To provide information to State Workforce Agencies (SWAs) about the application of sequestration in Fiscal Year (FY) 2017, how the Department of Labor (Department) will apply sequestration to mandatory Unemployment Insurance (UI) programs and on delayed benefit payments from prior fiscal years, and the resulting administrative costs.

To ensure 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 2017, and 2) COLA information may be found on the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Web site.

To announce the rate of interest that the U.S. Department of the Treasury (Treasury) will charge on Title XII advances during CY 2017.

To announce two September 1998 BTQ nonmonetary determination quality review training seminars for SESA staff.

To clarify existing guidance governing adjudication of any Combined Wage Claim (CWC) as set out in 20 C.F.R. Part 616, and to make a technical assistance tool available to State Workforce Agencies for staff use in addressing CWC issues previously adjudicated by another state in compliance with 20 C.F.R. 616.8 (a).

To provide information on the process of setting performance criteria for key UI performance measures.

To transmit the subject computation for State Workforce Agency usage in computing minimum weekly DUA amounts for all major disasters declared during the third quarter of Fiscal Year (FY) 2017.

To reissue and update guidance provided in General Administration Letter (GAL) No. 4-88, Unemployment Insurance (UI) Internal Security (IS) Policy, for use by the states in carrying out their responsibilities related to IS for UI operations.

To provide State Workforce Agencies (SWAs) guidelines and key dates for the completion of the 2017 UI BAM paid and denied claims sample cases and the publication of 2017 BAM data.

To transmit the subject computation for State Employment Security Agency (SESA) usage in computing minimum weekly DUA amounts for ail major disasters declared during the fourth quarter of Fiscal Year (FY) 1998.