LAWMAKERS SAY RESIDENTS GETTING “RUNAROUND” ON UNEMPLOYMENT CLAIMS

Pennsylvania lawmakers say residents’ complaints about slow processing of their unemployment claims are not being heard. That was the main point of discussion at a House budget hearing for the state Department of Labor and Industry this past week. Rep. Natalie Mihalek, a Republican from Upper St. Clair, says her constituents are still getting busy signals — or an average 67-minute wait when they are connected —  to find out about the status of their claims. She’s urging the passage of a 113-million-dollar proposal for funds to hire 50 additional people and to promote existing interviewers to examiner positions.