State drops waiting period for first-time jobless checks, but claims website crashes again

In most states including Florida, a so-called “waiting week” has been a long-time fixture of unemployment insurance laws, experts say. Originally established to allow states time to process initial jobless claims, critics assert that advances in technology make the wait unnecessary. The real reason they’re still in place, opponents say, is that the delay saves states money, especially if workers find jobs before their eligibility to collect insurance expires.