HARRISBURG, PA – The Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry (L&I) today announced recent updates to its Unemployment Compensation (UC) virtual assistant, giving Pennsylvanians faster, more accurate, and more conversational support when seeking help with unemployment benefits.
Available 24/7 at pa.gov/uc, the upgraded UC Live Chat system provides improved responses, enhanced conversation flow, and more robust guidance on common filing questions. Users can access the virtual assistant by selecting the chat icon on the right side of the page to begin chatting with L&I’s virtual assistant for UC services.
“Modernizing the unemployment system means more than just clearing backlogs.: it means giving people accessible tools that work,” said L&I Secretary Nancy A. Walker. “UC Live Chat is part of that effort - a reliable, responsive assistant that helps claimants get what they need, when they need it.”
The updated system introduces several key enhancements, including:
- Natural language understanding - Claimants can now ask questions in their own words and receive clear, conversational responses
- Contextual awareness - The assistant can reference previous messages to deliver more relevant and accurate information
- Clarification and escalation - If a question is unclear or cannot be answered, the system will ask for clarification and offer a handoff to a live representative
- Fuzzy matching - The assistant can now recognize typos, alternate phrasing, and incomplete questions
- Faster updates - Powered by Google Dialogflow CX, L&I can add new information and improve responses in real time, keeping pace with changing claimant needs
Claimants can continue using UC Live Chat to get quick answers to questions about eligibility, claim status, weekly certifications, payments, direct deposit, overpayments, appeals, and more. Live agents remain available during business hours for issues that require additional support.
UC Live Chat uses end-to-end encryption, ensuring every message is protected and private. Encryption is always active, giving users peace of mind that their personal information remains secure throughout the conversation.
Unemployment Compensation System Update
Since taking office in January 2023, Governor Josh Shapiro made improving the UC system a top priority. Under Secretary Walker’s leadership, the Department eliminated a backlog of 40,000 pandemic-era claims, each requiring individual review, within seven months. L&I then shifted focus to increasing staff capacity, improving response times, and expanding in-person and digital services.
Key service highlights from June 2025 include:
- 64,409 new Unemployment Compensation claims filed
- $178.8 million in benefits paid to 109,940 individuals
- 82,455 helpline calls answered
- 7,447 live chat sessions completed
- 15,873 email inquiries processed
- 3,165 individuals received in-person assistance through UC Connect
Year-to-date in 2025, L&I has:
- Paid out more than $1.1 billion in UC benefits to 691,564 individuals
- Answered 524,407 helpline calls
- Provided 9,025 UC Connect appointments
Rapid Response Services Help Workers and Employers Navigate Job Loss
L&I’s Rapid Response Services offer no-cost assistance to employers and workers impacted by large-scale layoffs, business closures, or other job disruptions. These services are designed to reduce the impact of job loss and help individuals transition to new employment as quickly as possible.
In June 2025, L&I provided Rapid Response services to:
- 16 employers
- 811 workers
Year-to-date, L&I has supported 84 employers and 4,076 workers through Rapid Response sessions. These sessions offer information about:
- Unemployment Compensation filing
- PA CareerLink® job search and training programs
- Health insurance options
- Food, housing, and utility assistance
For more information on the Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry, please visit the website or follow L&I on Instagram, Facebook, X, and LinkedIn.
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