The VEC goes 21st century

Speaking of the VEC and unemployment compensation, I was pleased to see that they are making progress towards entering the 21st century. Three years ago, while you could file for unemployment online, and make your weekly claims there as well, they still cut you a paper check and sent it by snail mail every week, so you could trek to the bank to deposit or cash it. Today, lo and behold, they have discovered both debit cards and direct deposit, between which you can choose for receipt of your largess. Indeed, paper checks are apparently no longer even an option, and good riddance I say.

Another improvement of note: One requirement for receiving unemployment benefits is that you be registered with VEC Job Services. In 2005, you did that by filling out a multi-page, mostly machine-readable, paper form with a #2 pencil and turning it in at the VEC office. Three years down the line, when you finish your online application for benefits, you are directed to the Job Services website to register. Hallelujah! And believe it or not, they actually still had my record from before, which I only had to update with my latest job history.

Now if they could just use that computing power to actually find me some viable job leads. The lone referral they sent me last time around arrived after I had finally started work at my new job. Keeping my fingers crossed that this might have improved also.