Governor Tom Corbett recently signed legislation that lifts barriers to job creation by reforming Pennsylvania's Unemployment Compensation system.
Since the state’s unemployment compensation trust fund was depleted in 2009, Pennsylvania employers have been liable for paying what amounted to a per-employee tax to the federal government as a part of that debt. This provision made the cost of hiring new employees out of reach for some employers.
Governor Corbett instituted reforms that retire the federal debt and remove this barrier to job creation in Pennsylvania.
Unemployment compensation reform does not raise taxes and enables Pennsylvania to be competitive while still providing the much-needed UC safety net to unemployed Pennsylvanians. Governor Corbett is committed to creating an economic environment where job creators can flourish, and, in just one year, the commonwealth has been making progress. 2011 saw the largest one-year growth in private sector jobs in Pennsylvania since 1999, with the private sector adding 82,000 jobs.
By reforming Pennsylvania's Unemployment Compensation system, Governor Corbett took another necessary step to put Pennsylvania on a long-term path to economic prosperity.