Pennsylvania’s unemployment rate dropped 2.3 percentage points to 8.1% in September as the state tries to recover from the COVID-19 shutdown.

New identity verification procedures are now in effect for those filing claims with the Pennsylvania Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program.

The job market’s recovery from the coronavirus-induced recession is floundering as the health crisis lingers, employers continue to lay off hundreds of thousands of workers and Congress remains deadlocked over another federal rescue package.  

More than 824,000 Americans filed for unemployment insurance for the first time last week, the Labor Department said Thursday, as the economic rebound that began in the summer slows amid fresh layoffs and regional flareups of the coronavirus. 

The Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry said there is going to be a delay in payments for new applicants to the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program after it detected potential fraud.

More than 790,000 Americans filed for unemployment insurance for the first time last week, the Labor Department said Thursday, as the economic fallout from the coronavirus pandemic continues to mount.

Although the nation is partially recovering from its steepest-ever recession amid the COVID-19 pandemic, businesses continue to lay off hundreds of thousands of workers as they grapple with fewer sales and depleted federal aid.

These “lost wages assistance” funds are in addition to a state's standard payouts for those unemployed, and are designed to be a temporary supplement after the expiration of the $600 weekly federal benefit that was issued under the CARES Act.

That latest surge means just over 58 million have sought aid for the first time in just 23 weeks. 

The theft of more than $44 million in federal funds meant for unemployed Pennsylvanians was thwarted by government agencies and banking institutions, the U.S. Attorney’s office of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania announced on Tuesday.