Following the announced closure of KFC and Taco Bell restaurants in Puerto Rico, the Puerto Rico Department of Labor and Human Resources (DTRH) has made orientation and assistance services available to the laid-off workers to help them return to the job market. Labor Secretary María del Pilar Vélez Casanova said the agency has the resources and programs to support them in the transition to new employment while they access unemployment insurance benefits.
The department’s Assistant Secretariat for Worker Benefits has begun efforts to contact the employer to coordinate orientation and assistance for the affected employees. Laid-off workers can apply for unemployment benefits through the Desempleo Digital platform at desempleo.trabajo.pr.gov by creating or entering an account, submitting an initial claim, having their personal and employment information on hand (including dates of work and layoff), and periodically checking the claim’s status.
The Unemployment Insurance call center is 787-754-7300. Workers must also register as job seekers by visiting Employment Service offices at the Conexión Laboral offices in Arecibo, Barceloneta, Bayamón, Carolina, Coamo, Fajardo, Guaynabo, Humacao, Isabela, Mayagüez, Ponce, San Germán and San Juan, or the Municipal Alliance for Integrated Services (AMSI) centers in Caguas and Guayama. These offer job-search help, occupational guidance, job referrals and information on training programs, plus other services under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), subject to eligibility requirements.