Gov. Gavin Newsom on Monday defended his efforts to fix an outdated state unemployment benefits system that has delayed payments to tens of thousands of Californians who have lost their jobs since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic and face increasingly dire financial circumstances.

A “strike team” investigation ordered by Newsom was released late Saturday night, concluding that the number of bogged-down claims continues to rise by 10,000 a day — even though the governor had pushed to clear the backlog by the end of September. The report estimated that it may take until January to fully address the backlog.

Newsom said that actions being taken by his administration will allow unemployment claims to be processed substantially faster and put money in the hands of Californians more quickly. He again blamed the delays on the unprecedented influx of unemployment claims filed during the pandemic, a crush that overwhelmed a system that still relies on 30-year-old technology.

But the governor sidestepped a question to offer any specific timelines for improvement.

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