Hawaii Department of Labor and Industrial Relations Director Scott Murakami joined the COVID-19 Care Conversation to talk about unemployment benefits in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic that has wreaked havoc on Hawaii’s economy. Murakami says just last week alone, the state paid out more than $25 million in benefits, a 651% increase over what they would pay out in a typical week.

Despite that surge in payments, there are still tens of thousands of residents who are frustrated with the state’s call center and website. To ease the avalanche of unemployment claims, state employees are now volunteering to help process claims.

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Murakami took questions on how quickly benefits are being processed, what independent contractors and 1099 workers should do to receive help, how often claimants need to file, whether benefits are taxable, and much more.

Watch here and submit your questions through our Facebook page. Be sure to join us Wednesday when Dr. David Derauf of Kokua Kalihi Valley will be our guest.

The COVID-19 Care Conversation, sponsored by Hawai’i Executive Collaborative, airs live every weekday at 10:30 a.m. on the Honolulu Star-Advertiser’s Facebook page. Yunji de Nies and Ryan Kalei Tsuji discuss the latest news, resources and community concerns about the coronavirus outbreak in Hawaii.