The First Legislative District legislators will hold a press conference in Vineland to announce their joint legislation to require the reopening of Department of Labor and Workforce Development (NJDOL) unemployment offices as soon as March 1 for in-person appointments to resolve outstanding claims.

WHO: Senator Michael Testa, Assemblyman Antwan McClellan, and Assemblyman Erik Simonsen (all R-1).

WHAT: Press Conference on New Legislation to Reopen Shuttered Department of Labor Facilities for In-Person Meetings.

WHEN: Today at 1 p.m.

WHERE: Outside the closed Cumberland County Unemployment Office at 275 N. Delsea Drive, Vineland.

The legislation sponsored by Senator Michael Testa, Assemblyman Antwan McClellan, and Assemblyman Erik Simonsen would direct the Commissioner of Labor to reopen the facilities for in-person appointments or face financial consequences for the failure to serve the people of New Jersey.

Unemployment offices, along with the One-Stop Centers, were closed on March 18, 2020, more than 700 days ago, by order of Commissioner Robert Asaro-Angelo.

In that time, the First District office staff and other legislative offices across New Jersey have been working tirelessly to help long-suffering constituents who cannot access their unemployment benefits via the NJDOL’s failing system.

The constant failures have left many filers waiting months to receive any benefits while Labor Department employees are working from home, still receiving a check.