Boost In Jobless Pay For PA

HARRISBURG, PA - Finally, a little bit of good news for unemployed workers in Pennsylvania.

Residents receiving unemployment compensation will see a $25 per week increase starting this week. The money may not show up in this week's check, but it is on the way.

The increase is part of the $245-million coming to Pennsylvania as part of the federal stimulus package.

Pennsylvania has been hit hard by the recession. The state ranked 3rd in the nation for job losses in January, losing 30,000 jobs. A total of 240,000 workers lost their jobs nationwide in January.

Through Feb. 14, the state approved 173,000 new jobless claims for the current year. That's a 59 percent increase over the same period last year.

Unemployed residents can now collect compenstion for 59-weeks.