As part of the Department of Workforce Services’ comprehensive efforts to reduce the number of Utah families in intergenerational poverty (IGP), the Eligibility Services Division (ESD) has become a frontrunner in effectively engaging with and supporting these individuals and their families.

For a majority of Utah’s IGP population, contact with ESD is the only direct interaction they have with Workforce Services. ESD leadership recognized the unique opportunity their division has to become actively involved in serving these households. A work group was formed to identify what could be done to increase the division’s effectiveness in serving IGP customers. A significant outcome of this work group was the establishment of Community Resource Liaisons within ESD’s various teams. More...

NASWA awards five states for outstanding performance in handling unemployment insurance claims through electronic systems

Washington, D.C. — NASWA's State Information Data Exchange System (SIDES) division held their annual training conference in Kansas City, Missouri, this week and recognized five states for their Outstanding Performance in implementing SIDES Web Services, which provides a direct link between employers and state workforce agencies for Unemployment Insurance (UI) benefit claims processing.

The Outstanding Performance Awards go to five state agencies this year: Nebraska Department of Labor, Utah Department of Workforce Services, Arizona Department of Economic Security, Colorado Department of Labor and Employment, and Florida Department of Economic Opportunity. These awards are presented to states who have excelled in implementing their UI claims electronic response through SIDES. More...

The U.S. Department of Labor recently released their April-June 2016 quarterly report on the status of the Unemployment Insurance (UI) program.

Congress designed the program as a federal-state partnership. The federal government provides over-arching support to help ensure conformity and compliance within the framework of federal law. Because of Utah employer’s compliance with federal law, they experience a 90 percent credit towards their federal unemployment tax — the difference between paying $420 per employee to $42 per employee each year.

States are provided with the latitude to adopt their own laws towards accomplishing the goals of the program, tailored towards their unique economic and geographic landscapes. This ensures that the voice of local employers — who fundamentally support the UI program structure — is heard. This also provides states with the agility to address changes in the dynamics of local labor markets. More...