To provide sequestration rules for Fiscal Year (FY) 2019 to State Workforce Agencies (SWAs) that apply to mandatory Unemployment Insurance (UI) programs and information on how the U.S. Department of Labor (Department) will apply those rules. These rules include the application of sequestration on delayed benefit payments for prior FYs and the resulting administrative costs.

To ensure that states are aware that: 1) the social security survivors and old age retirement annuities and the Federal civilian pensions annual cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) will increase for calendar year 2019 and 2) COLA information is located on the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) website.

The Employment and Training Administration (ETA) is providing a renewed form ETA 9178 for State Workforce Agencies and other applicable grant recipients to document the quarterly progress toward completing their supplemental grant activities. This form is renewed for grantee quarterly reporting through August 31, 2021.

To provide State Workforce Agencies (SWAs) with a revised version of ET Handbook 336, 18th Edition, Change 2

To transmit the subject computation for State Workforce Agency usage in computing minimum weekly DUA amounts for all major disasters declared during the second quarter of Fiscal Year (FY) 2019.

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

To notify State Workforce Agencies of the availability of Fiscal Year (FY) 2014 funds for activities that support the prevention and detection of UI improper benefit payments, improve state performance, and address outdated Information Technology (IT) system infrastructures.

To advise states of the extension of Emergency Unemployment Compensation, 2008 (EUC08) and the Federal Additional Compensation (FAC) programs, and the extension of the temporary provisions for the Federal-State Extended Benefits (EB) program, and to make a correction to UIPL No.12-09, Change 1.

To provide guidelines for the FY 2019 UI RESEA grants and to invite State Workforce Agencies to submit applications for funding.

To advise states of findings resulting from an Office of Inspector General (OIG) audit of the Federal Additional Compensation (FAC) program and to remind states of FAC program instructions including: 1) establishing, recovering, and reporting any FAC overpayments, and 2) withholding income taxes from FAC upon a claimant’s election to have such taxes withheld.