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Josh Shapiro: “Within our first seven months, we eliminated that backlog of…”

Featuring: Josh Shapiro, Democratic | Governor of Pennsylvania

Governor Shapiro to Highlight Major Improvements in PA's Unemployment Compensation System

Published August 20, 2025 | Video Starts at 08:53

And they got to work on day one. You all got to work on day one. And Within our first seven months, we eliminated that backlog of 40,000 cases. It took years for that to build up. And you got rid of it in just seven months. No more backlog. (08:53–08:59)

CLAIM

Asserts that the backlog of 40,000 unemployment claims was eliminated in seven months.

This is an excerpt from a raw transcript. The assertions have not been audited or verified. Tap the video to view the source footage and understand the context.

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Josh Shapiro

“We prosecuted the largest Davis Bacon prevailing wage theft case in the history of the United States of America.”
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“Violent crime is down 42% in our Commonwealth.”
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“We just landed the largest economic development deal in the history of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.”
Governor Shapiro to Highlight Major Improvements in PA's Unemployment Compensation System | Uploaded August 20, 2025 | 35:10-35:17
“We created the first ever Fair labor section in the Office of Attorney General.”
Governor Shapiro to Highlight Major Improvements in PA's Unemployment Compensation System | Uploaded August 20, 2025 | 06:17-06:24
“We launched a joint task force with our neighbors in the East New Jersey to fight back against employee misclassification.”
Governor Shapiro to Highlight Major Improvements in PA's Unemployment Compensation System | Uploaded August 20, 2025 | 06:59-07:07
“The Department of Labor and Industry has investigated more than 12,000 complaints of violation to Pennsylvania labor laws.”
Governor Shapiro to Highlight Major Improvements in PA's Unemployment Compensation System | Uploaded August 20, 2025 | 07:09-07:18
“We've returned over $12.5 million to workers in Pennsylvania who've been screwed.”
Governor Shapiro to Highlight Major Improvements in PA's Unemployment Compensation System | Uploaded August 20, 2025 | 07:17-07:25
“Our unemployment rate has been below the national average for 27 consecutive months.”
Governor Shapiro to Highlight Major Improvements in PA's Unemployment Compensation System | Uploaded August 20, 2025 | 07:28-07:36
“Before I took office, there was a backlog of 40,000 unaddressed unemployment claims from the peak of the pandemic.”
Governor Shapiro to Highlight Major Improvements in PA's Unemployment Compensation System | Uploaded August 20, 2025 | 08:03-08:13
“We hired, as the Secretary noted, 380 dedicated intake interviewers to help answer those calls and process those claims.”
Governor Shapiro to Highlight Major Improvements in PA's Unemployment Compensation System | Uploaded August 20, 2025 | 09:12-09:23
“We also expanded something known as UC Connect, an initiative to provide in person help with UC questions and claims at CareerLink offices…”
Governor Shapiro to Highlight Major Improvements in PA's Unemployment Compensation System | Uploaded August 20, 2025 | 09:55-10:08
“We installed self-service identity verification kiosks at those career links to help applicants safely, securely and quickly verify their…”
Governor Shapiro to Highlight Major Improvements in PA's Unemployment Compensation System | Uploaded August 20, 2025 | 10:08-10:24
“We just announced under the Secretary's leadership, major improvements to our secure live chat option that's available for Pennsylvanians to…”
Governor Shapiro to Highlight Major Improvements in PA's Unemployment Compensation System | Uploaded August 20, 2025 | 10:24-10:35
“We now have the lowest call wait time in more than six years.”
Governor Shapiro to Highlight Major Improvements in PA's Unemployment Compensation System | Uploaded August 20, 2025 | 10:56-11:02
“Now you can reach out and get an answer from someone at L I in less than 10 minutes.”
Governor Shapiro to Highlight Major Improvements in PA's Unemployment Compensation System | Uploaded August 20, 2025 | 11:21-11:27
“We're responding to unemployment compensation emails within 24 hours.”
Governor Shapiro to Highlight Major Improvements in PA's Unemployment Compensation System | Uploaded August 20, 2025 | 11:30-11:35
“More than 106,000 Pennsylvanians have gotten help directly through UC Connect.”
Governor Shapiro to Highlight Major Improvements in PA's Unemployment Compensation System | Uploaded August 20, 2025 | 11:35-11:43
“We focus on getting stuff done.”
Governor Shapiro to Highlight Major Improvements in PA's Unemployment Compensation System | Uploaded August 20, 2025 | 14:22-14:25
“The good people of Pennsylvania are better off because of your public service.”
Governor Shapiro to Highlight Major Improvements in PA's Unemployment Compensation System | Uploaded August 20, 2025 | 14:28-14:33
“We're going to continue to make state government work.”
Governor Shapiro to Highlight Major Improvements in PA's Unemployment Compensation System | Uploaded August 20, 2025 | 14:45-14:48
“We're going to continue to create a society with a little less cynicism and a lot more hope.”
Governor Shapiro to Highlight Major Improvements in PA's Unemployment Compensation System | Uploaded August 20, 2025 | 14:47-14:53
“We hired nearly 400 new people [for the unemployment compensation system].”
Governor Shapiro to Highlight Major Improvements in PA's Unemployment Compensation System | Uploaded August 20, 2025 | 24:52-25:02
“We gave them the technology that they needed to be able to work more efficiently.”
Governor Shapiro to Highlight Major Improvements in PA's Unemployment Compensation System | Uploaded August 20, 2025 | 25:01-25:06
“We report our results back to the legislature so they could see that the money they were investing was going to good cause.”
Governor Shapiro to Highlight Major Improvements in PA's Unemployment Compensation System | Uploaded August 20, 2025 | 25:01-25:14
“We went from the bottom of the pack in the country to now one of the leaders on permitting in the country.”
Governor Shapiro to Highlight Major Improvements in PA's Unemployment Compensation System | Uploaded August 20, 2025 | 25:19-25:25
“I am deeply concerned about the 52,000 school children in Philadelphia who rely on SEPTA to get to school.”
Governor Shapiro to Highlight Major Improvements in PA's Unemployment Compensation System | Uploaded August 20, 2025 | 26:52-27:01
“I've been on the phone or in person nearly every single day with the leaders of the House and Senate and the leaders at SEPTA.”
Governor Shapiro to Highlight Major Improvements in PA's Unemployment Compensation System | Uploaded August 20, 2025 | 27:35-27:44
“Both chambers believe that we've got to fund mass transit at the number that I proposed in my budget nearly 200 days ago, that number, that…”
Governor Shapiro to Highlight Major Improvements in PA's Unemployment Compensation System | Uploaded August 20, 2025 | 29:03-29:19
“Mass transit is an issue that affects all 67 counties, including right here in south central Pennsylvania.”
Governor Shapiro to Highlight Major Improvements in PA's Unemployment Compensation System | Uploaded August 20, 2025 | 30:23-30:30
“Amtrak, I think either has or is about to put out a statement today indicating that [the line from Philly to Harrisburg and to New York] is…”
Governor Shapiro to Highlight Major Improvements in PA's Unemployment Compensation System | Uploaded August 20, 2025 | 31:14-31:20
“If SEPTA is unable to make the payments that they need to make to Amtrak, what it could potentially do is slow down the maintenance that is…”
Governor Shapiro to Highlight Major Improvements in PA's Unemployment Compensation System | Uploaded August 20, 2025 | 31:21-31:33
“Nearly 200 days, I proposed taxing and regulating Skill Gains at a rate of 52%.”
Governor Shapiro to Highlight Major Improvements in PA's Unemployment Compensation System | Uploaded August 20, 2025 | 32:05-32:13
“The Constitution gives the authority to set our election rules to the states.”
Governor Shapiro to Highlight Major Improvements in PA's Unemployment Compensation System | Uploaded August 20, 2025 | 33:03-33:09
“A bipartisan majority in the House and in the Senate passed mail-in voting.”
Governor Shapiro to Highlight Major Improvements in PA's Unemployment Compensation System | Uploaded August 20, 2025 | 33:08-33:19
“We have had free and fair, safe and secure elections.”
Governor Shapiro to Highlight Major Improvements in PA's Unemployment Compensation System | Uploaded August 20, 2025 | 33:23-33:28
“Donald Trump can sign whatever executive order he wants to. It will have absolutely no bearing on our elections here in Pennsylvania.”
Governor Shapiro to Highlight Major Improvements in PA's Unemployment Compensation System | Uploaded August 20, 2025 | 33:53-34:01
“We will once again have free and fair, safe and secure elections led by Republican and Democratic clerks of elections in each of our 67…”
Governor Shapiro to Highlight Major Improvements in PA's Unemployment Compensation System | Uploaded August 20, 2025 | 34:00-34:09
“We went from the bottom of the pack on permitting to the top of the pack.”
Governor Shapiro to Highlight Major Improvements in PA's Unemployment Compensation System | Uploaded August 20, 2025 | 35:04-35:09