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By Bill O’Boyle boboyle@timesleader.com
WILKES-BARRE — Since the start of the Shapiro Administration, the Department of Labor & Industry (L&I) has made great strides toward improving the efficiency of Pennsylvania’s Unemployment Compensation (UC) system, ensuring it is now more accessible and supportive than ever for Pennsylvanians experiencing job loss.
Through collaborations with community-based organizations, enhanced technology and increased funding, the Shapiro Administration continues its commitment to breaking down barriers to access and delivering timely benefits to eligible Pennsylvanians.
“Even during historically low unemployment, Pennsylvanians need a reliable safety net in the event of unexpected job loss,” said L&I Secretary Nancy A. Walker. “We’ve prioritized efficient customer service and quicker turnaround times, ensuring families and communities have the resources and — perhaps most importantly — the timely assistance to recover faster. In 2024, we achieved significant milestones, and we’re committed to building on this progress.”
Enhanced UC services
Pennsylvania’s Unemployment Compensation (UC) system has undergone transformative improvements to better serve claimants and streamline processes, including:
• Reduced Wait Times: Last year, more than 380 additional UC interviewers were hired to enhance customer service at UC service centers. This expansion significantly reduced wait times for phone assistance, improving overall satisfaction. In 2023, claimants on average needed to call 11.4 times before reaching a representative. This number has significantly decreased, with claimants now averaging only 2.8 attempts, representing a 75% improvement. Average call waiting times have also been reduced dramatically. In 2023, the average call wait time was 45 minutes, while through October 2024 they have reduced to 27 minutes.
• New OVR Help Desk: In February 2024, L&I’s Office of Vocational Rehabilitation (OVR) launched a dedicated Help Desk staffed by 50 individuals with disabilities – including veterans – to provide employment services and support to fellow Pennsylvanians with disabilities. Since the inception of the OVR Help Desk, these specialists have assisted 41,987 claimants with routine technical questions like password resets and uploading documents.
•Local Support Opportunities: With more than $2.5 million distributed among seven organizations, these grants target under-served populations, including rural workers, immigrants, and those with limited-English proficiency. This investment addresses barriers such as limited broadband access and technical skills, helping Pennsylvanians learn about, apply for, and maintain their UC benefits.
• Historic Investments in Technology and Support Services: Gov. Shapiro’s bipartisan 2024-25 budget allocated $68 million through the Service Improvement and Infrastructure Fund (SIIF) to increase overall staff support and strengthen UC services and infrastructure.
• Verification Made Easy: Earlier this year, with grant funding from the U.S. Department of Labor, L&I installed ID.me kiosks at all PA CareerLink locations. The new kiosks are designed to enhance and improve the accessibility of the identity verification process, which claimants can still complete from their home computer or mobile phone should they choose to do so. For most claimants, the self-service identity verification options take fewer than 10 minutes to complete.
• Reopen Process: In 2023, L&I implemented an abbreviated process to reopen a claim which reduced the process from about one hour to only 5–15 minutes. Previously, the reopen process progressed in the same way as the initial claim process. Now, if claimants don’t have changes to any of their previously provided information, they can skip ahead directly to the Employment History section.
In 2024 alone:
• UC Connect served 27,410 individuals in CareerLink locations, with a total of 91,274 served since its launch two years ago.
• In 2023, L&I distributed more than $1.7 billion in UC benefits to approximately 326,000 individuals.
So far in 2024:
• 437,663 claims were filed.
L&I assisted:
• 944,822 individuals through the UC helpline.
• 63,481 individuals via the UC Live Chat service.
• 154,445 individuals through email.
