Pennsylvania to support school bus drivers with unemployment claims

The Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry is trying to make the process easier for temporary school workers applying for unemployment benefits.

Employees who work for school districts on a contract are eligible to receive unemployment compensation if they are out of work during the summer, including many school bus drivers, custodians and cafeteria workers.

Barney Oursler, director of the Mon Valley Unemployed Committee, said the benefits help keep those workers afloat during the summer. That way, school bus drivers and others don’t have to look for other work or leave these positions, which are often short-staffed.

“It’s directly related to the difficulties these contractors have in recruiting and retaining people, they could provide this service to school districts,” Oursler said.

School bus driver employment nationwide has yet to recover to pre-pandemic levels. An analysis by the Economic Policy Institute found that school bus driver employment in September 2023 remained 15.1% below what it was in September 2019.

The pro-union think tank also found that employment of bus drivers in the private sector fell more than among drivers employed by the district or government.

The state’s Unemployment Compensation Office is offering step-by-step online guidance for school bus drivers filing claims. Agency officials said in a statement that they help thousands of school bus drivers across Pennsylvania file claims each summer and worked with the Pennsylvania School Bus Association to educate workers about their rights and responsibilities.

“We know the process of applying for UC benefits can be intimidating, especially for anyone who has never done so before or for people who work in seasonal jobs,” said Secretary of Labor and Industry Nancy Walker. “That’s why we are working proactively wherever possible to educate worker groups on how to navigate the system and avoid unnecessary delays.”

Walker encouraged school bus drivers, crossing guards, custodians and other school-related workers who are eligible for unemployment benefits over the summer to apply. Seasonal workers who have already filed claims can reopen a previous claim during their first week of unemployment.

According to the most recent state data, statewide unemployment claims rose from 41,204 to 85,124 between May and June. More than 34,400 claims filed last month, or 40.4%, came from workers in Allegheny County.