HARRISBURG, Pa. (WHTM) — A few years ago, things were very bad at the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry, which oversees unemployment claims.
It took an average 12 calls for someone to answer. An hour and a half wait times were the standard. Lawmakers noticed and publicly mocked the department at hearings.
Thanks for signing up!
Watch for us in your inbox.
Subscribe Now
This Week in Pennsylvania
“When Pennsylvanians are unexpectedly out of work, they don’t need another roadblock,” said Gov. Josh Shapiro. “They need some help.”
And they got it. Technology upgrades, including live online chats, and 380 more employees eliminated the backlog and nearly all the complaints.
” Last week we were able to hit a six year average call wait time low of nine minutes,” said Labor Secretary Nancy Walker. “Nine minutes, which is incredible.”
At an event Tuesday celebrating the changes, Shapiro thanked the employees who turned things around for unemployment. Its past problems, the impression seems, could be a parable for the unfinished state budget, now seven weeks late.
Why are flags at half staff in Pennsylvania?
“I know that folks get frustrated when government isn’t working the way it should be, and by the way, they’re right to be,” Shapiro said. “And I know that when they have frustrations, that leads to greater cynicism, greater division in our world, greater division in our politics.”
For now, there’s at least one government success story in Pennsylvania, and a lot less beeping on the other line.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC27.
Comments