Unemployment Help@ASU's Acadome!

(Photo credit: David Campbell/ASU).

ASU's Dunn-Oliver Acadome Hosting Unemployment Claims Site!

- State Department of Labor helping citizens with unemployment claims, questions and issues at Acadome.

- Anyone needing assistance is welcomed/no appointments necessary/please wear a mask/face covering. 

- By: Kenneth Mullinax/ASU

As part of its CommUniversity initiative, Alabama State University has partnered with the Alabama Department of Labor to serve as a satellite location for unemployment compensation offices from May 26-May 29, and possibly longer.  

Alabama citizens may come to ASU’s Dunn-Oliver Acadome to meet with Department of Labor employees between the hours of 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. each day to receive help with any type of unemployment claim, question or issue, related or unrelated to COVID-19 pandemic claims, says Tara Hutchinson, communications director for the department. 

"The Department of Labor has had more than 500,000 people filing unemployment claims due to the COVID-19 pandemic," Hutchinson said. "We understand it's very difficult to reach our representatives over the phone due to the overwhelming demand for assistance, so when Governor Kay Ivey reopened State offices, we knew that we would have lots of people needing help. We are doing this to accommodate more people and to help as many as possible."  

Hutchinson said because the Department of Labor can only have three people in its lobby at one time due to social distancing rules, department officials reached out to Alabama State University for the use of the Acadome which has adequate space to receive more people each hour. 

By noon on May 26, more than 200 citizens had seen an unemployment official in the Acadome. 

“Alabama State University is proud to be able to serve the Department of Labor and state residents by granting the use of the Acadome as a satellite unemployment office location,” said ASU President Quinton T. Ross, Jr. “We know the importance of having unemployment benefits processed as quickly as possible during these challenging times. This partnership is one of many efforts in which the University is participating as part of our CommUniversity initiative.” 

DEPARTMENT OF LABOR THANKS ASU AND PRESIDENT ROSS

"We are extremely appreciative of Alabama State University's President Ross for allowing us the use of the University's Acadome," Hutchinson said. "We are grateful for the cooperation of Dr. Ross and Alabama State (University), whose facility allows us to better meet the needs of more people." 

CONTACT INFORMATION FOR UNEMPLOYMENT CLAIMS

If people do not wish to come to the ASU Acadome, they may call the Department of Labor, Monday - Friday or contact the department, via the Internet; at the contact information that follows: 

To file a new claim application or to reopen an existing claim: call 866-234-5382 or visit www.labor.alabama.gov.

To talk to a claims specialist: call 800-361-4524. 

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