Waterbury (AP) - Laid off as a construction foreman, Pat Maher of Torrington began dialing the state Department of Labor's TeleBenefits line Monday at 8 a.m.

By noon Thursday, he was still dialing.

"I have two phones in my hands, and for four days I've been dialing for eight hours a day and I can't get through," Maher said, adding that when the line wasn't busy it hung up on him.

"I have bills to pay, and if I don't get that check I'll get punished for paying them late," he said.

Maher was not alone in his frustration. The department has issued a notice warning people trying to file an initial claim for unemployment benefits or trying to reopen a claim that seasonal shutdowns - including layoffs of retail workers hired for the holiday shopping season, construction workers, and some school workers - had significantly increased the volume of callers to its TeleBenefits Call Center.

The delays in getting through are "because there are a lot of people who are trying to file an initial claim," said Nancy Steffens, spokeswoman for the labor department.

The state's unemployment rate in November, the latest data available, was 8.4 percent, down from 8.7 percent a month earlier, the labor department reported last month. The department estimated that more than 159,000 people were unemployed. The data for December will be released later this month.

Steffens said the first two weeks of January typically are among the agency's busiest. It tried to address the issue by extending the hours for its call centers.

It opened the TeleBenefits line between 7:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. on Saturdays. The call centers also have extended hours during the week, from 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays. They're open Fridays from 7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The extra hours are intended to enable callers to get help in filing an initial claim or in reopening a claim, neither of which can be done on the department's website.

On hold for 90 minutes

Maher said he considered visiting a labor department office in person to reopen his claim, but only as a last resort.

"I'm getting to that point, but what's the sense of having the phone service if you have to wait in line?" he asked just before noon Thursday.

He finally did get through about 12:05 p.m. on Thursday, but that wasn't the end to his frustration.

"I was on hold for an hour and a half, but at least I got through," he said. "When I finally talked to a human being, it took all of two minutes to wrap it up."

Steffens advised those frustrated in their efforts to call to keep trying, but to avoid the busiest hours, which are early on Mondays and Tuesdays.

"That will really help people who are trying to get through," she said.

Steffens also said those filing first-time claims or reopening claims won't be penalized if there is a lapse between when they were laid off and when they finally talk to a customer service operator.

"We do know it is difficult to get through this time of year, so if it takes them an extra week we certainly understand," she said.

She added that individuals filing a continued claim typically don't need to speak to a customer service rep and are encouraged to file online using the department's WebBenefits system.

According to Steffens, only 45 percent of those filing continuing claims currently do so via the Web.

Information on filing over the Internet is available on the agency's website, www.ctdol.state.ct.us.