don't know how things stand in the the urban jungle right now, but where i live, the unemployment office had three employees and two visitors the last time i was there, several years ago...my last three claims were initiated by phone without physically going there, and i believe that may be true for most unempoyment offices these days...
and you don't have to be reopening a claim, either, to do it by phone...soon, the clerk who answers will be in india...
government and public sector cuts, etc...
fs