Office of Unemployment Compensation — 1-888-313-7284
+18883137284,,,,1,,,,2
Commas are 1–2 second pauses — your phone auto-navigates the menu on each redial.
Pennsylvania's Office of Unemployment Compensation serves nearly 13 million residents with a contact center that operates on a fixed-capacity queue. The line opens at 8:00 AM ET and available agent slots fill within minutes. Callers who don't get through immediately hear that all representatives are busy and are prompted to call back — starting the redial cycle over.
What makes PA UC particularly frustrating is the 4:00 PM ET cutoff — a full hour earlier than most state unemployment agencies. That shorter operating window means the same volume of calls gets compressed into fewer hours, driving up congestion throughout the day. After major layoff events or economic disruptions, hold times can stretch well beyond two hours even for callers who successfully enter the queue.
Many routine tasks — filing a weekly claim, checking payment status, and uploading documents — can be done through UC Benefits Portal at uc.pa.gov without a phone call. Use the portal first before calling to avoid the queue entirely.
The 4:00 PM close is firm. If you're not through to an agent by roughly 3:45 PM, you risk being cut off mid-call or transferred to voicemail with no callback option.
Instead of redialing 45+ times and sitting on hold while watching the clock tick toward 4:00 PM, EDD Hold runs the redials automatically, navigates the IVR menu, secures your place in the queue, and calls your phone when a live PA UC representative is on the line.
You pay $9.99 per session with no subscription or tiered pricing. If we can't connect you, you get a full refund.
We dial, navigate the menu, and call you when an agent is ready — before the 4 PM cutoff. Average connection time: 30 minutes. No app needed.
| Line | Phone Number | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| UC Claimant Services | 1-888-313-7284 | M–F 8am–4pm ET |
| UC Employer Services | 1-866-728-2490 | M–F 8am–4pm ET |
| UC Tax Services (Employers) | 1-866-595-8212 | M–F 8am–4pm ET |
| UC Appeals | 1-717-787-8777 | M–F 8am–4:30pm ET |
| PA Relay (TDD/TTY) | 711 | 24/7 |
If you entered the queue before 4:00 PM, agents will typically complete active calls but may not accept new callers after the cutoff. If your call is dropped or you haven't been connected by that point, you'll need to call back the next business day starting at 8:00 AM. Using EDD Hold ensures you're dialing early enough to get into the queue with time to spare.
Yes. PA UC agents can verify your identity using your Social Security number, date of birth, last employer information, and claim details. Have this information ready before your call to keep the conversation efficient and reduce your time on the line.
If you're using EDD Hold, your session resets automatically within a minute at no extra charge. If you were calling manually, you'll need to start the redial process over from scratch — and with the 4:00 PM cutoff, losing a queue position later in the day can mean waiting until the next business day.
Yes. PA UC sees significant volume spikes following major employer layoffs, plant closures, or economic downturns. During these periods, hold times can extend well beyond two hours and redial attempts increase substantially. Calling mid-week at 8:00 AM opening remains the most reliable strategy, or using an auto-dialing service to handle the redials for you.