State’s job system to go offline Wednesday for upgrade

The Louisiana Workforce Commission’s jobs portal, HiRE (Helping Individuals Reach Employment), will be taken offline at 5 p.m. Wednesday for a major upgrade. The system will remain down until Nov. 9 at the latest, a news release stated.
People claiming unemployment benefits for the week ending Oct. 31 can avoid processing or payment delays if they file by 5 p.m. Wednesday. Failing to file their new or continuing claims by then will result in delays of up to a few days. Claims that are phoned in to the LWC will be backdated when the HiRE system resumes operation.
The system enhancements will allow job seekers to do business with the LWC more efficiently with online access to file appeals to unemployment insurance decisions, access real-time claim updates and correspond electronically rather than through postal mail, the news release from the Louisiana Workforce Commission stated.
During the upgrade, Louisiana employers will still have uninterrupted access to the LWC’s online wage portal to pay unemployment insurance taxes. Recruiting services will not be available until HiRE returns to full operation by Nov. 9.
Claimants who need help with or information about their unemployment insurance accounts while the system is offline can contact the LWC toll-free at 1-866-783-5677 during normal business hours.