What is slowing America’s US$2.2 trillion coronavirus aid? A 60-year-old computer language
- Outdated code called COBOL impairs the US government’s effort to get billions of dollars in stimulus cheques to millions of unemployed citizens
- Lack of COBOL programmers hurts states swamped with new applications
The US$2.2 trillion CARES Act passed in late March includes a US$600 weekly increase in unemployment benefits. That money won’t reach anyone until state agencies update technology systems to reflect the law and handle the flood of new applications.
Oklahoma is trying to implement CARES as quickly as it can, but some claims are taking as long as two weeks to process because of a mainframe computer that runs on a 60-year-old programming language called COBOL.
“It is the largest issue with regards to implementation in the CARES programme,” said Robin Roberson, executive director of the Oklahoma Employment Security Commission. “Our mainframe is literally over 30 years old. It’s very difficult to program, it doesn’t do much. COBOL programmers are somewhat scarce.”
Roberson started her job nine weeks ago with a mandate to upgrade the system, but the pandemic hit before any real progress was made. Other agencies in Oklahoma and beyond are suffering from similar problems, she said.