If you have just lost your job, stand by for even more bad news: you may have to wait longer to obtain unemployment benefits.

The Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training yesterday acknowledged delays in processing some initial claims for unemployment benefits that are filed online.

But it is not just online claims that are involved, state Sen. John J. Tassoni Jr., D-Smithfield, said yesterday.

People are also experiencing lengthy delays when they try to reach by phone a representative at the state’s unemployment insurance call center.

“It’s not fair for those people to have to wait on the phone” for hours at a time, Tassoni said in a telephone interview yesterday.

The delays come at a time when unemployment in Rhode Island — and initial claims for unemployment benefits — are rising.

Rhode Island has the highest unemployment rate of any state in the nation, at 8.8 percent.

The Department of Labor and Training, which oversees the state’s unemployment insurance program, allows people who have lost their jobs to file their initial claims for unemployment benefits by phone or online.

The agency said yesterday that it is “currently experiencing delays in processing some unemployment claims filed online” because of “a very high volume of claim submissions.”

Once someone submits a claim online, and receives a confirmation number, it normally takes 10 to 14 days for the final processing to be completed before that person can start receiving benefits, said agency spokeswoman Laura Hart.

Lately, however, it is taking up to three weeks or so, she said.

Not only is the unemployment rate higher, but also more people are filing claims for benefits online instead of by phone, she said.

For example, about 40 percent of new claims for benefits were filed online last year, she said. Earlier this year, about 50 percent of new claims were filed online. In recent weeks, it has been between 60 percent and 65 percent, she said.

In response, the agency said it has temporarily reassigned “a greater percentage of staff” to focus solely on processing online claims.

The agency also is hiring additional personnel to handle the increased volume of claims and hopes to have about nine new staff members on board by January, Hart said.

A half-dozen of Tassoni’s constituents have contacted him within the last week or so complaining about delays in trying to reach the agency and delays in the processing of claims, “and why would they lie?” he said.

One person filed a claim for benefits Oct. 27, Tassoni said. The agency made an appointment for Nov. 21 for a follow-up phone interview, “And God knows how long after that” before that person will receive benefits, he said.

Tassoni, who is also a business agent for Local 94 of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, which represents a number of Department of Labor and Training employees, said one problem is “short staffing” at the agency.

“The unemployment office is still trying to handle the increased numbers [of claims] with the same small staff it has always had,” Tassoni said in a statement yesterday.

“How is someone who is unemployed going to get by if they have to go a month or three without an unemployment check?” he said. “A person could starve waiting that long for benefits he or she has earned.”

He urged agency administrators to meet with union officials to work together toward a solution.

Tassoni also blamed Governor Carcieri and his staff for “not being proactive in this regard.” Amy Kempe, a spokeswoman for Carcieri, said last night, “There is added stress to the system and [the state Department of Labor and Training] has taken steps to address the delay.”

Overall, more than 50,000 Rhode Island workers are unemployed. But because of the way the rules work, not everyone who is unemployed collects benefits.

For the week ended Nov. 8, the agency issued about 20,000 benefit payments and had about 1,900 new claims for unemployment benefits, Hart said. The agency has about 74 people working in its unemployment insurance unit, she said.

If you try to reach the unemployment insurance unit by phone to file a claim, at (401) 243-9100, “There’s a long wait,” which can be an hour or so, Hart said.

“Unfortunately, the volume is so great, we have had issues trying to keep everything moving along,” she said.

Keep in mind that call volume is highest on Mondays and Tuesdays, she said, so it is best to call later in the week.

The agency also has Saturday hours, from 8 a.m. to noon, when call volume is typically lower, she said.

As for online claims, the agency yesterday issued an advisory, and posted the notice on its Web site, outlining the following points:

•If you have submitted your claim online and received a confirmation number, “be assured” that the claim has been received and is being processed. Do not re-submit the claim, because that could further delay processing.

•You may use the agency’s Web site to check on the status of your claim:

www.dlt.ri.gov

•You may e-mail the agency with questions. The agency says it is answering e-mails within three business days. Use this address:

uihelp@dlt.ri.gov

ndowning@projo.com