The Kansas Department of Labor announced a new filing process in hopes of getting unemployment benefits to thousands of Kansans.

Secretary Delia Garcia said the process, called gating, will require people to file on certain days of the week according to the first letter of their last name.

Kansans with a last name that begins with an A-M can file on Sunday afternoon, Tuesday or Thursday. If your last name begins with an N-Z, you can file on Monday, Wednesday or Friday. Saturdays are reserved for those who haven't been able to file.

Garcia said her department is also hiring about two dozen more employees to help respond to the high demand for unemployment. She said the process to train the workers normally takes six months, but it has now been expedited to three weeks, with a new class coming in every two weeks to accommodate for social distancing.