Hundreds of state employees were laid off from unemployment compensation call centers last year and now, people looking to file claims are having a hard time reaching a representative on the phone.
Larry Garvin with PA CareerLink Butler County says his office doesn’t file claims but they do have two unemployment compensation hotlines for people to come in and use. Since the holidays, he’s seen over 80 people come in on one day to use the two hotlines in an attempt to file a claim. Because of the increased use, PA CareerLink Butler County will have three express hotlines available Thursday for people to easily reach a representative.
The Butler CareerLink office will be open between 8:15 a.m. and 4 p.m. it’s located on Hollywood Drive in the Pullman Commerce Center, which sits off Hansen Avenue in Butler City.
Garvin says residents are able to file unemployment claims online but many seem to run into problems and have questions, which has led to the increased wait times on the phones.
Hundreds of state employees were laid off less than a week before Christmas from the state Department of Labor and Industry’s unemployment compensation call centers.
The 520 employees- employed at centers in Allentown, Altoona and Lancaster- were caught in an funding dispute between Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf’s administration and Senate Republicans.
