UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE
SEMI-ANNUAL
RESEARCH STATUS REPORT
MARCH 1997 - SEPTEMBER 1997
November 1997
TABLE OF CONTENTS
I.
UI RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT PROJECTSA. Research and Development Project
B. Technical Assistance Projects
Risk Analysis Project Overpayment Detection and Investigation Project Overpayment Recovery Project Denials Accuracy Pilot Project
II. UI DEMONSTRATION PROJECTS
III. DOL PROJECTS RELATED TO UI
A. RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS
| Study Title: | Unemployment Insurance Policy Issues Book |
| Purpose: | The purpose of this project is to develop
a book on current UI policy issues. This book will be the second volume in a two-volume set and will be published by the W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research. |
| Beginning Date: | March 1, 1994 |
| Ending Date: | March 30, 1998 |
| Contractor: | The Upjohn Institute |
| Project Monitor: | Steve Wandner |
| Status: | The draft chapters were presented and
discussed at a symposium on June 15-17, 1995 in Kalamazoo, MI. The book has been completed and is at the printers. USDOL expects to receive copies in early November. |
| Funding Source: | Pilots and Demonstrations |
| Study Title: | UI Survival Rate Analysis and Benefit Models |
| Purpose: | This study has two main objectives. One
is to conduct a comprehensive examination of the factors that influence the amount and timing of unemployment insurance benefit payments and the second is to develop a benefit forecasting model to be used for generating National Office budget and legislative estimates. |
| Beginning Date: | September 30, 1994 |
| Ending Date: | September 30, 1998 |
| Contractor: | Battelle Memorial Institute |
| UI Project Monitor: | Tom Stengle |
| Status: | This contract has been modified to
reflect a no cost extension for one year by the Division of Acquisition and Assistance. The contractor has submitted a draft of the survival rate analysis report and has conducted a presentation to interested DOL parties of the findings from this analysis as well as a demonstration of the structure of benefit projection model. Next steps include incorporation of DOL comments on the UI Survival Rate draft report and some refinement to the benefit projection model. |
| Funding Source: | Unemployment Insurance Research and Training (UI R&T) |
| Study Title: | Field Test of Revised Performance Measures for Benefit Payment Control |
| Purpose: | The current performance measures for BPC
consist of collection rates for fraud overpayments and nonfraud overpayments. Additional indicators have been proposed to supplement the existing ones. These measures will be field tested by three SESAs to determine the feasibility of collecting the data and also to evaluate the usefulness of the data. |
| Beginning Date: | October 1, 1995 |
| Ending Date: | March 31, 1997 |
| Contractors (3): | California Employment Development
Department Utah Department of Employment Security West Virginia Department of Employment Security |
| Project Officer: | Bob Whiting |
| Status: | Results of data collection have been
analyzed by the National Office. A proposal will be developed for new measures. |
| Funding Source: | UI National Activities |
| Study Title: | Agent State Third Party Fraud Project |
| Purpose: | The nature of interstate mail bypass
procedures is conducive to third party involvement in the UI process. This project has been designed to provide an analysis of third party involvement; to quantify the deterrence/detection effect of in-depth eligibility review interviews (ERIs) and investigations; and to develop recommendations for procedures designed to deter and detect third party fraud. |
| Beginning Date: | October 1, 1994 |
| Ending Date: | September 30, 1997 |
| Contractor: | Texas Employment Commission |
| Project Officer: | Bob Whiting |
| Status: | The final report is being prepared. |
| Funding Source: | UI National Activities |
B. TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE PROJECTS
| Study Title: | Risk Analysis Project |
| Purpose: | To assist SESAs in identifying and
reducing risks to the UI program. Specific objectives include: (1) identifying specific weaknesses and future areas of vulnerability;(2) evaluating risk analysis policies and guidelines; (3) evaluating automated analytical risk analysis products; and (4) providing recommendations, approaches, training and analytical tools to assist SESAs in assessing vulnerabilities. |
| Beginning Date: | October 1, 1994 |
| Ending Date: | September 30, 1998 |
| Contractor: | California Employment Development Department |
| Project Officer: | Harry Minor |
| Status: | The California EDD Risk Analysis project
staff have conducted the following activities to date: a. Formed an Advisory Work Group (AWG) responsible for assisting in formulating the project's scope, objectives, methodology, and timelines. (The AWG is comprised of State staff from six SESAs and DOL). b. Convened five meetings of the AWG for the purposes of reviewing and commenting on project deliverables, study methodology, and setting timelines. The next scheduled meeting of the AWG is December 11-12 in Montgomery, Alabama. c. The Automated Risk Analysis Tool Evaluation Report was completed and posted on the ITSC Web Site in the Internet. d. Fundamental and Intermediate training and the use of the automated software (Risk Watch) have been completed. e. Comments received from the Fundamental and Intermediate Risk Analysis Training were very positive and encouraging. A total of 59 individuals (51 SESA participants and 8 DOL participants) attended the fundamental/intermediate risk analysis training. f. Risk Analysis Advanced Training (dates and times TBA) is a two-day course that will build on the fundamental and intermediate training courses. g. The Risk Analysis Policies and Guidelines Report has been completed. h. A Risk Analysis Executive Overview Video was developed and distributed to all SESAs, DOL Regions and AWG members. |
| Funding Source: | UI National Activities |
| Study Title: | Overpayment Detection and Investigation Project |
| Purpose: | To enhance the capabilities of SESAs in
the area of benefit overpayment detection and investigative activities. A comprehensive analysis and evaluation of current detection methods and tools will be accomplished and recommendations for new methods and tools developed. In addition, investigator training packages will be developed and training conducted for SESA staff. The evaluation of automated software packages for detection and investigative activity support will also be accomplished. |
| Beginning Date: | October 1, 1995 |
| Ending Date: | September 30, 1998 |
| Contractor: | Utah Department of Employment Security |
| Project Officer: | Bob Whiting |
| Status: | Several segments of the CD ROM for
beginning investigators have been developed with the assistance of University of Utah's Media Solutions. Work is in progress for production of the advanced video training package for investigators. |
| Funding Source: | UI National Activities |
Study Title: Overpayment Recovery Project Purpose: To enhance the capabilities of SESAs in the area of benefit overpayment
recovery activities. Recovery activities to be included are: notification
procedures and processes; collection activities; automated collection systems;
establishment and follow-up of delinquent accounts; intercept programs; and
interstate offsets. In addition, development of training materials and
recovery/collections training sessions will be accomplished.Beginning Date: October 1, 1995 Ending Date: September 30, 1998 Contractor: California Employment Development Department Project Officer: Bob Whiting Status: Rewriting of ET Handbook No. 375 in progress.
Draft report of analysis prepared with information on current debt collection
practices including methods, techniques, and automation.Funding Source: UI National Activities
| Study Title: | Denials Accuracy Pilot Project |
| Purpose: | To conduct an operational pilot of the
accuracy of denied claims for UI benefits, and to test whether the Quality Performance Indicator produces sufficient information on the correctness of nonmonetary denials to be used for nonmons in place of the Benefits Accuracy Measure field-verification method. |
| Beginning Date: | Sampling began in September 1997 and should continue through August 1998. |
| Ending Date: | Final report expected December 1998 |
| Contractor: | PRAMM Consulting Group, Inc. |
| Project Monitor: | Burman Skrable |
| Status: | Pilot States (New Jersey, West Virginia,
South Carolina, Wisconsin, Nebraska) began sampling in second week of September as soon as the essential database modules were installed. Remainder of database software should be delivered to them in November. States, Federal and contractor staff will meet in South Carolina in November to share early experiences and resolve issues. No major operational problems have surfaced yet. South Carolina intends to expand on the monetary denial portion to study the effect on eligibility of alternative base periods. |
| Funding Source: | UI National Activities |
II. UI DEMONSTRATION PROJECTS
| Study Title: | Maryland Work Search Demonstration |
| Purpose: | This demonstration project is an
extension of other DOL research projects under which the effects of UI and ES services rendered in order to facilitate claimants' return to work have been examined. Under this demonstration, a determination will be made as to whether or not the stringency of work search requirements accelerates claimant reemployment and reduces UI benefits paid, without reducing the wage rate obtained by the claimant. The results from this demonstration will provide valuable information to DOL and all States on the desired effect of work search requirements, and will identify potential policy changes that can be made to make work search requirements more effective. |
| Beginning Date: | September 27, 1991 |
| Ending Date: | June 1997 |
| Contractor: | Maryland Department of Economic and
Employment Deployment (DEED), with Abt Associates |
| Project Monitor: | Wayne Gordon |
| Status: | A draft final report was received in June
1997. USDOL and the State of Maryland provided comments to the research contractor, and expect to publish the finished document as a UI Occasional Paper in late 1997. |
| Funding Source: | UI National Activities |
| Study Title: | Job Search Assistance Demonstration Evaluation |
| Purpose: | The purpose of this project is to
determine the effectiveness of different types of job search assistance programs. The Job Search Assistance (JSA) Demonstration represents an experimental research effort mandated by the Congress (P.L. 102-164) to build on the results of the New Jersey UI Demonstration Project. The New Jersey Demonstration showed that one package of intensive job search assistance services can speed dislocated UI claimants' return to productive employment. The JSA Demonstration expands on this knowledge base by testing alternative service approaches to see which ones have the greatest impacts and are most cost-effective. The demonstration project is being conducted in Florida and the District of Columbia. |
| Beginning Date: | October 1, 1993 |
| Ending Date: | December 31, 1999 |
| Contractor: | Mathematica Policy Research, Inc. |
| Project Monitor: | Wayne Gordon |
| Status: | The first interim report focusing on an
Implementation and Process analysis was received in January 1997 and is currently being transmitted to the Congress. The second interim report which will look at one year impacts is expected in January 1998. |
| Funding Source: | UI National Activities |
III. DOL PROJECTS RELATED TO UI
| Study Title: | Emergency Unemployment Compensation Act Study |
| Purpose: | The purpose of this study is to evaluate the impact of the Emergency Unemployment Compensation Act of 1991 (EUC). The specific areas of concern in this project are: the labor market experience of unemployment insurance claimants, the affect of EUC on the economy, UI State trust funds, and the overall effectiveness of extended recessionary benefits. The authors will also explore policy options for extending benefits during periods of future high unemployment. |
| Beginning Date: | September 30, 1994 |
| Ending Date: | January 31, 1998 |
| Contractor: | Mathematica Policy Research, Inc. |
| UI Monitor: | Robert Pavosevich |
| Status: | This project has been extended an additional three months to January 31, 1998. This will give the contractor the necessary time to receive all of the final comments and complete the final report. |
| Funding Source: | Pilots and Demonstrations |
| Study Title: | Unemployment Insurance Customer Satisfaction Survey |
| Purpose: | The purpose of this survey is to determine the degree to which the Unemployment Insurance system provides satisfactory services to its customers. This survey will provide a national overview of customer satisfaction with UI services; be used in conjunction with the UI program performance system; and provide an analytical baseline for which States may compare their own results. |
| Beginning Date: | September 30, 1996 |
| Ending Date: | March 31, 1998 |
| Contractor: | Bardsley and Neidhart, Inc. |
| UI Monitor: | Esther R. Johnson |
| Status: | The survey and background material are now under Office of Management and Budget review. The review and approval process should be completed by December 19, 1997. The actual survey should be taking place in January, 1998. |
| Funding Source: | Pilots and Demonstrations |
| Study Title: | Evaluation of Worker Profiling and Reemployment Services Systems |
| Purpose: | The purpose of this project is to provide research assistance to DOL in conducting a comprehensive evaluation of the operations and effectiveness of State Worker Profiling and Reemployment Services Systems. The plan is to conduct an evaluation of the Worker Profiling and Reemployment Services (WPRS) Initiative which provides: 1. Information on the operation and effectiveness of State Worker Profiling and Reemployment Services Systems that have been developed in accordance with Public Law (PL)103-152; and 2. An assessment of State operations that pertain to the further development and effectiveness of more-established State WPRS systems. |
| Beginning Date: | July 1, 1994 |
| Ending Date: | June 30, 1998 |
| Contractor: | Social Policy Research Associates |
| Project Monitor: | Jon C. Messenger |
| Status: | Phase II of the WPRS Evaluation is now complete. The final version of the Report to Congress was published in November 1997. This report provides an implementation and process analysis from a national survey of State UI, ES, and EDWAA administrators, plus an impact analysis from the Prototype States. Final phase of the WPRS Evaluation will include an implementation and process analysis from a second wave of surveys of State administrators, plus an impact analysis based on data from a nationally representative sample of States. |
| Funding Source: | EDWAA Demonstration Funds |
| Study Title: | Analysis
of Unemployment Insurance (UI)Claims -- Revised Base Period (RBP) in the UI Program |
| Purpose: | This analysis will add to the information developed in the study entitled "The Alternative Base Period in Unemployment Insurance: Final Report." Information about long-term impacts of an Alternative Base Period (ABP) on the State trust funds, employer taxes, claims levels, and the reasons for switching to an ABP will be provided through the efforts of this study. Under the study, operational issues will also be examined, including the implementation and ongoing costs associated with an ABP and suggest cost-effective approaches to implementing and maintaining an ABP. A better understanding of administrative costs for an ABP will be developed. |
| Beginning Date: | July 1995 |
| Ending Date: | October 1997 |
| Contractor: | Planmatics Inc. |
| Project Monitor: | Wayne Gordon |
| Status: | The contractor has submitted a draft final report covering estimates of State administrative impacts, employer impacts, trust fund impacts on five states and a "Best Practices for implementing an ABP" guidebook. |
| Funding Source: | Pilots and Demonstrations |
| Study Title: | Interstate Competition in Unemployment Insurance |
| Purpose: | The purpose of this project is to research the amount of interstate competition in social benefit programs. Research activities will include a review of previous literature, a discussion of alternative formulations of the interstate competition hypothesis, analysis of state-level data on average employer tax rates in Unemployment Insurance and a limited analysis of other programs |
| Beginning Date: | March 26,1997 |
| Ending Date: | November 30, 1997 |
| Contractor: | The Urban Institute |
| UI Monitor: | Robert Pavosevich |
| Status: | The contractor has submitted a final draft for review and comments. |
| Funding Source: | Research and Evaluations, OPR |
| Study Title: | Unemployment Benefit Duration: The Case of Emergency Unemployment Compensation |
| Purpose: | The purpose of this paper is to review empirical findings of the effect of increased benefits on unemployment duration and to provide a new empirical model using microdata on claimants from the States of Washington and Pennsylvania. |
| Beginning Date: | March 28, 1995 |
| Ending Date: | June 30, 1997 |
| Contractor: | W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research |
| UI Monitor: | Robert Pavosevich |
| Status: | The final draft of this paper has been submitted and accepted and is available for distribution. |
| Funding Source: | National Activities |