Workforce Bulletin - January 31, 2014
This edition of Workforce Bulletin contains articles including:
NASWA President Urges Senate to Minimize Changes to EUC Program If It Passes A Reauthorization
In a letter to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), NASWA President Mark Henry (MS) urged the Senate not to make significant changes to the Emergency Unemployment Compensation program (EUC08) if it passes a reauthorization because states would have trouble implementing changes.
President Obama’s State of the Union Address Calls for Reforms in Workforce and UI Programs
On Tuesday, January 28, President Barack Obama delivered his fifth State of the Union address before Congress outlining his Administration’s agenda for 2014. During his speech, the President announced several proposals and actions his administration would be taking to reform existing workforce and unemployment insurance programs focusing on preparing workers for occupations in growing industries and sectors.
White House Hosts Summit on Long-Term Unemployment
As part of the Obama Administration’s strategy to address the problem of long-term unemployment in the U.S., the White House hosted a summit on Friday, January 31st, of business leaders of U.S. companies such as Apple, Wal-Mart, Visa and Boeing to sign onto the Administration’s pledge to help individuals who are long-term unemployed return to work.
FY 2014 Appropriations Recap: $80 Million Provided For Reemployment and Eligibility Assessments
During the week of January 13 both the House and Senate completed work on the fiscal 2014 omnibus appropriations measure funding federal government operations until September, with the House of Representatives passing the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2014 (P.L. 113-76).
Alaska Begins Downloading from National Labor Exchange – First State to Implement HR-XML Upload File Format
The Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development recently became the latest state workforce agency to begin downloading the daily National Labor Exchange (NLX) file from DirectEmployers Association, bringing the total participation from NASWA members to almost 100 percent. Currently, NLX staff members are working with the states of Idaho, Maine, Pennsylvania and West Virginia to ensure all state workforce agencies are taking the daily NLX file of job vacancy listings.
American Institute for Full Employment Announces Full Employment Award Winners
Each year, the American Institute for Full Employment (AIFE) confers its Full Employment Award to states that demonstrate exceptional commitment and innovation in helping unemployment insurance (UI) claimants return to work and avoid long-term unemployment. This year’s recipients of the Full Employment Award are the Louisiana Workforce Commission (LWC) for its Reemployment Model Initiative and the Mississippi Department of Employment Securities (MDES) for its Online Employment Services System.
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