Kansas labor department digs out of help-line quagmire, reduces claim backlog

Ryan Wright’s staff blocks 55,000 fraud attempts, but ‘I’d by lying if I said some of them didn’t get through’

  • Kansas Department of Labor acting secretary Ryan Wright says the unemployment benefit backlogs are thinning, the call center gridlock appears resolved and plans are under development to overhaul the agency’s IT network. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)
    Kansas Department of Labor acting secretary Ryan Wright says the unemployment benefit backlogs are thinning, the call center gridlock appears resolved and plans are under development to overhaul the agency’s IT network. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)
TOPEKA — When Ryan Wright was tapped by Gov. Laura Kelly to take over the Kansas Department of Labor in June, coronavirus had ruthlessly gutted the state’s economy and overwhelmed the agency responsible for delivering timely financial aid to people thrown out of work. The unprecedented wave of joblessness meant people were unable to get through to labor department call centers. The agency’s…

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