A row of signs advertising jobs are posted in front of a Burger King restaurant, Thursday, May 21, 2020, in Harmony, Pa. The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits in the two months since the coronavirus took hold in the U.S. has swelled to nearly 39 million, the government reported Thursday, even as states from coast to coast gradually reopen their economies and let people go back to work.
Keith Srakocic / AP Photo
Keith Srakocic / AP Photo
A row of signs advertising jobs are posted in front of a Burger King restaurant, Thursday, May 21, 2020, in Harmony, Pa. The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits in the two months since the coronavirus took hold in the U.S. has swelled to nearly 39 million, the government reported Thursday, even as states from coast to coast gradually reopen their economies and let people go back to work.
Airdate: Tuesday, February 9, 2021
When the pandemic hit Pennsylvania and mitigation orders closed schools and businesses, many workers suddenly found themselves out of work.
The Department of Labor & Industry ramped up unemployment online access but the system quickly became overwhelmed and difficult to navigate.
Nearly a year has passed, along with three federal stimulus plans to help offset the financial impact to workers. Has the current Labor & Industry compensation system been able to meet the challenge?
Acting Pennsylvania Secretary of Labor & Industry Jennifer Berrier appears on Smart Talk Tuesday to discuss Pennsylvania’s unemployment system, programs and workforce development.
PUA claimants should email ucpua@pa.gov if they experience issues with their claims, and provide as much detail as possible about the problem.
PEUC claimants should now be able to file and should email uchelp@pa.gov if they experience additional issues with their claims.
For more information visit the Pennsylvania Labor & Industry website.
The loss of taste and smell emerged early on in the pandemic as a sort of canary in the mine shaft, especially if no other symptoms presented in the patient. The medical community agreed that these symptoms confirmed an almost certain case of COVID-19.
Dr. Johnathan D. McGinn, M.D., is a Professor of Otolaryngology Head & Neck Surgery with Penn State Hershey Medical Center. He joins Smart Talk to discuss what is now known about the potentially permanent loss of taste and smell for some COVID patients.
