Gov. Kate Brown on Sunday apologized to Oregonians who are dealing with delays and errors while they try to get unemployment funds.

“If you’re waiting on an unemployment claim: I hear your frustration,” Brown wrote on Twitter. “I’m sorry for the delays.”

“I’m committed to ensuring that eligible Oregonians receive the maximum benefits available, as quickly as possible," she added. “These benefits are critical during this stressful time.”

If you're waiting on an unemployment claim: I hear your frustration. I'm sorry for the delays. I'm committed to ensuring that eligible Oregonians receive the maximum benefits available, as quickly as possible. These benefits are critical during this stressful time. — Governor Kate Brown (@OregonGovBrown) April 26, 2020

A record number of Oregonians have filed for unemployment since Brown issued a statewide stay-at-home in March.

Some 37,000 Oregonians filed for unemployment last week, which brings the state’s total job losses to 334,000 over the five-week period of the COVID-19 pandemic response. That amounts to one in six Oregon jobs.

Sunday was the first in three weeks without widespread reports of errors from people filing jobless claims.

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The Oregon Employment Department has run into problems stemming from the large numbers of new claims and the computer system it uses to process those claims, which was built in the 1990s.

In a separate Twitter thread Sunday, the employment department outlined plans for gig and self-employed workers and contractors.

“We know self-employed, contract, and gig workers affected by COVID-19 closures need benefits as badly as anyone,” the department said.

1/5 The Employment Department is close to launching the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) program. We have been training staff, and are trying out the process, and monitoring the effects on our systems, with a testing group over the next few days. — Oregon Employment Department (@ORemployment) April 26, 2020

The department said last week that it plans to launch the new program by the end of April.

-- Lizzy Acker

503-221-8052, lacker@oregonian.com, @lizzzyacker

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