CEO Library

The state-Federal system of Unemployment Insurance (UI) programs has existed for 80 years. The programs in the states are financed by employer payroll taxes paid into state trust fund accounts maintained at the U.S. Treasury. These accounts are the source for benefit payments made to eligible unemployed workers.

As investors increasingly consider environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors when selecting and managing investments, questions about ESG’s relevance to retirement investing have grown commensurately. With this growth comes greater interest to understand if and to what extent ESG investing might affect American workers' retirement prospects.

The report includes findings from a 2-year implementation study of the Urban Employment Demonstration Grants for Youth and Young Adults, funded by the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), Chief Evaluation Office (CEO). In 2015, DOL’s Employment and Training Administration (ETA) awarded seven urban cities with 2-year grants to develop projects to address the workforce needs of disconnected youth and young adults (ages 16–29) in U.S.

The issue brief series explores emerging findings from a 2-year implementation study of the Urban Employment Demonstration Grants for Youth and Young Adults, funded by the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), Chief Evaluation Office (CEO). In 2015, DOL’s Employment and Training Administration (ETA) awarded seven urban cities with 2-year grants to develop projects to address the workforce needs of disconnected youth and young adults (ages 16–29) in U.S. cities and communities experiencing high unemployment, crime, and poverty rates, and low high school graduation rates.

The report presents a high-level look at the community engagement (CE) project approach and analysis, and presents options that the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) Women’s Bureau (WB) may consider for future exploration. It is important to note that this project was not conducted as a rigorous assessment of the impact of the WB’s work overall or the work resulting from its CE approach. Rather, the focus was on understanding the CE activities the WB conducts at the regional level and developing potential options the WB could consider to strengthen its approach in the future.

The purpose of the report is to explore implementation of Youth CareerConnect (YCC) about two years after funding began. This report draws information from five sources: (1) a grantee survey describing YCC as it was implemented in one of its schools, (2) grantees’ quarterly progress report narratives, (3) visits to 10 grantees, (4) YCC’s Participant Tracking System, and (5) a survey of parents and students in YCC in 8 of the grantees visited.

A key challenge facing policymakers and program administrators is how to develop effective strategies to help Americans facing economic challenges, particularly the long-term unemployed, to succeed in the labor market. During the deep recession of 2008-2009, an unprecedented number of workers lost their jobs and many remained under- or unemployed, even as the economy recovered.

Short-time compensation (STC), also known as work sharing, is an optional program within some state unemployment insurance systems. Under STC, employers experiencing a temporary reduction in business lower the average hours of employees in lieu of laying off workers. Employees whose hours are lowered receive Unemployment Insurance (UI) benefits in proportion to the reduction in their hours, while businesses retain valued employees and avoid future recruitment and training costs.

The brief presents findings on the effects of 12-month information campaigns designed to increase employer awareness of Short-Time Compensation (STC) programs in Iowa and Oregon. The states ran their campaigns starting in mid-September 2014 in Iowa and late October 2014 in Oregon, and researchers tested the effects of this outreach using a random controlled trial (RCT) design in Iowa and the Portland metropolitan area of Oregon and a quasi-experimental design (QED) in Oregon outside of Portland.

The report of a 2-year formative study to gain understanding of promising implementation strategies adopted thus far in the State Exchange Employment and Disability (SEED) model. This report on the formative evaluation provides background on the initiative and the evaluation. It also provides a description of SEED’s progress at roughly the halfway point of the evaluation and offers implications for continuation of the initiative.

To better understand the efficiency and practicality of the State Exchange on Employment and Disability (SEED) initiative, the U.S. Department of Labor's (DOL) Chief Evaluation Office (CEO), in collaboration with the Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP), conducted a formative evaluation.

Researchers conducted a scan of the implementation science literature. Implementation science is the scientific study of methods that encourage the systematic integration of evidenced-based practices and research knowledge into policy and practice (Eccles & Mittman, 2006).

The U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL’s) Chief Evaluation Office (CEO), in collaboration with the Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP), contracted with IMPAQ International, LLC (IMPAQ), to investigate the public workforce system’s involvement in the Social Security Administration’s (SSA’s) Ticket to Work (TTW) program. The TTW program is designed to reduce or eliminate reliance on SSA disability benefits by increasing beneficiaries’ financial independence.

The report examines the impacts of the nation’s largest summer youth jobs program — New York City’s Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP) — on young people’s education, employment, and earnings. The evaluation, which is funded by the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) and a private foundation, includes a sample of nearly 265,000 young people who applied to SYEP for the first time between 2006 and 2010. The analysis uses an experimental design that relies on SYEP’s randomized lottery application system.

The executive summary of the An Introduction to the World of Work A Study of the Implementation and Impacts of New York City's Summer Youth Employment Program Final Report that examines the impacts of the nation’s largest summer youth jobs program — New York City’s Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP) — on young people’s education, employment, and earnings.

Workers across the United States have a right to earn a living without risking their lives. Yet, in 2014, more than 4,800 American workers were killed on the job, and nearly 3 million suffered work-related injuries and illnesses. Previous research suggests that Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) inspections can reduce the risks workers face. However, for inspections to work as intended, OSHA needs employers to respond promptly when workplace inspections reveal unsafe conditions.

The mission of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is to ensure safe and healthy conditions for workers. OSHA estimates that work-related deaths and injuries have fallen by more than 65 percent since the agency’s creation in 1970. Still, in 2014, more than 4,800 American workers were killed on the job, and nearly 3 million suffered work-related injuries and illnesses.

The brief presents initial findings on the effects of an intervention designed to increase employer responsiveness to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). Through a nationwide randomized controlled trial, researchers tested whether employers who were cited for health and safety violations would be more responsive if OSHA changed the way it issues and follows up on citations.

Infographic depicting high-level results of the Using Behavioral Interventions to Help Employers Resolve Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Citations Technical Report.

Webinar describing the high-level results of the Using Behavioral Interventions to Help Employers Resolve Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Citations Technical Report.

In 2014, the U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL’s) Chief Evaluation Office (CEO) contracted with Mathematica Policy Research and ideas to explore the potential of using insights from behavioral science to improve the performance and outcomes of DOL programs. In this study, the DOL Behavioral Interventions (DOL-BI) team partnered with the Human Resources Division of DOL (DOL-HR) and the Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) to explore whether low-cost, behaviorally informed emails would result in more DOL employees saving, or saving more, for retirement.

Preparing for retirement is important. For many workers in the United States, a comfortable retirement may depend on the savings decisions they make now. Failing to save today can have very real consequences as people age, reducing the comforts they get to enjoy during retirement and their ability to cope with health and financial shocks. Following broader Federal policy, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has sought effective strategies for encouraging its employees to increase their retirement savings.

The brief presents initial findings on the effects of an email designed to encourage U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) employees to increase their contributions to the Thrift Savings Plan (TSP)—a plan similar to 401(k) plans in the private sector—and take full advantage of the available employer match.

Infographic depicting high-level results of the Using Behavioral Interventions to Increase Retirement Savings Technical Report.

Webinar describing the high-level results of the Using Behavioral Interventions to Increase Retirement Savings Technical Report.

Finding a job after becoming unemployed can be challenging for many individuals. Even as the unemployment rate has decreased during the recovery from the 2007–2008 financial crisis, the average duration of regular unemployment insurance (UI) benefits remains high (15.6 weeks as of January 2017). In response, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) helps UI claimants find, apply for, and obtain new employment. DOL has long sought effective ways to encourage unemployed workers to engage in services that can help them get reemployed.