Virginia Employment Commission directed to speed up unemployment claim processing Published Tuesday, May. 18, 2021, 6:31 pm Join AFP's 100,000+ followers on Facebook Purchase a subscription to AFP Subscribe to AFP podcasts on iTunes and Spotify News, press releases, letters to the editor: augustafreepress2@gmail.com Gov. Ralph Northam today directed the Virginia Employment Commission to invest $20 million to expand the agency’s ability to process unemployment insurance claims. Executive Directive Sixteen requires the agency add 300 new adjudication staffers, make immediate technology upgrades, and complete a full modernization of the Commonwealth’s unemployment insurance system by Oct. 1. While Virginia ranks sixth in the nation for the timely payment of benefits to eligible applicants, the governor’s action will speed up the resolution of cases flagged as potentially fraudulent or ineligible. These cases represent approximately four percent of all claims.