There are many facets of an Unemployment Insurance program that must work in harmony to establish an agency’s commitment to the reemployment of UI claimants. Annually the Institute considers awards in the categories of Performance and Best Practices. Below are our criteria and winners from past years.
This award is given to the state Unemployment Insurance (UI) agency that best exemplifies a commitment and dedication to reemployment of UI claimants through proactive policies and innovative programs. States self-nominate their “Best Practice” policies, procedures and/or initiatives that reflect commitment and success for the reemployment of UI claimants. To make a nomination, use our Best Practices Award Criteria and Nomination Form.
2010 Best Practices Winner - Utah
Utah’s Department of Workforce Services has exemplified its commitment to the reemployment of UI claimants through its ground-breaking work in online automation of eligibility reviews interviewing. By engineering its Worker Profiling Reporting System to dynamically and interactively interview claimants in a rich online format, DWS was able to: 1) increase eligibility reviews more than five-fold from approximately 3% of initial claimants to 17%; 2) assess and record profiled claimant job seeker obstacles to pre-inform one stop counselors; and 3) immediately empower job seekers with online connections to specific resources. Not only has it expanded its eligibility reviews, DWS is using its REA grant to expand in person assessments to the second tier of those most likely to exhaust.
Enhanced in September 2009, Utah’s program is notable for two reasons. First, its eligibility review system is completely online which allows much fuller and richer screening of claimant responses so that staff can focus only on those claims that have a potential eligibility issue. Free of manual review of each claimant’s response, DWS has much lower staffing requirements than it would otherwise have for its new level of WPRS while enjoying a five fold increase in claims reviewed.
Second, after completing the eligibility portion of the application, claimants who have been profiled as in the first tier of those most likely to exhaust their UI benefits are automatically directed to an online orientation, assessment and referral module. Failure to participate in this module results in denial of UI benefits. The module assists staff and claimants in identifying claimant barriers to reemployment and directs claimants to resources to assist them in meeting their reemployment challenges.
Utah is complementing its front end eligibility reviews with increased face to face interviews funded by its REA grant. This dynamic online eligibility review is just one part of a comprehensive effort to retool its reemployment efforts. Complementary strategies include: 1) a wage subsidy program that gives UI claimants an opportunity to get a foot in the door with a new employer by offering the employer $2,000 to take a chance on the claimant and provide on-the-job training for three months; 2) new guidance for staff and claimants to educate claimants on their claim details and resources available for reemployment; and 3) new job matching software that uses AutoCoder software to improve the connectivity of Labor Market Information (“LMI”) with claimant job histories and job orders when matching claimant skills with job orders.
2009 Winner - Texas
2008 Winner - Georgia
This award is given to the state Unemployment Insurance (UI) agency that best exemplifies a commitment and dedication to reemployment of UI claimants through its performance in key indicators of claim duration and exhaustion outlined in our Performance Award Criteria.
2010 No Winner
2009 Winner – West Virginia
Workforce West Virginia has demonstrated its continuing commitment to the reemployment of UI claimants through a high level of performance for several years. Through the latest quarterly Department of Labor data, it ranked third lowest among states in claim exhaustion rate (26.4%) and thirteenth lowest in average claim duration (13.1 weeks). For context, at this time, Workforce West Virginia’s unemployment rate was 9.2%.
West Virginia’s numbers are underpinned by a history of hard work. The state has effectively implemented comprehensive claimant reemployment services for early assessment of specific service needs, including specifically: 1) a robust eligibility review program (ERP) that services over 20% of claimants, 2) job service registration requirements that expose claimants to reemployment services early in the claim, 3) a nationally-recognized claimant profiling model to target potential exhaustees with early services.
West Virginia is also continuing its drive to improve by recently adding a new "In-Demand ERP" pilot program which shows great promise for connecting claimants to employment. The new ERP identifies claimants who were in jobs and industries that have openings. If such claimants are not finding work, the ERP targets them and ensures that obvious matches are made and made efficiently
2008 Winner - Georgia