Jobless Texans number rises

AUSTIN (AP) - The rising number of jobless Texans has generated more claims than the Texas Workforce Commission can handle.

The commission has added hundreds of workers and phone lines to call centers to deal with soaring unemployment claims, but officials acknowledge that they cannot answer every call.

Commission spokeswoman Ann Hatchitt said they were hiring and training people as fast as they can.

The commission urges claimants to file on the commission's Web site , which also has answers to commonly asked questions.

The claims filed online has risen from about 30 percent to 50 percent. Meanwhile, the state's unemployment rate jumped to 7.1 percent in May, from a revised 6.6 percent in April.