Unemployment Insurance Innovations Session Topics: Workforce Development Policy Drivers Unemployment Insurance and Change... Program Impact Services

Unemployment Insurance InnovationsUnemployment Insurance Innovations

Session Topics:Session Topics:

Workforce Development Policy Drivers Workforce Development Policy Drivers

Unemployment Insurance and Unemployment Insurance and

Change...Change...Program ImpactProgram ImpactServices ImpactServices Impact

What’s New Around the Country?What’s New Around the Country?

International Association of Workforce Professionals2010 Conference

Presented by Melanie Arthur, Greg Newton Associates

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© 2010 Melanie Arthur GregNewtonAssociates.com [email protected] 617.834.6696

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Six Seismic System Shifts!Six Seismic System Shifts!

Envision a “Good Jobs for All” Workforce System

Redefine Unemployment Insurance As a Time to Skill-Up,

Not Just for Work Search

Increase the Number of Center Customers Converting to

Training Services

Invigorate Workforce and Education Partnerships for Ever-

Upward Career Pathways

Redesign and Repurpose Business, Employer Services

Prepare to Meet New Performance Expectations


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Envision a “Good Jobs for All” Workforce System

1990’s: 2010’s:

“All Jobs Are Good Jobs” “Good Jobs for All”

“Work First” Paradigm Help individuals train for good jobs with middle-class, family-supporting wages

Seismic System Shift One:Seismic System Shift One:

Strategic Implications

All workforce development staff must value both training and jobs and be organized to help customers easily access and achieve both






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Seismic System Shift Two:Seismic System Shift Two:

Redefine Unemployment Insurance As a Time to Skill-Up, Not Just for Work Search

“Reemployment Insurance”: Income,

Training, and Jobs

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President Obama says the goal is to “…change President Obama says the goal is to “…change unemployment from ‘wait and see’ to a chance for unemployment from ‘wait and see’ to a chance for our workers to train and seek the next our workers to train and seek the next opportunity…”opportunity…”

“The idea here is to fundamentally change our approach to

unemployment in this country, so that it's no longer just a time

to look for a new job, but is also a time to prepare yourself for a

better job. That's what our unemployment system should be --

not just a safety net, but a stepping stone to a new future. It

should offer folks educational opportunities they wouldn't

otherwise have, giving them the measurable and differentiated

skills they need just -- not just to get through hard times, but to

get ahead when the economy comes back.”

Source: THE WHITE HOUSE, Office of the Press Secretary May 8, 2009






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Outreach to UI claimants with services and Outreach to UI claimants with services and information including training resources information including training resources such as the Pell Grant and WIAsuch as the Pell Grant and WIA

Ensure staff are aware of “approved Ensure staff are aware of “approved training” policies and procedures in relation training” policies and procedures in relation to continued receipt of UI benefitsto continued receipt of UI benefits

Provide training and resources so that all Provide training and resources so that all Center and UI staff can help claimants Center and UI staff can help claimants apply for financial aid and training apply for financial aid and training programsprograms

Partner with financial aid officers at Partner with financial aid officers at postsecondary institutionspostsecondary institutions


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Environmental Scan...Environmental Scan...

• Dismal Ratio:6.3 Job Seekers/1 New Job Opening

• “Jobloss” Recession:2019 Before Pre-Recession Levels?

• Recession is Different:National, All Industries, After Over

• Longer Time to Find New Job:Even if “Actively Seek, Available”

• Increased Duration:Trust Fund Pressure

• Multiple Benefit Extensions:99 Weeks in Some States

• Jobs and Training:Train in What?


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Seismic System Shift Three:Seismic System Shift Three:

Training: a “preferred” Center customer path

WIA reauthorization: minimum % on training

ARRA reporting: numbers in training, not just expenditures

Increase the Number of Center Customers Converting to Training Services



1990’s legacy “sequence of service” strategy eliminated


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Worker Profiling (WPRS), RES and REAWorker Profiling (WPRS), RES and REA

Self-Employment OptionSelf-Employment Option

Personal Reemployment AccountsPersonal Reemployment Accounts

UI Performance and QualityUI Performance and Quality

Private Unemployment InsurancePrivate Unemployment Insurance

Unemployment Insurance…and Change Unemployment Insurance…and Change Program ImpactsProgram Impacts


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Significant ARRA investment including

$500 million in UI Administration; ES,

and RES funding for: technology, job

matching and capacity building.

For technology:

• Update the state’s UI profiling model• Improve data sharing & transfer between

UI, ES & WIA • Upgrade hardware and software in local One-Stops for staff

and customers• Upgrade websites and labor exchange sites• Invest in social media capabilities

Major ARRA achievements : •RES program of improved UI/Workforce partnership (46%)

ES Recovery Funds:•RES to UI claimants (83% of states)•Integration of ES and UI info. technology to better serve UI claimants (40%)

Worker Profiling, Reemployment ServicesWorker Profiling, Reemployment Services


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Source: NASWA States’ Survey,

Early ARRA Implementation, May 2010


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• Integrating UI & ES technology

• Up # of claimants recv’ing on-site help

• Improve UI exhaustion models

• Enhanced work test oversight




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Worker ProfilingWorker ProfilingSome 33% of states’ profiling model has been or will be modified with ARRA•“Grant used to improve the applicant identification

by upgrading the variables.” – West Virginia•“Updated the model coefficients based on more current employment data available.” – Washington•“An unemployment profiler model is being developed by LMI. The modification provides us the ability to pull out and provide reemployment services to UC claimant subgroups based on requirements set forth in [federal guidance].” – Florida•“Profile parameters have been expanded to increase the number of claimants in the pool.” – Idaho•“New model will make services available to all UI claimants.” -- Alaska

UI/One-stop PartnershipsUI/One-stop Partnerships36% of states say partnership has improved some, and 36% say great improvement.•“ARRA is being used to develop an automatic link

to our job bank with UI and send emails to UI

claimants to register with our job bank. Also sends

messages about all one-stop services.” –

Minnesota•“Integrated components of UI and One Stop system to identify UI claimants and provide information back to UI on participation and work search activities.” – Florida•“The UI claims system/virtual one stop system interface is currently being developed. This will greatly improve the links between UI and One Stop services.” – New Mexico•“We improved the information technology interfaces between UI and ES to increase efficiency and improve communication.” – Wisconsin


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Two demonstrations test viability of self-employment during early 90s: SEED, WA; Enterprise Project, MA

Two key components: 1) Financial assistance (lump sums in WA, bi-weekly in MA)

2) Micro-enterprise development services (entrepreneurial

training, business counseling, and technical assistance)



WA $ source: research funds; MA $ source: UI Trust Fund; sums equal to UI benefits entitlement…”self-employment allowances in lieu of unemployment benefits

Business starts: primarily services in MA; services and retail in WA with some micro-manufacturing and construction


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Demonstration projects prove “self-employment” as a beneficial option – creating “jobs” for participants: increased likelihood of employment and accelerated timing of entry into employment

Earnings from self-employment: no significant effect in MA; treatment group earned more WA

Total earnings impact: MA had positive impact; WA demonstration had no impact

Unemployment spell reduced in both demonstrations; both reduced UI benefits receipt (however, WA model included a lump sum payments that increased total payments)

Services increased duration of self-employment Many interested and eligible claimants, with relatively few pursuing

the opportunity: WA – 37% of participants from profession, technical and managerial occupations; 45% from same in MA


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Direct result of demonstrations led to Congress enacting authorizing legislation to allow states to establish self-employment assistance programs for unemployed workers as part of their UI programs.

Additional states: New York, Oregon, Maine, Delaware, New Jersey, California, Maryland, Pennsylvania

Ongoing findings:• High rates of self-employment are achieved• Participants are likely to have higher levels of education; higher pre-

unemployment wages; a previous professional, technical, or managerial occupation; and to have been male in comparison to non-participants

• Participants are 4 times more likely to have obtained employment (of any kind – either self-employment or wage/salary)


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Personal Reemployment Accounts (PRAs)Personal Reemployment Accounts (PRAs)Strategy intended to help unemployed workers build job skills and find work through a self-managed account.

Demonstration Objectives: (1) Give job seekers choice in and control over the type andtiming of services they received(2) Encourage and support rapid return to the labor market --shortening the unemployment spell(3) Promote job retention.

Most likely to exhaust UI benefits $3,000 to choose how and when to spend funds from account Purchase reemployment services, supportive services and training May also elect to receive funds as cash reemployment bonuses for

reentering the workforce (60% of PRA balance if employed within 13 weeks) and keeping a job (for 6 months -- 40% of balance )


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Personal Reemployment Accounts (PRAs)Personal Reemployment Accounts (PRAs)

Seven states volunteer: Florida, Idaho, Minnesota, Mississippi, Montana, Texas, and West Virginia, Hawaii joins

4,480 unemployed workers; in six of the seven original states, the majority of individuals offered a PRA accepted

Employment entry bonus among all recipients was 31% Majority of PRA recipients in ID, MN, MT and TX used the PRA to

purchase supportive services; (3 to 4%) did so in MS and WV

12% purchased training; averaging more than $1,000 each in MS, TX, and WV, and between $500 - $1,000 in the other states

No intensive services purchased in ID, MS or MT; 2% or less in MN, TX and WV; in Florida -- 16%


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Personal Reemployment Accounts (PRAs)Personal Reemployment Accounts (PRAs) Average rate of benefit exhaustion at 40% (although “profiled” to be at

52%); collect an average of 17 weeks—about one month shorter than full period of eligibility

Average rate of benefit exhaustion at 40%; collect an average of 17 weeks—about one month shorter than full period of eligibility



Half of recipients were employed in the quarter following PRA entry; 59 percent who earn the first employment bonus also earn the job retention bonus; just over 20 percent of PRA recipients earned the retention bonus


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Internet

Call Centers

Virtual Services

Debit Cards

UI and One-stop

Connections

UI and Training

Unemployment Insurance…and Change Unemployment Insurance…and Change Service Delivery ImpactsService Delivery Impacts








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Position unemployment insurance as "reemployment

insurance" Improve the "rapid response" meeting, presentations,

processes and documents Turn "claimants" into job seekers or training

participants ASAP Design and (re)launch services for the professionals,

along with improved reemployment services for entry-

level workers

Unemployment Insurance…and Change Unemployment Insurance…and Change Service Delivery ImpactsService Delivery Impacts


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Strategically redesign worker profiling processes,

requirements and services to target reduction in weeks

claimed, not just reduction in exhaustees Use "high volume" traffic in centers to once and for all

move beyond (just) the "unemployment office" to

recognition as a true Career Center Position with employers: this economy means you alone

have an "unequaled talent bank" since UI is the "first to

know when quality workers lose their jobs"

Unemployment Insurance…and Change Unemployment Insurance…and Change Service Delivery Impacts…cont.Service Delivery Impacts…cont.


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Overhaul bureaucratic UI "notices" to promote reemployment services, while not diminishing communication of required information

Process improvement strategies between and among customers, one-stop centers and UI call centers or Internet sites

Making sure the unemployed who are denied unemployment benefits know you can help with employment and training services

And more!

Unemployment Insurance…and Change Unemployment Insurance…and Change Service Delivery Impacts…cont.Service Delivery Impacts…cont.


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References and everything you ever wanted to know about unemployment insurance…

www.ows.doleta.gov

reemploymentworks.workforce3one.org:

TEN 11 -09: Supporting Claimant Needs in the One-Stop Centers

TEGL 2-09: State Approved Training

TEGL 2-08: Pell Grant Info

www.workforceatm.org; for NASWA survey on ARRA activities, RES learnings webinar

Your seminar leader...Your seminar leader...

Along with her colleagues at Greg Newton Associates, Melanie Arthur is helping states and communities across the country operate successful workforce investment centers.

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Unemployment Insurance Innovations Session Topics: Workforce Development Policy Drivers Unemployment Insurance and Change... Program Impact Services