State keeps benefits coming despite historic unemployment with Rocket^® Mainstar^®   

Company

Industry: Government & Non Profit

A Midwest state workforce development agency responsible for processing unemployment claims, workforce development programs, and maintaining employment services. 

Challenge

Massive surge in unemployment claims threatened the agency’s ability to maintain mission-critical operations during the COVID-19 crisis. 

Typically processing around 3,000 unemployment applications weekly, the state agency faced overwhelming pressure when claims spiked to 41,000 in a single week after expanded benefits were introduced. Many state systems in similar scenarios faltered under such loads, risking delays in providing critical financial support. With public trust and resident livelihoods at stake, the agency needed a reliable way to instantly and dramatically scale operations without hardware or software overhauls. 

Solution

The state’s IBM Z mainframe, supported by Rocket solutions, provided unmatched scalability and reliability to manage the surge.

By leveraging IBM Z mainframes enhanced with Rocket^® Mainstar^® Catalog RecoveryPlus and Rocket^® VSAM Quick Index^®, the agency ensured uninterrupted access to critical operational data and maximized system performance. This allowed IT teams to quickly and efficiently scale the system’s capacity on demand by nearly two-thirds without needing new hardware or software.

Results

The agency surpassed expectations, scaling fast and maintaining critical service continuity during a crisis.

Rocket helped a state agency manage an unprecedented surge in unemployment claims during a critical period. By scaling system capacity and ensuring uninterrupted data access, the agency processed claims swiftly without delays. Tools like Rocket Mainstar Catalog RecoveryPlus and VSAM Quick Index were key in maintaining seamless service, enabling quick and reliable benefit distribution. This partnership supported the agency’s resilience during high demand, helping individuals get assistance when it mattered most.

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