To ensure that states are aware that the social security survivors and old age retirement annuities and the Federal civilian pensions annual cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) increased for calendar year (CY) 2023, and to provide the U.S. Office of Personnel Management’s (OPM) COLA information.

To ensure states are aware of the Schedule of Remuneration for the UCX program that reflects the military pay increase effective January 1, 2023.

To provide information regarding the 2023 UI SIDES Seminar to be hosted by the National Association of State Workforce Agencies (NASWA) on April 18-20, 2023, in Indianapolis, IN.

To ensure State Workforce Agencies (SWA) are aware of the Federal military retired pay annual COLA provided by the Department of Defense.

To transmit the subject computation for State Workforce Agency usage in computing minimum weekly DUA amounts for all major disasters declared from January 1 – March 31, 2023, (second quarter of Fiscal Year (FY) 2023).

To provide updated guidance on the period of performance for grants that promote equitable access to unemployment compensation (UC) programs.

To strongly encourage states to review their policies and practices for reemployment and re-skilling Unemployment Insurance (UI) beneficiaries and other unemployed jobseekers, and to inform jobseekers of their potential eligibility for Federal Pell Grants (Pell Grants) and other student aid to meet educational expenses associated with enrollment in an eligible postsecondary program. Further, to remind states that determinations made regarding UI Approved Training requests may be reported as “countable” non-monetary determinations for workload purposes.

To remind states of the continuing availability of the self-paced, online Federal-State UC Legislative Seminar, in partnership with the National Association of State Workforce Agencies (NASWA).

To announce the Employment and Training Administration’s (ETA) upcoming virtual SMART training conference. This training opportunity is scheduled to be held on February 14 – 16, 2023, and is intended for all ETA grant recipients and stakeholders.

To announce a joint communication from Department of Labor’s (Department) Employment and Training Administration (ETA) and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on the workforce development opportunities associated with additional broadband and wireless telecommunications investment.