Pa. extended benefits program offering 9-13 extra weeks of unemployment

For the 13th consecutive week, more than one million jobless claims have been recorded amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Another 1.5 million laid-off workers filed for unemployment benefits last week, and nearly 21 million people are now officially classified as “unemployed” across the country.

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On Thursday, the Pa. Department of Labor and Industry hosted a virtual townhall on unemployment compensation.

During that meeting, state officials said unemployment rates are so high right now that they are prepared to extend benefits -- something that hasn’t happened in over a decade.

The “Extended Benefits Program” will start in the beginning of July, and recipients will be eligible for an extra 9-13 weeks of unemployment.

According to state officials, it’s a program that only is enacted when unemployment rates reach a certain level. That level was prompted by the coronavirus pandemic.

While the news may come as a relief for some, others may be disappointed to hear the Pandemic Unemployment Compensation Program is coming to an end on July 25. That is a federal program that gives unemployed people an extra $600 per week.

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