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Business E-Newsletter

Pennsylvania Labor Force Data (February 2021)

• Civilian Labor Force – 6.330 million
• Employment – 5.867 million
• Unemployment – 463,000
• PA Unemployment rate – 7.3%
• S. Unemployment rate – 6.2%
• Total nonfarm jobs up 16,600 to 5.657 million in February
• Jobs increased in 8 of the 11 industry super sectors
  • Largest volume gain was in leisure and hospitality – +12,800
• Detailed Information Here

Senator Mensch’s Legislation

• Forward-facing Employment Data – Senate Bill 168
  • The goal of this legislation is to expand the information collected so that the department looks at the job markets of the future. This forward-facing data can be used by educational institutions, among others, to prepare the Commonwealth’s workforce for the jobs of the future. Several other states have expanded the scope of data collected by their Labor Departments for this very same reason.

Pennsylvania must join this movement to remain competitive and to ensure our workers are trained and prepared for the jobs that will be in demand in the next 5 or 10 years.

This bill requires L&I to collect and disseminate data on emerging and projected future employment sectors in the Commonwealth. Other Commonwealth departments will be required to work with L&I to help identify emerging labor markets. Each year, L&I will be required to send the information on forward-facing employment to all educational institutions in the Commonwealth. Each educational institution will be required to provide the information to those individuals who are responsible for vocational and educational guidance to be used to plan and develop career education or vocational programs.

Small Business Resources

• SBA Coronavirus Relief Options
• SBA COVID-19 Economic Injury Disaster Loan Application
  • SBA is currently accepting new Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) applications from all qualified small businesses, including agricultural businesses, and private nonprofit organizations.
• Paycheck Protection Program
  • The Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) is a loan designed to provide a direct incentive for small businesses to keep their workers on payroll.
  • SBA is currently offering PPP loans until May 31, 2021.
• Save Small Business Initiative

• Bucks County Small Business Resources
  • Funding related updates for PA small businesses.

• Montgomery County Commerce Department COVID-19 Initiatives and Information Resources
  • Information about grants, county programs, and more.
  • MontCoStrong 2021 Pennsylvania Hospitality Industry Recovery Program
    • March 12 until all available grant funds have been awarded as stipulated by the legislation.

• Greater Reading Chamber Alliance Business Resources
  • Various opportunities on how to help make your business better – from financing to small business resources.
  • Berks County 2021 COVID-19 Hospitality Industry Recovery Program
    • March 15-April 5; application will reopen at Noon on April 26.

• PA Department of Community and Economic Development
  • COVID-19 Resources for Businesses, Communities, and Local Governments
    • A collection of COVID-19 Resources
  • Funding & Programs for COVID-19 Impacted Businesses
    • To help navigate through the potential financial impact the COVID-19 pandemic has had on Pennsylvania businesses, both the state and federal government are offering loans to help offset the revenue lost. We recommend that you continue to routinely check back on this webpage as additional information is added.

Information for Employees & Workers

• PA Unemployment Compensation website
• Self-Service Step-by-Step Instructions
• Near Completer Demonstration Project Grant
• Schools-to-Work Program Grant (STWP)

For assistance with unemployment, or any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to my office. If you run into trouble contacting unemployment for your initial claim, haven’t received a PIN or handbook, or filed a Bi-Weekly claim and it hasn’t been activated yet, please feel free to contact our office at 215-541-2388, UCSD24@pasen.gov, or www.senatormensch.com. Please include your full name, home address, phone number, full social security number, and a full description of your issue when emailing or calling

For unemployment compensation questions and answers, visit me at www.senatormensch.com/unemployment/.

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