The US Department of Labor recently provided $164 million in grant money through the Employment and Training Administration to 49 states to ameliorate inefficiencies in state unemployment systems. Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell announced today that the state will use its $6 million to upgrade its unemployment compensation Teleclaims system, create an automated call distribution system, initiatives to prevent abuse of the systems, and a system for digitally recording benefits hearings. These reforms are among a number made by Pennsylvania recently in an effort to deal with the increased demand for unemployment services. Other efforts include the creation of a website, and the expansion of service center hours.
See "Pa. jobless to get better phone claims system", Athena D. Merritt, Bizjounals.com, October 8, 2009