July 10, 2020 9:45 a.m.

The Oregon Employment Department has launched a new informational website aimed at improving customer service for the record number of Oregonians applying for and receiving unemployment benefits.

The new site is: https://unemployment.oregon.gov/. An OED release said its designed to help Oregonians more easily find information on the new programs created by the CARES Act, whether they might qualify for unemployment benefits, how to apply and what is different during the pandemic.

Acting Director of the Oregon Employment David Gerstenfeld, said they have heard from many Oregonians who have said the department needs to do a better job communicating about their benefits and the unemployment claims process. He said their goal with the new site is to provide clear information so people can file their claims, avoid unnecessary delays and get their questions answered without having to call.

In March, high traffic to the departments main website risked crashing all State of Oregon government websites, so the department’s COVID-19 content was moved to a temporary website commonly used by agencies during crisis times. The limitations on the content management system of the temporary website made information difficult to find, according to the release. As one of his first steps as Acting Director, Gerstenfeld initiated the develop of the new site.

The release said over the new few days and weeks, the department will add more content and features to the website.