Like other states, New Jersey was slammed by job losses during the worst months of the COVID-19 pandemic. What made matters worse was the difficulty people had with the state’s outdated and overwhelmed unemployment system. At the time, lawmakers were inundated with complaints from constituents unable to access benefits.

More than 2 million Garden State residents applied for unemployment benefits following the onset of the pandemic in early 2020.

“Being between jobs is stressful enough,” state Labor Commissioner Robert Asaro-Angelo said during a news conference earlier this week to highlight a complete overhaul of New Jersey’s unemployment application process.