Pennsylvania Unemployment
What you need to know to claim unemployment benefits in Pennsylvania, read on the agency's own website. The agency is Office of Unemployment Compensation (UC).
the most weeks of benefits
job applications, plus one work search activity a week
Unemployment compensation and general questions
How to file for unemployment in Pennsylvania
Apply online through Pennsylvania's UC system, any day, any time; it is the best and fastest way. You can also apply by phone at 1-888-313-7284, Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
From the agency's own page, read October 14, 2026.
After you apply: claiming each week
File a certification for each week (Sunday to Saturday) you are totally or partially unemployed. Your Claims Confirmation letter gives the date of your first weekly claim, typically the second Sunday after you apply. File online 24 hours a day, seven days a week, or by phone on the automated PA Teleclaims (PAT) line, 888-255-4728, also 24/7.
From the agency's own page, read October 14, 2026.
How much unemployment pays in Pennsylvania, and for how long
Benefits last up to 26 weeks.
Your weekly benefit rate is set by your High Quarter, the base-year quarter in which you were paid the most, and should be about one-half of your full-time weekly wage. Your maximum benefit amount is your weekly benefit rate times your credit weeks in the base year: you need at least 18, and it may not exceed 26 times your rate.
From the agency's own page, read October 14, 2026.
How many jobs you must apply for each week
Pennsylvania asks for 2 job applications, plus one work search activity a week. Generally starts with the third week of your benefit year for which you file a claim. Work search activities include job fairs, searching postings on PA CareerLink or job boards, uploading a resume, networking, employment agencies, and pre-employment tests. If you work part-time and get a reduced payment, one job application is enough that week. Union hiring hall members in good standing and people in an approved program can be exempt. You must also register with PA CareerLink within 30 days of filing.
Keep a record of your applications and activities; L&I may ask to see it at any time for two years from the effective date of your claim.
From the agency's own page, read October 14, 2026.
Our free job application tracker keeps the list: where you applied, when, and what came of it.
Pennsylvania unemployment phone number
Call 888-313-7284 (unemployment compensation and general questions), 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Eastern time, Monday to Friday. Every line and what it is for.
Where this comes from
Everything on this page was read on the agency's own website, and each part links the page it came from and the day we read it. Rules and amounts change, so check that page before you rely on a figure. Jobareer is not part of any state agency and cannot see or change your claim.
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