Frustration grows as unemployed people continue to stand outside DES for hours

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) - As if having to apply for unemployment during a pandemic wasn't frustrating enough for some of us, one woman voices her concerns of having to stand outside in triple-digit heat to do so.

The Department of Economic Security (DES) office gives people the option to come into their office to use computers to apply for unemployment.

DES says those who need assistance specifically with unemployment are encouraged to access their services virtually online and by phone.

However, for Amber Karbowski, she says when she tried contacting the Yuma DES office specifically, there was no phone number on the website for her to get through.

Karbowski's experience with showing up in person was something she feels could have been prevented or made better at the very least. She worries for others who could possibly suffer from heatstroke as the temperatures remain over 90 degrees.

When Karbowski arrived, she says an employee asked her what she needed help with, and when she said she just had an unemployment question she was sent to stand in a line outside the building.

The wait lasted a little over two hours, for her questions to be answered in two minutes, she says.

Karbowski says her car temperature read 109 degrees Fahrenheit, and the only shade provided outside of the office was a blue tent where a few people were already huddled underneath.

Karbowski says because people were trying to get shade, it didn't leave very much opportunity for people to social distance.

News 11 reached out to DES regarding their client's concerns, and they say, "working diligently to address client overflow outside through the use of canopies, outdoor HVAC cooling systems, and other shade structures to keep clients cool during the summer months."

They also say that Yuma's DES is "working to procure and install additional shade structures to make up for the one canopy that currently stands outside the office."