Pennsylvania’s unemployment rate dropped from 5.7% in November to 5.4% in December, according to the state Department of Labor & Industry. 

Following a gap in benefits after the federal government delayed approval of December’s COVID relief and government funding bill, the state Department of Labor & Industry announced it can now resume payments for its temporary federal unemployment programs.

“The modernized regulation will expand eligibility for overtime to 143,000 people and strengthen overtime protections for up to 251,000 or more. This final rule ensures that employees who work overtime are fairly and fully compensated for their labor in accordance with the original intent of the Pennsylvania Minimum Wage Act,”

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.

The creation of a state-administered Family and Medical Leave Insurance Program that would allow Pennsylvania workers to receive compensation while caring for their families during medical emergencies has industry leaders split on its viability in the private sector.

From now until Jan. 21, state officials are accepting comments for Gov. Tom Wolf’s federally mandated four-year workforce development plan, which seeks to coordinate the efforts of the state's educational institutions, economic development programs and employers of the region’s major industries to create a pathway to optimal employment.

Pennsylvania’s unemployment rate is at a 43-year-low after 10,000 Pennsylvanians found jobs last month.