Background: In 1988, the Unemployment Insurance Service (UIS) signed a contract with Artecon, Inc., to purchase computer systems for the SESAs and the National Office. These systems replaced the older Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC) Pro 380 super-microcomputers running the Benefits Quality Control program. Artecon's replacement computer systems were based on Sun 3/60 CPUs, and were configured as multi-user systems. These computers are currently installed in the SESAs and at the National Office, and currently support various QC applications, the UI Required Reporting (UIRR) system, and the Performance Measurement Review (PMR) pilot. The Artecon systems have already become obsolete in today's rapidly changing computer marketplace. The vendors that provide the commercial software and the operating system have effectively abandoned the Artecon platform, and no longer provide new releases or upgrades for these systems. In recognition of the necessity to strategically plan the next migration of the State UI systems, the National Office, together with representatives from the Regions and States, formed a Vision Group that met in July, 1992, to decide on the best course of action for upgrading the Artecon computers. The Vision Group consensus was to upgrade the old equipment with current technology, continuing to run under a UNIX-based operating system capable of supporting Informix. This strategy would allow the National Office and the States to port existing UIS applications onto the new computers with a minimum amount of time and effort. Changes: After researching the marketplace, and developing a Requirements Analysis and Cost Comparison document, the National Office was able to take advantage of an existing contract available to Federal agencies through the National Aeronautics and Space Administration to order replacement equipment. Sun Microsystems SPARCstation 10 Model 40 computers were ordered to replace the Artecon computers in the SESAs. The new computers will be integrated into the current system and all existing peripherals (modems, tape drives, terminals, printers, and annex boxes) will continue to be used. Both the Sun SPARCstation and the older Sun 3/60 computers will initially be attached to the system, with all UI applications running solely on the SPARCstation machine. The 3/60 connectivity will provide States the opportunity to move their applications over to the new machine. The UI State Support and Data Processing teams were recently combined to form the UIS Operations and Support (UISOPS) group. This group provides technical support to both States and Regions, and is responsible for system administration of the UI data processing network. They are actively working on porting existing programs and applications from the 3/60 platform to the new machines. They will be available to provide technical assistance to any State requesting help in moving their products onto the new computers. To obtain technical assistance, State System Administrators may contact the Hotline at 1-800-473-0188. The SPARCstation computers will be shipped and installed in all SESAs after the National Office has upgraded all of the commercial software products to the latest available version and release numbers running under Solaris (the new Sun operating system), and after porting the UI applications to the new machines. The new computers will be shipped as turn-key systems, already loaded with all UI software applications. Service technicians will install the new computers and assist the State System Administrators in loading user files. The National Office plans to have the new SPARCstation computers in all States in early 1994. A Site Preparation Guide and an Equipment Specification Manual are currently being prepared and will be distributed to the UI State System Administrators upon completion. The National UI QC Training Center will also be offering a training course on the new system, to include any upgraded commercial software packages. Training should roughly coincide with delivery of the new systems. The National Office also purchased Hewlett Packard Laserjet Model 4SI laser printers off the same contract, to be added as an additional system printer to all State UI systems. Disposal Instructions: Maintenance will be carried on the Artecon computers for approximately 60 days after delivery of the new SPARCstations; after that all support for the 3/60s will end. At that time, in accordance with CFR 29, Part 97.32(g), the equipment may be retained, sold or otherwise disposed of with no further obligation to the Federal Government. New Equipment: Following is a description of the new computers and the additional laser printer ordered for the SESAs: a. Sun SPARCstation 10 Model 40 servers 48 MB Memory 2 x 1.05 GB internal disk drives 16" color monitor 1.44 MB 3.5" floppy drive 644 MB compact disk drive Serial/Parallel controller b. HP Laserjet 4SI Laser Printer 2 MBytes RAM 17 pages per minute 600 x 600 dpi print quality Dual-bin paper handling The new computers are projected to be capable of supporting between 20 to 60 concurrent users and will run at a speed of about 105 MIPS (millions of instructions per second). They will provide between 15-20 times the processing power of the older 3/60 models, at about one-third the cost. A schematic of the new system, with the integrated SPARCstation computer, is attached. Action Required: Administrators are to provide the above information to all appropriate State staff (including all State System Administrators for the SESA UI automated systems).

AWBA Utilization: The attached listing identifies the AWBA which is to be used when computing the weekly amount of disaster unemployment assistance (DUA) for major disasters where the date of the disaster for the individual occurs during the first quarter of FY 1994 (refer to 20 CFR 625.6). The AWBA for each State is based on the total amount of unemployment insurance paid in that State in the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters immediately preceding the quarter in which the major disaster began. States shall use the AWBA, rounded to the next higher dollar amount, in the computation of the DUA weekly benefit amount. An updated listing will be provided for each subsequent calendar quarter. Action Required: State Employment Security Agency Administrators are requested to provide this information to appropriate staff.

Background: Title II, Section 201 of Public Law 102-318 amended the Federal-State Extended Unemployment Compensation Act of 1970 by providing for an alternative trigger mechanism for determining a State's eligibility to pay EB: a 3-month average seasonally adjusted TUR. The Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) is the official source of this data. The criteria necessary for a State to be eligible to pay 13 weeks of EB based on the TUR trigger are: (a) the average rate of total unemployment (seasonally adjusted) for the most recent 3-month period for which data for all States are published must equal or exceed 6.5 percent; (b) that rate must equal or exceed 110 percent of the rate for the corresponding 3 months in either of the prior two years; and (c) the State must have a provision in its law to utilize the TUR as an alternative EB trigger. If the 3-month average TUR equals or exceeds 8.0 percent and is at least 110 percent of the TUR for the corresponding 3-month period in either of the prior two years, the State enters a "high unemployment period" in which 20 weeks of EB are payable. Revisions to Historical Data: At the end of each calendar year, BLS routinely makes revisions to its historical data. The labor force, employment and unemployment data are revised to incorporate updated population data from the Bureau of the Census and any revisions in other data sources; seasonal adjustment factors are modified and econometric models are re-estimated to include the experience of that year; and the monthly estimates are "benchmarked" to equal the CPS annual averages. Effective immediately, these revised historical data will be incorporated in the computation of TUR percentages of prior years as soon as they are published. However, no State's EB status will change retroactively based on revised data. BLS will be the official source of all data used to make the EB 3-month average TUR computation, and BLS will make all of these computations using their standard methodologies. Action Required: State Administrators are requested to provide the above information to all appropriate staff.

Average Weekly Benefit Amount (AWBA) Utilization: On May 11, 1995, the Department published an interim final rule in the Federal Register (60 FR 25560), which amended Section 625.6 effective for all major disasters declared on and after that date. Among the changes, the amendments provide that the minimum weekly DUA amount will be 50 percent of the AWBA paid in the State for regular compensation, unless workers are customarily or routinely employed less than full-time prior to their unemployment due to the disaster. The attached listing sets forth the 50 percent of AWBA computation applicable for major disasters declared during the first quarter of FY 1996, from October 1 through December 31, 1995. Action Required: SESA Administrators are requested to provide this information to appropriate staff and insure that the correct AWBA is utilized in determining the weekly DUA amount.

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Average Weekly Benefit Amount (AWBA) Utilization: On May 11, 1995, the Department published an interim final rule in the Federal Register (60 FR 25560), which amended Section 625.6 effective for all major disasters declared on and after that date. Among the changes, the amendments provide that the minimum weekly DUA amount will be 50 percent of the AWBA paid in the State for regular compensation, unless workers are customarily or routinely employed less than full-time prior to their unemployment due to the disaster. The attached listing sets forth the 50 percent of AWBA computation applicable for major disasters declared during the first quarter of FY 1997, from October 1 through December 31, 1996. Action Required: SESA Administrators are requested to provide this information to appropriate staff and insure that the correct AWBA is utilized in determining the weekly DUA amount.

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References: Employment and Training Administration Handbook 401, and Employment and Training Administration Handbook 301. Background: BTQ measures were detailed in UIPL 10-96. The first reports required were quality evaluations of nonmonetary determinations, submitted for the quarter ending September 30, 1996. Timeliness measures, including nonmonetary determinations timeliness and nonmonetary issue detection timeliness, were required beginning with the month of January 1997. Action Required: Unemployment Insurance directors and administrators are asked to share Attachment A with supervisors, managers and staff who produce and/or evaluate nonmonetary determinations so that it can be used to assist in evaluation of program strengths and weaknesses.