JENNIFER BERRIER

Secretary

Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry

After graduating from Widener University with a Juris Doctor degree, Jennifer began her career in public service at L&I in the Office of Chief Counsel prosecuting wage and hour cases on behalf of workers harmed by their employer. This role ignited a passion for the programs and impactful services offered, and it encouraged Jennifer to expand her knowledge and skillset within the agency. Jennifer set her own career trajectory by serving as an executive assistant, followed by the Director for the Bureau of Occupational and Industrial Safety, and then the Deputy Secretary of Safety and Labor-Management Relations.

Near the early part of the COVID-19 pandemic, Jennifer was asked to serve in her greatest role yet – as Secretary of L&I. Appointed as Acting Secretary by Governor Tom Wolf in December 2020, she was confirmed by the Pennsylvania State Senate in June 2021. She assumed the role during an unprecedented unemployment crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. A lifeline to Pennsylvanians experiencing economic hardship, the Unemployment Compensation system administered by L&I kept many Pennsylvania families financially afloat. Under Berrier's leadership, L&I processed approximately 5 million applications for Unemployment Compensation benefits and several temporary programs established by the federal government to combat the pandemic-caused unemployment crisis. L&I distributed more than $45 billion in benefits to Pennsylvanians during this time so they could afford necessities such as food, rent, and medical care.

At the conclusion of Governor Wolf's term, Jennifer was instrumental in aiding the agency's smooth transition to Governor Shapiro's Administration and its recovery from the pandemic. In September 2023, she began serving as the Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission.