Josh Shapiro, Governor | Pennsylvania Government
Governor Josh Shapiro and Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry (L&I) Secretary Nancy A. Walker met with labor leaders, worker advocates, and L&I staff to discuss recent changes to the state’s Unemployment Compensation (UC) system. The event highlighted improvements made under the Shapiro Administration that aim to make the UC system faster, more reliable, and easier for workers in Pennsylvania.
The administration has implemented a "no wrong door" policy for UC services. This approach allows Pennsylvanians to seek help through various channels including phone, email, online chat, or in-person visits at CareerLink centers.
A key result from these efforts is a reduction in average call wait times at the UC Service Center. The current average wait time is nine minutes, which is the fastest since March 2019. This marks an improvement of over one hour compared to when Governor Shapiro began his term.
Governor Shapiro stated that fixing an unemployment system that failed many workers during the pandemic was among his top priorities from the start of his administration.
Speakers at the event included L&I Secretary Nancy A. Walker; Governor Josh Shapiro; Mitchell Smith, a UC Claims Intake Interviewer; Barney Oursler, Co-Chair of the Mon Valley Unemployed Committee; and Nina Coffey, Secretary Treasurer of SEIU Local 668.