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Unemployment Insurance Data Validation
(UI DV) Information Center

What is Data Validation?

The purpose of the Data Validation (DV) program is to verify the accuracy of the Unemployment Insurance Required Reports (UIRR) system data.

States report UI data to the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) on a monthly and quarterly basis under the UIRR system. The UIRR data are used for gathering economic statistics, allocating UI administrative funding, measuring state performance, and accounting for fund utilization. Therefore, it is important that states report UIRR data accurately and uniformly. States use the DV software provided by DOL to conduct the validation and submit results.

States are required to validate reported data every third year, except for data elements used to calculate Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) measures, which must be validated annually. Items that do not pass validation must be revalidated the following year. The "validation year" coincides with the State Quality Service Plan (SQSP) performance year. It covers data of any reporting period during the twelve months beginning April 1 and ending March 31. Results must be submitted to the National Office by June 10, which allows sufficient time for data validation results to be included in the SQSP process. States that fail DV or do not submit their DV results by the established deadline must address these deficiencies through the SQSP.

What's New

Data Validation Deadline for VY 2025 – June 10th

For VY 2025, the deadline for states to submit benefit and tax populations is June 10th. States must submit all populations that are due for VY 2025 by June 10, 2025. Certification of Module 3 for the Benefit and Tax program is April 1, 2025, through June 10, 2025. Populations that are not submitted or receive a failing score will receive a corrective action plan (CAP). States may validate any report month or quarter for any population within the validation year of April 1, 2024, through March 31, 2025. For assistance, please contact the region, UI Hotline and/or India Oliver.

Transition to UI Reporting System (UIRS) – July 2024

Permanent Transition of Data Validation (DV) and Tax Performance System (TPS) Applications from the Unemployment Insurance Database Management System (UIDBMS) to the Unemployment Insurance Reporting System (UIRS) announced that effective July 15, 2024, all states must transmit DV data to the UIRS. The Department will no longer support the DV application in UIDBMS after August 15, 2024.User guides, training videos/transcripts, resources for DV, and other information is available with an account on the Workforce GPS Community of Practice:WorkforceGPS - Unemployment Insurance Reporting System (UIRS).

UI Program Letter (UIPL) No. 15-24

Data Validation Results for VY 2024

Results for DV VY 2024 are now available. If states believe there are any errors in any of the DV scorecards, they should contact their Regional Office Data Validation Coordinator or the National Office for assistance at dvrpts@uis.doleta.gov.

DV Training Opportunities – New Dates Alert!!

ETA/OUI, in collaboration with NASWA developed a training for state DV staff. This training is being conducted virtually in an instructor-led format. Participants will receive instruction in the fundamentals of data validation for Benefits and Tax, including how to diagnose errors and build proper extract files. State agencies are strongly encouraged to have both new and experienced DV staff participate in this training to fully prepare or refresh staff on conducting the program. For additional information and to enroll in this course, visit the NASWA Learning Management System (LMS) at naswa.org/learning.Enrollment for sessions in July and August will be available in 2025.

The DV virtual instructor-led training classes will be held from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm EST on the following dates:

December 2nd to December 5th 2024;

February 10th to February 13th 2025;

July 28th to July 31st 2025; and

August 18th to August 21st 2025.

Introduction to Data Validation eLearning course is available!!

ETA/OUI, in collaboration with NASWA has developed an eLearning training course for state DV staff. This course will introduce an overview of the data validation program. State agencies are encouraged to participate in the training course. To enroll in this course, visit the NASWA Learning Management System (LMS) or the Data Validation Curriculum (naswa.org).

Request for Technical Support through the Hotline

In efforts to increase efficiency with providing DV technical support, we recommend Validators/users to provide the following information to the Hotline when requesting trouble shooting tasks via emailhotline@uis.doleta.gov:

  1. State
  2. File name and location
  3. Population name including type (Benefits or Tax) and number or Module
  4. The validation period for which they are loading (quarter or month)
  5. Consent to use file as-is for Benefit populations
  6. Screenshot(s) of DV screens, if available (i.e., error message(s), report validation, duplicate detection, etc.)

UI Data Validation Knowledge Management System (DVKMS)

The UI Data Validation Knowledge Management System (DVKMS) consolidates information from multiple sources into a single repository where users can quickly find information about any aspect of data validation and reporting for UI transactions and statuses that are validated.

Training for State DV staff on how to use the new resource tool includes a PowerPoint presentation and a recording of the webinar hosted by US DOL on February 3rd.

TOP Validation in Benefits Population 13

Pending Treasury clearance of a permanent method for validating amounts recovered through the Treasury Offset Program (TOP), when building a DV Population 13 extract file, states should not include records for amounts recovered through TOP because such records are considered to contain Federal Tax Information. Also, if those recoveries entail the creation of records for Additions, states should not build such records either. States should go through all the usual steps to conduct the Population 13 validation and submit the results. DOL staff will manually pass the Population if (a) it only fails because Group 13.01, 227 Recovered($) and/or Group 13.04, 227 Additions($) fails, and (b) that failure is due to the discrepancies between reported and validation counts in the six "Federal Offset" cells on line 314 of the 227 and in Additions Total.

Hints and Tips

The DV software used to track results only saves the most recently transmitted submission

  • DOL saves only the most recent submission of any DV population. If the state submits a failing score in March, it should uncover the cause of the failure and correct it, repeat the validation activity in April, and submit it in May as passing. The only score saved and used for SQSP/CAP purposes is the passing submission from May.
  • Remember – each extract file import changes the cases pulled for the random samples that make up Data Element Validation when "view samples" is selected from the drop down menu for a population.

Take a screen shot of the import message screen once the extract file has finished loading

  • This screen appears only once – even though there is a "view import messages" option on the drop down menu on the home screen in the SUN system.
  • The screen shot will indicate that file is error free and all the data was imported correctly, which is helpful for Regional Monitors during reviews at the state agencies.

Common Errors include duplicates and "date out of range" messages

  • Before Extract File is imported, the state makes sure dates are in the correct format ("mm/dd/yyyy") and fall within the report date range of the period being validated.
  • For example, Benefits Population 1 validates the 5159 report: to validate September 2016, the appropriate date range and format would be the weeks claimed between 09/01/2016 and 09/30/2016