Keystone Today

The unemployment rate in Pennsylvania continues trending downward with the latest report from the Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry, showing an unemployment rate of 6.9% within the commonwealth for the month of June, according to WKBN27.

That's one-tenth of a percentage point lower than the month of May.

Despite the decrease in jobless claims for the fourth month in a row, Pennsylvania remains higher than the national unemployment rate of 5.9%.

Republican lawmakers partially blame the slow economic recovery on enhanced COVID-19 unemployment benefits that, in some cases, pay the unemployed a higher wage than their previous employers did.

A survey from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce confirms Republicans' concerns, with data showing that half of respondents were not seeking employment, and 16% of those saying unemployment benefits offer a much higher income, according to The Morning Call.

In an attempt to bring more people back into the workforce, the Department of Labor and Industry is reinforcing work search requirements for the unemployed, reported WGAL8.

To receive unemployment benefits, as of July 18, claimants must provide proof that they are actively seeking employment and they must participate in activities that will help them find work, like attending job fairs or using the Pennsylvania Career Link website for job training and resume assistance.

In a push to get people back to work as quickly as possible, Republican lawmakers like Rep. Jim Cox (R-Sinking Spring) are pushing to end the federal program that adds an extra $300 in unemployment benefits prior to the program's scheduled termination in September.

“As more and more Pennsylvanians are vaccinated or have developed natural immunity to COVID-19, there are far fewer restrictions on economic activity, and it is high time to get Pennsylvanians back to work," Cox wrote in a memo supporting the bill, according to The Morning Call. "The message now should be: Go find a job!”

Cox wants to phase out federal pandemic assistance for people who do not traditionally qualify for state unemployment benefits and the extension of unemployment benefits.

Democratic lawmakers believe raising the state's minimum wage from $7.25 to $15 an hour is a strong incentive to get people back to work.

“This isn’t about pitting workers against business owners, because businesses also stand to benefit from a higher minimum wage,” Gov. Tom Wolf (D) told The Morning Call. “Increasing the minimum wage puts more money into the pockets of workers, which gives local businesses more customers. Boosting wages also increases productivity and decreases turnover.”

Rep. Russ Diamond (R-Lebanon) is pushing a bill that would ban employers from mandating workers to get COVID-19 vaccines by allowing employees to opt out for health concerns, religious convictions or general vaccination concerns.

"At the end of the day, you cannot force an individual to take an experimental vaccine,” Cumberland County Rep. Barbara Gleim (R-Carlisle) told The Morning Call.

Inflation is projected to increase, which will slow the economic recovery in the state and nationwide.  A report by the Congressional Budget Office projects the federal debt held by the public will reach 102% of the Gross Domestic Product by the end of fiscal year 2021.

"We are already seeing it every day," Hunter Tower, the Pennsylvania director of Freedom Foundation told Keystone Today. "Higher costs of goods and services and higher gas prices mean an overall higher cost of living, and at the end of the day, the people who suffer the most are already our most vulnerable population."