Pa. House hearing examines shortage of workers in state
HARRISBURG – Both the majority and minority chairmen of the House Commerce Committee agreed last week that worker shortages are slowing Pennsylvania’s economic recovery from the depths of the COVID-19 pandemic.
That area of agreement between Majority Chairman Brad Roae, RCrawford, and Minority Chairman John Galloway, D-Bucks, came at the start of a panel hearing that explored what testifiers described as a host of complex reasons behind the worker shortage many businesses are currently facing.
But Mr. Roae and Mr. Galloway had different perspectives about the $300-a-week federal pandemic unemployment compensation benefit that expired Monday.
Mr. Roae suggested the committee send a letter to Congress asking them not to take any action to extend this benefit.
Mr. Galloway said the $300 benefit is a federal matter and the hearing should focus on what the committee can do to help ease the worker shortage.
The committee heard testimony from representatives of two statewide business organizations and several business owners. Several noted that Pennsylvania’s workforce shortage issues predate the pandemic with a lack of job applicants with requisite trade skills being one of them.
“Numerous factors have created and exacerbated this crisis, and addressing it will require a multipronged strategy that both assists employers working to fill open positions in the near-term and helps bridge a workforce and job skills gap that could significantly harm employers, individuals and the economy in the years and decades ahead,” said Alex Halper, director of government affairs for the Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and
Industry. Mr. Halper suggested actions Harrisburg can take, which include revamping the UC system and paying down a $1.6 billion debt in the UC trust Fund, implementing recommendations of the state Economic Development and Workforce Command Center, and helping workers get access to child care and transportation.
In one exchange, Rep. Dianne Herrin, D-Chester, said workers have problems finding child care and asked Mr. Halper what businesses are doing about it.
Businesses are increasingly focused on that problem, said Mr. Halper adding some are opening child care centers on-site while others are seeking partnerships with neighboring businesses to open child care centers.
“Pennsylvania needs to encourage people to return to the work force rather than depending upon the government,” said Greg Moreland, state director of the National Federation of Independent Businesses.
Mr. Moreland suggested tackling the UC debt, passing a package of small business tax fairness bills and easing regulations as ways to help. NFIB is working with House Majority Leader Kerry Benninghoff, R-Centre, to see what state regulations that have been waived during the pandemic can be permanently ended, Mr. Moreland said.
“The pandemic has pushed workers from our field more quickly than we have seen in the past,” said John Dickson IV, president of Redstone Presbyterian Senior Care in Greensburg.
About one-fourth of the positions at Redstone are vacant, Mr. Dickson said. Many of the nurse positions involve licensing requirements. The state could help by providing low-interest loans to help students become nurses, he added.
Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta, D-Philadelphia, criticized the lack of testimony from organized labor and individual workers. He urged another hearing to consider their views.