Shapiro administration cuts unemployment backlog, slashes call waits to 10 minutes

Pennsylvania has cleared its unemployment backlog, and average call waits are down to just 10 minutes—the fastest in six years.

Pennsylvania has cleared its pandemic-era backlog of unemployment compensation claims and cut average call waits to under 10 minutes, Gov. Josh Shapiro said Tuesday, thanking state workers and touting new staffing and 24/7 support. 

Shapiro said the UC system “failed” many residents during the pandemic, noting there were 40,000 unaddressed claims before he took office and callers often had to try a dozen times to get through, with waits stretching more than an hour.

As of this week, those wait times have been reduced to just 10 minutes, he said.  

“Before I took office, there was a backlog of 40,000 unaddressed unemployment claims from the peak of the pandemic, 40,000,”” Shapiro said.”They had to reach out on average more than 12 times just to get someone on the phone and then when they got someone on the phone, it often took more than an hour and a half in order to address their problem—if at all.”

Since then, the Shapiro administration has hired 380 intake interviewers, launched a 24/7 chat feature, and set a goal of replying to emails within 24 hours, Shapiro said. 

These reforms have led to the lowest call wait time in more than six years. 

“ We hired 380 dedicated intake interviewers to help answer those calls and process those claims,” Shapiro said. “ They rolled up their shirt sleeves, they got to work and they did something about it.”

Labor leaders praised the approach. Nina Coffey, the secretary- treasurer at Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 668, which represents UC workers, said the state’s choice to invest in staffing and training “led to proper training for UC workers” and the tools they need to serve claimants effectively.

“Today, their experience and commitment continue to benefit Pennsylvania, and we see the results in a stronger, more efficient system,” she said.