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Current Projects / Available Research

Current Projects

1) Evaluation of the Re-Employment and Eligibility Assessment Initiative

2) Evaluation of the Unemployment Compensation Provisions of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009

3) The National Directory of New Hires (NDNH)

Recently Completed Available Research

A) Evaluation of the Unemployment Insurance Benefits Program

B) SUTA Dumping Detection System

C) Reed Act Distribution Implementation Study

D) Strengthening the Connection between UI Remote Services and One-Stop Center Services Demonstration Project

E) Study to Improve Worker Profiling Models

F) Reemployment and Eligibility Assessment (REA) Study Comparison Group

G) Report to Congress on REAs 2011



1) Evaluation of the Re-Employment and Eligibility Assessment Initiative

Since 2004, the U.S. Department of Labor's Employment and Training Administration has provided grants to state workforce agencies to implement the Reemployment and Eligibility Assessment (REA) Initiative. The objective of the REA Initiative was to help reduce unemployment spells among UI claimants and realize cost savings for state UI trust funds. In 2010, DOL/ETA tasked IMPAQ International to conduct a comprehensive evaluation of the REA initiative. The evaluation will include an implementation study, an impact evaluation study, and a cost-benefits study. The impact evaluation will consist of a rigorous analysis of four selected states: Florida, Idaho, Illinois and Nevada.

IMPAQ is currently collecting data, making site visits, and writing an analysis for an interim report that is due in June, 2011.

For more information on this project contact Richard Muller (202) 693-3680.

2) Evaluation of the Unemployment Insurance Compensation Provisions of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009

In September of 2010 a contract was awarded to Mathematica Policy Research, in conjunction with the Urban Institute, to conduct an evaluation of the Unemployment Compensation (UC) provisions of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA). The evaluation’s overarching objective is to determine the overall efficiency and effectiveness of the UC-related provisions in ARRA. In particular, the project will address important questions relating to Extended Benefits (EB) and benefits that became available through the Emergency Unemployment Compensation Act of 2008, such as: How well did the expansions included under ARRA and related programs meet the needs of unemployed workers during the recent recession? How did these expansions and programs affect workers, labor supply, and other decisions? How did the ARRA financial incentives for states affect their EB-related policy decisions, especially those related to the sequencing of EB? What administrative difficulties did states encounter in providing EUC08 benefits and related enhancements to claimants over the course of the recession?

Similarly, this project we will address questions related to the UC modernization incentives and other provisions under ARRA, to answer questions such as: What factors led states to adopt specific modernization features? What factors provided the greatest deterrents to such adoptions? How difficult was it for states to adjust their existing UC laws and procedures? In the end, how much change actually resulted from the modernizations? How did the various modernization initiatives affect the pool of potentially eligible workers?

To answer these questions, the contractors plan to use UC program data, quarterly wage data, a survey of UC recipients, a survey of UC administrators, site visits, and publicly available data about states’ UC laws and state-level program characteristics. The contractor will also convene a chosen group of analysts to provide technical assistance. A final report is due in the spring of 2013.

For more information on this project contact Steven Richardson (202) 693-7122

2) The National Directory of New Hires (NDNH)

Currently 52 states are accessing the NDNH; California is the only state not currently matching. States are starting to use the NDNH for reemployment measures and 52 states have their Benefit Accuracy Measurement (BAM) investigators matching their cases against it. States are required to match BAM cases against the NDNH (this began with the first batch in January 2008).

The primary purpose of the NDNH is child support enforcement. However, a change in legislation allows SWAs to access the NDNH for the purpose of administration of Unemployment Insurance programs. One of the primary reasons for erroneous UI benefit payments is that UI beneficiaries fail to report earned income correctly. Cross matching with the NDNH will assist SWAs in detecting more of those types of overpayments. The CFO's report (link provided below) provides an analysis of the cross match pilot..

For more information on this project contact Susan Hilliard (202) 693-3608.

Unemployment Insurance National Directory of New Hires Pilot Report

Final Reports for Recently Completed Projects:

A) Evaluation of the Unemployment Insurance Benefits Program. This five year study, which ended in February 2010, provided detailed, empirical information on the effectiveness and impact of receiving Unemployment Insurance benefits. The contractor for this study, IMPAQ International, completed works in five separate areas, including: 1) changes in the labor market impacting UI claimants and the program, 2) detailed characteristics of who receives and does not receive UI benefits; 3) macro-economic impacts of the program; and 4) an analysis of the new Reemployment and Eligibility Assessment Initiative (REA). Their completed works can be found here.

B) Development of a SUTA Dumping Detection System: DOL issued a report to Congress titled Evaluation of State Implementation of Section 303(K), Social Security Act -"SUTA Dumping" Final Report. The full text of the report can be found here: http://wdr.doleta.gov/research/keyword.cfm?fuseaction=dsp_resultDetails&pub_id=2361&mp=y.

C) Reed Act Distribution Implementation Study: The Center for Employment Security Education and Research (CESER) conducted a process evaluation of the uses of Reed Act distributions by states. The study reviewed states' implementation, policies, institutional outcomes, and individual state outcomes, and policy consequences. A final report is available at: http://www.workforceatm.org/articles/template.cfm?results_art_filename=Reed2008.htm.

D) Strengthening the Connection between UI Remote Services and One-Stop Center Services Demonstration Project: A demonstration grant to the State of Wisconsin to test new methods of service delivery to enhance the connection between UI Call Centers and One-Stop services. This report is available at: http://wdr.doleta.gov/research/keyword.cfm?fuseaction=dsp_resultDetails&pub_id=2396&mp=y.

E) Study to Improve Worker Profiling Models: The report discusses several approaches for evaluating the accuracy of worker profiling models, and suggests some best practices in operating and maintaining worker profiling models. The full text of the report can be found here: http://wdr.doleta.gov/research/keyword.cfm?fuseaction=dsp_resultDetails&pub_id=2346&mp=y.

F) Evaluation of the Reemployment and Eligibility Assessment (REA) Initiative - "How to Construct a Comparison Group." Technical Assistance Paper August 2008 from Impaq International.

G) Report to Congress on REAs 2011

Title I of the Omnibus Appropriations Act, 2009, Public Law 111-8, Division F, State Unemployment Insurance and Employment Service Operations, contains the following language:

"In addition, $40,000,000 from the Employment Security Administration Account of the Unemployment Trust Fund shall be available to conduct in-person reemployment and eligibility assessments and unemployment insurance improper payment reviews: Provided, That not later than June 30, 2010, the Secretary shall submit an interim report to the Congress that includes available information on expenditures, number of individuals assessed, and outcomes from the assessments: Provided further, That not later than June 30, 2011, the Secretary of Labor shall submit to the Congress a final report containing comprehensive information on the estimated savings that result from the assessments of claimants and identification of best practices."

This report satisfies the requirement for a final report by June 30, 2011.

Report(s):

1. DOL report to Congress on REAs
2. REA Study by IMPAQ

To access all research and evaluation reports sponsored by the Employment and Training Administration access: http://wdr.doleta.gov/research/keyword.cfm