By Kate Bramson
CRANSTON, R.I. -- Two months after the state Department of Labor and Training laid off 67 people because of declining federal money, the department is struggling to keep pace with the needs of 59,200 unemployed Rhode Islanders, Director Charles J. Fogarty said.
Wait times for those people seeking help from the department's call center have ranged from 40 to 43 minutes, on average, over the last few weeks, DLT records show.
Laurie Bucci, 55, of Warren, is unemployed and frustrated with her attempts to get extended unemployment benefits from the DLT. She says she was told she is eligible for additional benefits but must first wait to be called back by a DLT employee.
"And they won't call you," she said. "That's what's so disheartening."