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Beginning today, jobless Floridians applying for unemployment benefits must do it online. The new requirement is filling up taxpayer funded career centers with computer labs. But as Whitney Ray tells us, people with internet access can apply for benefits from home without being put on hold.

Laptop in hand, Diego Salinas searches for a wireless internet signal to check the status of his unemployment claim.

Starting Monday, all jobless Floridians trying to claim unemployment benefits must apply online instead of over the phone.

“I think it’s a legit thing. I think what the State of Florida is doing is good for everybody,” said Deigo.

Applying online takes about half an hour. Go to Floridajobs.org, click on the UC services box in the bottom right hand corner. Click on Unemployment Benefits Claim, check a box claiming you are who you say you are, create a pin number and from there enter your employment history.

Be sure to have your social security number, driver’s license and a list of your former employers on hand. Also new Monday, people receiving benefits have to prove they contacted at least five employers. Diego says if you’re really job hunting, providing proof isn’t hard.

“It’s pretty fast because I do all my searches through email, so I just had to provide the email, date of contact and method so that’s pretty much it,” said Diego.

Diego has an internet connection at home so he can file anytime, but for the thousands of other jobseekers without computers, they’ll have to use the labs at the one stop career centers throughout the state. Moving the unemployment claims process online is expected to save the state more than four million dollars.