Submitted by Suanne Z. Thamm
Reporter – News Analyst
April 7, 2020
The state of Florida, the Nassau Chamber of Commerce and the Nassau County Library System are ramping up efforts to assist residents filing for unemployment assistance due to Covid-19 business closures.
State update
Yesterday Governor Ron DeSantis issued the following statement:
DEO has added new servers and will continue adding as needed – 72 servers were added over the weekend to address unprecedented demand to DEO website.
DEO worked through the weekend getting new employees trained for unemployment claims – –
– 250 new employees started this morning.
– 500 more will begin this week.
– 2,000 more employees identified in state agencies that could help in unemployment claims.
– 518 employees through DOR are available and trained for unemployment processing
Unemployment paper applications now available – –
-Career Source & other agencies working to make sure paper applications are available throughout the state
-Governor is working with FedEx to print & send applications daily
-Some mayors opening public libraries for access to unemployment applications
DEO estimates 80,000 applications will be processed this week.
Nassau Chamber of Commerce
Alex Wilmer, Communications and Marketing Coordinator for the Nassau County Chamber of Commerce, also advises that printed unemployment applications and envelopes are available at the Chamber office located at at 961687 Gateway Blvd., Suite 101-G, Fernandina Beach, across from Cantina Louie and Captain Jack’s Smokehouse from 9 to 5 daily. For questions, call 904-261-3248.
Nassau County Library System
Janet Loveless, Assistant Librarian in the Nassau County Library System, reminds county residents that the Library can help with resources as well. Learning Express Library is a database on the Library website for skill building, career and job information and practice testing.
Loveless said, “With more and more people at home, this may be just the thing to assist adults with learning a new skill or strengthening a weakness. In addition to job and career information, there are more resources for elementary, middle, high school and college students.”