Workforce Bulletin - March 7, 2014
This edition of Workforce Bulletin contains articles including:
Senate to Resume Consideration of EUC Extension Next Week
Earlier this week, the Senate Majority and Senate Minority announced competing plans to pass an extension of the expired Emergency Unemployment Compensation (EUC) program.
Administration Releases FY 2015 Budget Proposal, Calls for $157 million in Reemployment Services and Reemployment Eligibility Assessments
On Tuesday, March 4, the Obama Administration released its FY 2015 Budget Request to Congress, providing an outline of the Administration’s goals and funding priorities for the upcoming fiscal year.
NASWA Sends Letter to States Requesting Information on USDOL Civil Rights Center Compliance Reviews
On Friday, March 7, NASWA President Mark Henry (MS) sent a letter, to state administrators asking states to support the efforts of NASWA’s Equal Opportunity (EO) Committee Chair Roy Valdez (ID) in working to address and communicate state workforce agencies’ concerns about the U.S. Department of Labor Civil Rights Center (CRC) compliance reviews of workforce and unemployment insurance programs and grants.
Unemployment Rate was Little Changed at 6.7 Percent in February, Nonfarm Jobs Increase by 175,000
The Bureau of Labor Statistics on Friday, March 7, reported nation’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was little changed in February at 6.7 percent. Showing little movement since December 2013, the jobless rate compares with rates experienced in the fall of 2008.
NASWA Sends Letter to BLS Commissioner Requesting Three-Month Averages of State and Area Employment and Unemployment Statistics be Published
On Wednesday, March 5, NASWA President Mark Henry (MS) sent a letter to Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Commissioner Erica Groshen requesting BLS calculate and publish monthly state, regional and area employment and unemployment statistics as three-month moving averages in addition to the usual monthly data the Bureau already publishes.
Unemployment Insurance Initial Claims Decrease, Continued Claims Decrease
Seasonally adjusted initial claims decreased by 26,000 to 323,000 from last week’s revised figure of 349,000. The 4-week moving average was 336,500, an increase of 2,000 from the previous week's revised average of 338,500. The unadjusted initial claims level totaled 317,183 down 2,000 from the previous week, and down 33,317 from the level of 350,500 for a comparable week in 2013.
GAO Report Finds Need for Reporting Improvements in WIA Programs
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) released a report on Wednesday, March 5, titled “Workforce Investment Act: Strategies Needed to Improve Certain Training Outcome Data,” which stressed the need for improving collection of training-related employment data from the workforce system.
NASWA Deputy Executive Director Reappointed Secretary of Labor’s Veteran Advisory Committee
NASWA’s Deputy Executive Director Bob Simoneau was reappointed to the Secretary of Labor’s Advisory Committee on Veterans’ Employment, Training, and Employer Outreach (ACVETEO), representing state workforce agencies work with veterans through January 31, 2016.
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