Harrisburg, PA – Today, Office of Administration (OA) Secretary Neil Weaver and Department of Labor & Industry (L&I) Secretary Nancy A. Walker announced a new pilot program at L&I to recruit and retain more bilingual employees. The pilot program will initially focus on bilingual state employees who serve Pennsylvanians seeking employment services and unemployment compensation (UC) benefits and services.
Under an agreement between the Commonwealth and Service Employees International Union Local 668, employees in covered positions who are proficient in speaking and writing in Spanish may be eligible for an additional $1.00 per hour, almost $1,000 more over the course of the 6-month pilot. The bilingual pay incentive is available to UC Intake Interviewers, UC Claims Supervisors, UC Claims Examiners, PA CareerLink® Program Supervisors, Disabled Veterans Outreach Program Specialists, and Local Veterans Employment Representatives.
“There should be no wrong door for Pennsylvanians who want to contact state government and access the information and services they deserve,” said Governor Josh Shapiro. “Hundreds of thousands of Pennsylvanians speak a language other than English – and I want them to be able to reach out to their state government and receive efficient, effective service just the same as anyone else. This pilot will ensure we’re recognizing and rewarding employees who can speak multiple languages, while continuing to deliver faster, more effective results for the good people of Pennsylvania.”
“We want to make sure that Pennsylvanians can access services from the Commonwealth that meet them where they are in language and accessibility,” said OA Secretary Weaver. “The pilot will allow us to explore potential incentives to increase the number of bilingual employees in positions with high demand for this skill.”
“Pennsylvania’s unemployment compensation system is a safety net for all Pennsylvanians, and a language barrier should never prevent anyone from accessing these benefits when they need them most,” said L&I Secretary Walker. “We are thrilled to be able to offer this incentive to members of our dedicated UC team, while also broadening the accessibility of unemployment compensation services in Pennsylvania.”
The pilot program fulfills a key part of Governor Shapiro’s Hire, Improve, Recruit, Empower (HIRE) Executive Order to expand employment opportunities and meet the rapidly evolving needs of Pennsylvanians. According to a recent analysis of U.S. Census data by the Pew Research Center, Pennsylvania’s Latino population increased by nearly 400,000 since 2010, including many new Pennsylvanians for whom English is a second language.
“Many of us take for granted that we can make a phone call or walk into an office and speak to someone in a language we understand,” said Commonwealth Chief Diversity Officer Norman Bristol Colón. “I remember my own experience coming to Pennsylvania from Puerto Rico with my family, and how hard we worked to learn English. Being able to receive services in our native language during that time was immensely important, and ultimately allowed us to pursue our dreams of a better life here in the Commonwealth.”
"Government must work for working people. As a union, we're excited to partner with the Shapiro Administration in improving language accessibility for workers across Pennsylvania," said Steve Catanese, President of SEIU Local 668. "Now many of our Commonwealth's skilled, bilingual public servants will have the opportunity to provide access to translation services to workers as they seek fair access to unemployment benefits, job training, and other vital services in their time of need."
Approximately 1,100 employees will have the opportunity to qualify for the pay incentive by meeting minimum requirements established by L&I for verbal and/or written Spanish proficiency. New hires into covered positions can also be certified for the pay incentive. Job seekers can view and apply for open positions at Employment.pa.gov.
Governor Shapiro signed Executive Order 2024-01 in May 2023 to establish the Hire, Improve, Recruit, Empower (HIRE) Committee to expand opportunities for Pennsylvanians seeking careers in public service, continue to build a more competitive workforce, and make state government the best place to work in the Commonwealth. Chaired by Secretary Weaver and comprised of Cabinet secretaries and senior Administration officials, the HIRE Committee is working to strengthen the Commonwealth's recruitment, hiring, development, and retention of high-performing employees by attracting younger generations, hiring for historically hard-to-fill jobs, and ensuring our workforce represents our residents.
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