Agency Interventions That Have Worked
The Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry’s Unemployment Compensation Office has various interventions to deal with unemployment in the state. Various agency interventions have worked and helped address the issue of unemployment. These interventions include the unemployment compensation program that offers temporary income for individuals who have lost their jobs or work for fewer hours. The agency has managed to give regular unemployment compensation benefits to the unemployed and offered them temporary income. Unemployment insurance intervention has also worked and created additional employment opportunities as the unemployed spend the benefits on various necessities increasing demand.
Agency Interventions That Have Failed
Although some agency interventions have worked, others have failed. The agency has failed to disburse the federal supplement that seeks to cushion the unemployed during pandemics. In this case, individuals are supposed to receive both the regular unemployment compensation benefits and federal benefits (Murrel, 2020). However, the agency has failed to provide the federal benefits to a significant number of people, especially those working as freelancers. Other interventions that have failed include programs aimed at protecting drivers such as the minimum-wage programs.
Problems
Various problems have arisen from existing solutions. Technological challenges have limited a significant number of the unemployed from making the claims and benefiting from the state programs. Some applicants claim that the site is crashed, making it inaccessible. Other technological challenges include a lack of proper guidance on the agency’s web portal. Increased traffic and outdated technology, due to the increasing unemployment rate, are also attributed to the slowdown and crashing of the site (Pressgrove, 2020). Another problem arising from these solutions include staffing challenges. While the number of unemployed increases, the number of personnel handling them remains the same. This aspect makes the agency to struggle with the unemployment claims.
Actions
Various actions can be taken to solve the problem of unemployment in Philadelphia. One of the actions is lowering interest rates. Low-interest rates enable businesses to borrow more to expand their businesses and employ an additional number of people reducing unemployment. Another action is increased government spending in the form of job opportunities. The state government needs to create programs that employ individuals directly and contract with other organizations to provide services to its citizens. Another action is increasing funding in the education sector to nurture individuals who can create additional jobs.
Human service positions
One of the human service professional positions at the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry’s Unemployment Compensation Office is the secretarial position. This position has no specific qualifications, and the governor nominates the individual to the state senate. This individual ensures the implementation of various programs, such as unemployment benefits, vocational rehabilitation for the disabled, and workers’ compensation benefits.
Another position is the director’s position. The director’s responsibilities include oversight of unemployment compensation taxes, workers’ compensation benefits, and the State Workers Insurance Fund (SWIF). Other duties include administration of workforce and training programs and vocational rehabilitation services to the disabled and enforcement of labor-related policies and workplace safety policies. The individual should have a background in legal matters to perform the oversight role effectively.
Access to Services
Clients can access agency services through the agency’s website. They file an initial claim online and receive a confirmation email that will guide them on their biweekly claim schedule. They then file their biweekly claims a fortnight after the initial claim. Clients begin receiving their payments between 2-3 days after filing a biweekly claim. Information on the procedure and requirements of filing claims is available on the agency’s website.
Factors That May Discourage Families from Seeking the Agency Services
One of the factors is the slow service delivery due to a high number of people seeking the same services. The agency requires clients to make claims through online platforms with limited access to their offices. Another factor is the outdated technology used by the agency. Clients are supposed to file claims online even though the agency uses slow and outdated technology. The website is prone to site-crashing discouraging families from seeking these services. Another factor is the limited staff that feels overburdened, slowing down the process of filing, and receiving claims (The Patriot News, 2020). The state should consider employing additional staff and improving its website with the latest technology to serve a high number of clients.