply for benefits in your name. We never need to access your personal bank account. If someone calls or texts asking for your bank account information over the phone, by email, or by text message – do not share it! Never provide unknown requestors with:

• Name and date of birth
• Social Security number
• Bank account information
• Credit card number, expiration date, or CVV
• Photos of government documents
• Phone type
• Mobile carrier
• Credit score

To protect your account from fraud, be on the lookout for criminals trying to impersonate the EDD by calling, texting, and emailing. Be cautious of unsolicited requests for personal or financial information with a sense of urgency. EDD emails only contain links to websites that include “edd.ca.gov.”

Stay Informed About Common Frauds and Scams
It is important to stay up to date as criminals are constantly changing their tactics to try and trick people into sharing personal information or steal their benefits. Visit FBI.gov to learn more. Common scams include:

• Romance Scams – Includes fake dating profiles or people who immediately ask for money.
• Job Opportunities – Legitimate employers are highly unlikely to hire via direct message.
• Cash Giveaways, Rewards, or Prizes – If it sounds too good to be true, it is likely a scam.
• Offers of unclaimed vehicles or personal property.
• Fake Unemployment Websites – Criminals trick people into providing their usernames and passwords on fake unemployment websites. Make sure your EDD activity is on our official EDD website that ends in edd.ca.gov.

We encourage Californians to remain vigilant and safeguard information to help prevent fraud. To learn more or report fraud, visit Help Fight Fraud.

---

California Jobs Report- Insights into the Labor Market

Recently, our Labor Market Information Division published a comprehensive jobs market report that highlights the current state of California’s labor market.

The California Jobs Market Briefing (PDF) offers the latest insights for labor market trends and current statistics about the State’s economy. Whether you’re a job seeker or an employer, this report is a valuable resource. The report highlights employment trends across various industries, emerging skillsets, and growth opportunities to help make better career or hiring decisions.

If you are starting a new career or making a switch, understanding the most in-demand jobs is key. Beyond knowing the top roles, it’s essential to consider the education requirements and median pay for each. Based on projections for 2020-2030, we've highlighted the top five jobs in California's 15 economic regions.

For those exploring new career opportunities, the fastest growing industries in California are: Educational Services (Private), Health Care, and Social Assistance; Leisure and Hospitality; and Construction. These three industry sectors are expected to experience significant growth in the upcoming years providing various employment opportunities and professional development.

In addition to the job market data, there are many resources available in the briefing for job seekers and employers, including a section offering a Toolbox for Job Seekers. These tools aim to provide personalized support and offer career advice. This makes job hunting and hiring easier and more effective.

In today’s fast-changing job market, this briefing serves as a guide to stay informed on the latest job data and market trends. Whether you’re a job seeker or an employer, this valuable information can help us work together toward building stronger careers and a much stronger California.

 

---

EDD Took Center Stage at Dreamforce: A Focus on Innovation

Last month, we joined innovators from around the world at Dreamforce in San Francisco to discuss our modernization efforts and to learn from others in the Salesforce community who are doing the same.

We had the chance to hear Governor Newsom speak with Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff about important issues like artificial intelligence (AI), climate change, and California’s business environment. We also connected with federal agencies like the U.S. Air Force, U.S. Army, and the Transportation Security Administration to learn how they improved their systems.

During the public sector keynote, Director Nancy Farias spoke with Mia Jordan, Salesforce’s Digital Transformation Executive, about the importance of putting customers first and using the latest technology. Nancy encouraged everyone to think about how we can focus on our customers and make our department more adaptable and transparent. She highlighted that many old systems struggled during the pandemic, which led us to create a customer experience team. This team helps us understand our customers better, so we can improve our services based on their needs.

We are working closely with the private sector to harness innovation and make the customer experience better. In the last six months, around 2 million Californians were able to reset their passwords themselves on the new myEDD platform, which used to require contacting an EDD representative.

Our goal is to keep making the EDD experience easier, faster, and more satisfying for everyone. While customers can use self-service options, our agents also have the tools they need to assist effectively – creating a smoother experience for all.

---