Reference: Unemployment Insurance Program Letter No. 45-93, Profiling Unemployment Insurance (UI) Claimants. Background: The UI program is heavily dependent upon automation for all of its functions. Much of the automation of the UI program has taken place over the last two decades. As automation technology advances and is more accessible for addressing all aspects of UI operations, many States are seeking to apply this current technology in an effort to increase productivity and improve customer services. DOL believes that a central capacity for exploring and taking advantage of the latest technology in hardware and software for all States is a means by which the Federal partner may assist in addressing State resource constraints and support DOL initiatives, such as the "new profiling system" and "one-stop career centers," which will impact SESAs' current UI operations. During Fiscal Year (FY) 1994, DOL will undertake a new comprehensive profiling system which will focus on UI claimants. The objectives of this DOL initiative are to identify new UI claimants who might experience reemployment difficulties and to refer those claimants to reemployment services early in their unemployment period. As previously envisioned, the profiling initiative will include the use of a "model" for identifying the UI claimants most likely to be dislocated workers. This model will be integrated into initial claims processing using automation. In addition, automated processes are necessary to provide for the remainder of the profiling system which includes selection, referral and feedback components. Project Concept: DOL's Employment and Training Administration (ETA) plans to enter into a cooperative agreement with a State that will be selected to establish and operate an ITC. The ITC could be an organization of a SESA, a contractor-operated facility, a facility operated by a university or consortium of SESAs, or some combination of the above. Organization of the ITC could take a number of forms. The exact organizational structure will not be finalized until input from States on various alternatives is considered and evaluated. Regardless of the ITC's organizational structure, a Steering Committee, comprised of Federal and State staff, is seen as an important element. The Steering Committee would perform strategic planning and establish, implement, and monitor ITC policies and procedures. Other responsibilities would include reviewing projects at key milestone points throughout the development life cycle and providing feedback on systems design and implementation planning, as well as evaluating ITC products for technical merit, exportability and usefulness. The selected State must be able to provide for rapid procurement procedures so that the ITC can quickly respond to changing situations, either hardware or software. The ITC must also be able to attract top-quality staff, either as permanent employees, temporary employees, independent contractors and/or consultants. A flexible staffing pattern is seen as an important feature of the ITC so that necessary adjustments can be made quickly and routinely. Initially, the ITC's focus will be on supporting the development and implementation of a national profiling system. Subsequently, the ITC will emphasize development of other UI applications for final development by SESAs and technology exchange among SESAs and other interested parties. The ITC will focus on innovative solutions and efficient use of the latest technology arising from lessons learned from SESAs' experiences with past UI automation grants, other SESA automation efforts, and other State and Federal agencies and/or private industry experiences. In addition, the ITC will be involved in supporting the UI portion of the information systems envisioned for DOL's one-stop career center initiative. Short Term Goals: As previously indicated, the first project to be undertaken by the ITC will be to support SESAs in the development and implementation of profiling systems. Appropriate models will be provided to the SESAs for final modification and implementation. The ITC will provide support for product installation and use. The ITC will also provide system enhancements periodically, based on States' requirements and feedback. The national profiling system will be designed for implementation on multiple platforms. All systems developed at the ITC would have design specifications available to the States for their own development efforts. Model systems and applications produced by the ITC will recognize the diversity of State ADP environments. Long Term Goals: The ITC will implement some combination of the following functions, based upon States' requirements: a. Perform systems analysis design and development for the SESAs. Supporting DOL initiatives such as the national profiling system and the one-stop career center initiative will be an ongoing and critical task of the ITC. When developing new applications, an individual State may be the initial customer, but all systems will be developed using structured/modular components to attain maximum portability to other States. b. Establish and support a Central UI Electronic Bulletin Board System for technology exchange and information sharing with all States regarding lessons learned, "best practices" and automation projects sponsored by SESAs along with appropriate points of contact. c. Sponsor prototype projects and demonstrations relating to maximizing the use of automation and information technology for UI operations. d. Provide clearinghouse appraisal for ADP systems and software. The ITC will appraise software applications (both UI systems developed by States and commercial packages) for their use in UI operations. e. Provide technical training to States either at the ITC or by sending trainers to seminars or conferences. Training would be on the use of new technologies, specific commercial packages, or ITC developed applications. f. Maintain a Hotline support staff capable of providing technical guidance for implementing new technologies and utilizing ITC developed products. State Responsibilities: The selected State will carry out the following tasks in accordance with the terms and conditions of the cooperative agreement: a. The State will operate, administer and oversee the ITC as agreed upon with DOL. b. The State will designate a project officer to oversee administrative functions and requirements and to serve as the State's representative with DOL. c. The State will report to DOL as defined in the cooperative agreement between DOL and the State. DOL Responsibilities: a. DOL will designate a Federal Representative. b. In coordination with the State's project officer and the Steering Committee, DOL will monitor and inspect State and ITC-contractor (if any) performance and products on an on- going basis to ensure compliance with the scope of work and ascertain the level of performance. c. DOL will review and approve the ITC's project staff as specified in the cooperative agreement and any adjustments thereto. Selection of State: To initiate the project, ETA will request interested States to submit proposals for the design, development, establishment and management of an ITC. State selection will be competitive, based on criteria outlined in a directive to be issued. Proposals received timely by the National Office will be evaluated by a panel according to criteria to be established. The panel will review each proposal to determine if the proposal meets the criteria and to select the overall best proposal. Project Implementation Date: The project should begin during the second quarter of FY 1994 with the issuance of a directive soliciting proposals from States. Selection of the State and the signing of a cooperative agreement with DOL is expected by the fourth quarter of FY 1994. Project Funding: Funding for the ITC is available for FY 1994. Continuation of the cooperative agreement in subsequent years is contingent upon the availability of appropriated funds for the ITC. The ITC is expected to be included in DOL's FY 1995 budget request. The ITC would be initially approved for a 24-month period, called the pilot phase. At the end of the pilot phase, an evaluation will be conducted to determine whether to continue operations. The cooperative agreement will provide a fixed amount of reimbursement to cover costs of the project and will specify the period of performance. Action: SESA Administrators are encouraged to comment on any aspect of the ITC plan. Alternative approaches to the management of the ITC and functions to be performed by the ITC are especially welcomed. Comments should be sent by November 12, 1993, to the National Office (ATTN: Wayne Zajac, TEUMC) or FAX on 202-219-8506.

Background: The Department of Defense (DOD) informed us that due to recent administrative changes instituted at the United States Air Force Military Personnel Center (AFMPC), Randolph Air Force Base, Texas, many mailing addresses have been changed. Information: The correct mailing address and telephone number for the Airman's Action Branch of AFMPC is as follows: HQ AFMPC/DPMDOA 550 C Street West Suite 20 Randolph AFB, Texas 78150-6001 (210) 652-5747 Additionally, the Air Force has changed item 12a on the DD Form 214 to reflect the date the member originally came on active duty. The purpose of this change is to clarify the start and end of a member's continuous active duty status. Item 12c will now reflect the member's total active service while in the U.S. Air Force. All service reflected in item 12d will be prior reserve/guard or a break in service. Action Required: The above information should be provided to appropriate staff.

Reference: Federal regulations at 20 CFR Part 609 and UIPL No. 32-89 (U.S. Coast Guard NAF), 48-89 (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers), 12-90 (Air Force), and 46-92 (Federal agencies serviced by Frick, Inc.) Background: It has come to our attention that a number of State agencies are experiencing difficulties in handling UCFE claims inquiries due to a lack of accurate Federal agency addresses. Many claim inquiries (Forms ES-931, ES-931A, ES-934, ES-936) and notices of determination and appeal are frequently forwarded to inappropriate addresses because claimants do not present an SF-8, Notice to Federal Employee About Unemployment Insurance, which contains an address for forwarding inquiries or the State agency does not have a proper forwarding address in their records. As a result, when inquiries finally reach the appropriate Federal agency address, it is next to impossible to meet the 4-day timeframe to forward the completed response to the State agency as required by 20 CFR 609.21(b). To date, we have received change of address requests from two Federal agencies that have centralized addresses--the U.S. Postal Service, and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. These address changes are included in an alphabetical listing which contains the centralized addresses of other Federal agencies that were previously forwarded to the SESAs via TWX or which were recently provided to the National Office for dissemination. In addition, included as separate attachments are decentralized address listings for the Department of the Air Force (Appropriated Fund Activities--FIC No. 424 and Non-Appropriated Fund Activities- -FIC No. 427), the Department of the Army (Appropriated Fund Activities--FIC No. 422)*, the Department of Health and Human Services (FIC No. 460), and the Department of Justice (FIC No. 430). Subsequent program letters for other Federal agencies will follow as the need dictates and/or when a Federal agency provides this office with an address listing. * Note--Listing for Army Non-Appropriated Fund Activities (FIC No. 425) not available at this time. Action Required: SESA administrators are requested to distribute this listing immediately to the appropriate State agency personnel for their use in sending forms and notices or making inquiries pertaining to UCFE claims for former Federal employees.

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.