Kentucky extends contract for help processing jobless claims

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — Kentucky’s governor says the state will extend its contract with an outside company hired to help work through a backlog of unemployment claims amid the coronavirus outbreak. Gov. Andy Beshear said Friday the contract with Ernst & Young will be prolonged by five weeks at a cost of $4.4 million. Beshear says the company helped process more than 56,000 claims under its original contract, exceeding expectations. He says coronavirus-relief funds from the federal government will pay for the original contract, which was about to expire, and the extension. The company dug into the most complex claims that stalled for months.