The Hawaiʻi Department of Labor and Industrial Relations (DLIR) is set to launch a new Unemployment Insurance (UI) Call Center on November 25, 2024. This initiative aims to enhance access to unemployment services for the state's diverse population. A streamlined web inquiry form will also be introduced on December 19, 2024.
The call center will feature dedicated lines for various services including regular unemployment claims, fraud and identity theft issues, overpaid benefits, Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA), and employer services. Callers will navigate through a menu system to reach specialized staff, with on-hold messages providing essential information about UI requirements and common queries.
“The upgrades will assist the public in obtaining information and support through improved navigation and language access,” said DLIR Director Jade T. Butay. The department is working on further enhancements to the existing portal while developing a new platform to replace its mainframe-based application.
Language accessibility is a key feature of the revamped call center. Direct menu options will be available in multiple languages such as English, Cantonese, Ilocano, Japanese, Korean, Mandarin, Spanish, Tagalog, and Vietnamese. Additional interpreter services can be accessed for other languages.
Furthermore, the new web form aims to simplify email inquiries and will be offered in Ilocano, Japanese, Korean, Simplified Chinese, Spanish, Tagalog, Vietnamese, Chuukese, Marshallese and English.
“Our goal is to make the unemployment insurance system and processes as clear and easy to navigate as possible,” stated UI Administrator Anne Perreira-Eustaquio. She emphasized that expanded language options are part of an ongoing strategy to ensure equitable service access for Hawaiʻi residents.
The Statewide UI Call Center can be contacted at 808-762-5752 or toll-free at 1-833-901-2272. The upcoming web form will be accessible via labor.hawaii.gov/ui. Free language assistance remains available for claimants needing interpreter services or translated documents.
Footage of UI Claims Office on Oʻahu has been provided by DLIR: https://we.tl/t-D9zIx0J2Uj