NASHVILLE, Tenn. -As Tennessee's unemployment continues to increase so do problems with the state's unemployment office.
Dawn Kingsley had a simple question about her unemployment claim. She tried for several days to get through with no luck. She went on line to file for unemployment, but because of the way she answered a certain question - the process hit a snag so Dawn was told to call the unemployment office.
"I would have waited all day in a que to get my question answered,' said Kingsley.
The only problem she would never be put on hold only disconnected from the call.
"I was almost in tears I was so frustrated, over the fact that they pay you so little, then they make it so difficult for you to access those benefits, and you can't even talk to somebody if there is a problem," she said.
It's been weeks since Dawn lost her high paying job. She has savings to fall back on, but wonders how other people manage.
"I was able to pay my light bill this month - but somebody that is in a different position than us, may not have that ability, it could mean rather they eat or not," she said.
A spokesman from the Tennessee Department of Labor said it would take an extra two to three hundred call takers to keep up with the call volume. In the month of June over 900,000 people called the center, a center that has only 75 employees.
Officials said this is why many callers are not put on hold when they call - they are simply disconnected. When asked why the office doesn't hire more employees, officials said the money comes from federal dollars and that determines how many people work in the office.
