NOTICES
DEPARTMENT OF
LABOR AND INDUSTRY
Unemployment Compensation; Active Work Search Requirement
[51 Pa.B. 3559]
[Saturday, June 26, 2021]Section 401(b)(l) of the Unemployment Compensation Law (law) (43 P.S. § 801(b)(l)), requires that as a condition to receiving unemployment compensation (UC) benefits, a claimant must conduct an active search for work (work search requirement).
The Department of Labor and Industry (Department) promulgated 34 Pa. Code § 65.11(d) (relating to active search for work), which implements the work search requirement and provides for disqualification from UC benefits if a claimant fails to comply with this requirement.
To be engaged in an active search for work, a claimant must comply with the requirements set forth in 34 Pa. Code § 65.11(e), which include, but are not limited to, applying for two jobs each week.
Section 401(b)(6) of the law and 34 Pa. Code § 65.11(f)(6) provide that the Department may waive or alter the requirements of section 401(b) of the law or 34 Pa. Code § 65.11, including the work search requirement, in cases or situations with respect to which the Acting Secretary finds that compliance with these requirements would be oppressive or inconsistent with the purposes of the law.
On June 8, 2021, the Department launched its modernized UC system. Final programming and testing of the Department's work search requirement will not be complete until July 11, 2021. Because it is not technologically feasible to implement the work search requirement until July 11, 2021, and because the failure to search for work disqualifies a claimant from UC benefits, it is inconsistent with the purposes of the law to require claimants to actively search for work prior to the week of July 11, 2021.
Accordingly, under section 401(b)(6) of the law and 34 Pa. Code § 65.11(f)(6), the Acting Secretary does hereby order and direct that the requirement in 34 Pa. Code § 65.11(d) for claimants to engage in an active search for work is waived from June 10, 2021, until July 11, 2021.
JENNIFER BERRIER,
Acting Secretary
[Pa.B. Doc. No. 21-1006. Filed for public inspection June 25, 2021, 9:00 a.m.]
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