Unemployment Insurance

 

To implement and oversee unemployment insurance programs for eligible workers through federal and state cooperation; including unemployment compensation for federal employees or ex-service members, Disaster Unemployment Assistance, and to assist in the oversight of Trade Adjustment Assistance and Alternative Trade Adjustment Assistance, Reemployment Trade Adjustment Assistance programs, and temporary UI programs enacted in times of economic shocks or downturns.

General information about this opportunity
Last Known Status
Active
Program Number
17.225
Federal Agency/Office
Employment and Training Administration, Department of Labor
Type(s) of Assistance Offered
A - Formula Grants; D - Direct Payments With Unrestricted Use
Program Accomplishments
Fiscal Year 2019 States collected $34.6 billion in state unemployment taxes and paid $27.4 billion in federal and state UI benefits to 5.1 million beneficiaries.
Fiscal Year 2020 States collected $36.9 billion in state unemployment taxes and paid $195.1 billion in federal and state UI benefits to 43.1 million beneficiaries. This is a substantial increase from 2019, where states collected $34.6 billion in state unemployment taxes and paid $27.4 billion in federal and state UI benefits to 5.1 million beneficiaries.
Fiscal Year 2021 Fiscal Year 2021: States reported $50.4 billion in state unemployment tax contributions and paid $217.8 billion in federal and state UI benefits to 14.1 million beneficiaries. Reported contributions are up partly due to higher benefits in FY 2020 and partly due to states' use of supplemental funding sources. Benefits are up in FY 2021 as the CARES Act programs remained available for nearly the entire fiscal year, while the number of new beneficiaries in FY 2021 declined from FY 2020 as many claimants carried over from the prior year.
Fiscal Year 2022 States deposited $59.3 billion in state unemployment taxes and paid $26.2 billion in federal and state UI benefits to 4.3 million beneficiaries. This is compared to 2021, where states deposited $50.36 billion in state unemployment taxes and paid $217.8 billion in federal and state UI benefits to 8.9 million beneficiaries.
Authorization
Unemployment Compensation for Ex-Servicemembers, 5 U.S.C. 8521 et seq.
Federal Unemployment Tax Act, 26 U.S.C. 3301 et seq.
The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) (Pub. L. 113-128) was passed on July 22, 2014. It supersedes titles I and II of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998, and amends the Wagner-Peyser Act and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. The law went into effect on July 1, 2015. Also, unless otherwise stipulated, recipients are subject to Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards; Final Rule on December 26, 2013 and found at 2 CFR Part 200 along with the OMB approved exceptions for DOL at 2 CFR Part 2900 published on December 19, 2014 in the Federal Register., Public Law 113-128
Social Security Act (Titles III, IX, XI, XII) 42 USC 501-504; 1101-1110; 1320b-7; 1321-1324, 42 U.S.C. 501-504
Federal-State Extended Unemployment Compensation Act, Title II, Section 201 et seq., Public Law 91-373, 26 U.S.C. 3304(a)(11)note
Unemployment Compensation for Federal Civilian Employees, 5 U.S.C. 8501 et seq.
Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, 42 U.S.C. 5177
Public Law -Families First Coronavirus Response Act (Pub. L. 116-127), Emergency Unemployment Insurance Stabilization Access Act of 2020 (EUISAA), authorizes administrative grants to states in Section 4102; Full Federal funding for Extended Benefits (EB) in Section 4105.
Public Law -Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act of 2020 (Pub. L. 116-136) authorizes Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) in Section 2102; Emergency Relief for Governmental Entities and Non-Profit Organizations in Section 2103; Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC) in Section 2104; Temporary Full Federal Funding of the First Week of Compensable Regular Unemployment for States with no waiting week in Section 2105; and Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC) in Section 2107; and Short-Time Compensation in Section 2108 through Section 2111.
Public Law -Continued Assistance for Unemployed Workers Act of 2020 (Continued Assistance Act) (Pub.L.116-260) under the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, including Division N, Title II, Subtitle A
Public Law -American Rescue Plan Act of 2021(ARPA) (Pub.L. 117-2) provides authorization to amend sections of EUISAA and the CARES Act to provide for extensions of UI related provisions, including Mixed Earners Unemployment Compensation (MEUC) in Section 261.
Who is eligible to apply/benefit from this assistance?
Applicant Eligibility
U.S. Territories and possessions, state workforce agencies, including those in the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and Virgin Islands. The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) (Pub. L. 113-128) was passed on July 22, 2014. It supersedes titles I and II of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998, and amends the Wagner-Peyser Act and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. The law went into effect on July 1, 2015. Also, unless otherwise stipulated, recipients are subject to Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards; Final Rule on December 26, 2013, and found at 2 CFR Part 200 along with the OMB approved exceptions for DOL at 2 CFR Part 2900 published on December 19, 2014, in the Federal Register.
Beneficiary Eligibility
All workers whose wages are subject to state unemployment insurance laws, federal civilian employees, ex-service members, and workers whose unemployment is caused by a presidentially declared disaster under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act or pandemic under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act of 2020, as amended, are eligible if they meet the qualification and eligibility requirements of the relevant unemployment compensation program. For regular unemployment compensation (UC), UCFE, UCX, EB, and PEUC claims this generally means that the individual is involuntarily unemployed, able to work, available for work, meets the eligibility and qualifying requirements of the state law, and are free from disqualifications. For PUA claims, the individual must self-certify that they are otherwise able to work and available for work within the meaning of applicable state law except that they are unemployed, partially unemployed, or unable or unavailable to work for COVID-19 related reason(s) identified in Section 2102 of the CARES Act and Department guidance. Some states provide Short Time Compensation or Self Employment Assistance for eligible individuals. Workers who became unemployed or underemployed because of the adverse effect of increased imports or because of shifts in production outside the U.S. may be eligible for Trade Readjustment Allowance, Alternative Trade Adjustment Assistance or Reemployment Adjustment Assistance and other types of Trade Adjustment Assistance (see program 57.001). Individual state information on eligibility requirements is available from local American Job Centers or at https://www.careeronestop.org/LocalHelp/service-locator.aspx. Temporary UI programs may target other categories of workers.
Credentials/Documentation
Awards of grants to states are conditioned on the Secretary of Labor's determination that the states' unemployment compensation laws are in conformity with the Social Security Act and the Federal Unemployment Tax Act or other Federal UI laws, and that state practices substantially comply with these laws. 2 CFR 200, Subpart E - Cost Principles applies to this program.
What is the process for applying and being award this assistance?
Pre-Application Procedure
Preapplication coordination is required. An environmental impact statement is required for this listing.
Application Procedure
2 CFR 200, Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards applies to this program. 2 CFR 200, Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards applies to this program. The Employment and Training Administration (ETA) requires states to submit a State Quality Service Plan (SQSP) to the appropriate ETA regional office in order to apply for grants. Grants are based on target performance levels, pursuant to nationally-developed workload estimates. The SQSP should be constructed in terms of selected workloads to be undertaken, and the resources and numbers of employees needed to accomplish them.
Award Procedure
The Regional Administrator for ETA issues a preliminary approval for a state within the dollar target provided by the ETA national office, based on the SQSP submitted.
Deadlines
Contact the headquarters or regional location, as appropriate for application deadlines
Approval/Disapproval Decision Time
From 30 to 60 days. At the national office level 30 to 60 days. Approximately 45 days at the regional office level.
Appeals
Contact federal agency. A hearing is required if state law is not certified to be in conformity. Funding is based on workload formula.
Renewals
Not applicable.
How are proposals selected?
Not applicable.
How may assistance be used?
The states have the direct responsibility for establishing and operating its own unemployment insurance programs, while the federal government finances the cost of administration. State unemployment insurance tax collections are used solely for the payment of benefits. Federal unemployment insurance tax collections are used to finance expenses deemed necessary for proper and efficient administration of the state unemployment insurance laws; to reimburse state funds for one-half the costs of extended benefits paid under the provisions of state laws which conform to the provisions of the Social Security Act and the Federal Unemployment Tax Act; and to make repayable advances to states when needed to pay benefit costs. Funds used for benefit payments may not be used for any program administration costs nor for training, job search, and job relocation payments. Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA) is paid out of funds provided by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA); and Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA), Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC), Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC) , and Mixed Earners Unemployment Compensation (MEUC) are paid from funds provided by the Federal government. Benefits for former Federal civilian employees, including postal workers, and former members of the Armed Forces are paid out of the Federal Employees Compensation Account (FECA) in the Unemployment Trust Fund, subject to reimbursement by the former employing agency. Trade Adjustment Assistance payments are made by states for workers adversely affected by trade imports or shifts in production.
What are the requirements after being awarded this opportunity?
Reporting
Performance Reports: Data and progress towards performance targets are reviewed by the regional and national office staff. The SQSP and CAPs are reviewed quarterly by regional office staff.
Auditing
In accordance with the provisions of 2 CFR 200, Subpart F - Audit Requirements, nonfederal entities that expend financial assistance of $750,000 or more in Federal awards will have a single or a program-specific audit conducted for that year. Non-Federal entities that expend less than $750,000 a year in Federal awards are exempt from Federal audit requirements for that year, except as noted in 2 CFR 200.503 State workforce agencies are subject to audits by the Department of Labor or other authorized government agencies.
Records
State laws and requirements are to be in conformity with Federal statutes. States are expected to report any legislative and regulatory changes to the Federal agency. National office staff provides guidance on the time frame for data submission and corrections to data reports. The state determines the time period to maintain tax records; however, the IRS recommends 4 years after the date tax is due or is paid, whichever is later. The recommendation for performance records is 3 years.
Other Assistance Considerations
Formula and Matching Requirements
Statutory formula is not applicable to this assistance listing.

Matching requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing.

MOE requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing.
Length and Time Phasing of Assistance
Annual grants for base operation of programs are based on workload projections pursuant to economic assumptions and nationally developed workload estimates. Additional quarterly funding is based on actual workloads. Financing of administrative costs is accomplished through letter of credit draw downs needed to meet immediate cash requirements. Method of awarding/releasing assistance: Letter.
Who do I contact about this opportunity?
Regional or Local Office
Employment and Training Administration regional offices listed in Appendix IV of the Catalog.
Headquarters Office
Jim Garner, Administrator
Frances Perkins Building - 200 Constitution Avenue NW, Room S4524
Washington, DC 20210 US
Garner.Jimmie@dol.gov
Phone: 202-693-3029
Fax: 202-693-2957
Website Address
http://ows.doleta.gov/unemploy/
Financial Information
Account Identification
16-1800-0-1-603
Obligations
(Direct Payments with Unrestricted Use) FY 22$38,189,000,000.00; FY 23 est $25,999,000,000.00; FY 24 est $46,287,000,000.00; FY 21$433,461,000,000.00; FY 20$487,042,000,000.00; FY 19$27,374,000,000.00; FY 18$28,120,000,000.00; FY 17$30,664,000,000.00; - (Formula Grants) FY 22$2,938,000,000.00; FY 23 est $3,278,000,000.00; FY 24 est $3,730,000,000.00; FY 21$4,028,000,000.00; FY 20$4,168,000,000.00; FY 19$2,593,000,000.00; FY 18$2,744,000,000.00; FY 17$2,707,000,000.00; -
Range and Average of Financial Assistance
FY 2020, the minimum grant award was $2.0 million and the maximum grant award was $690 million. The average grant award is $87 million. FY 2021, the estimated minimum grant award is $2.0 million and the estimated maximum award is $455 million. The estimated average award is $58 million. FY 2022, the estimated minimum grant award is $1.9 million and the maximum award is $423 million. The estimated average award is $54 million.
Regulations, Guidelines and Literature
Regulations: 20 CFR Part 601, 602, 603, 604, 606, 609, 614, 615, 616, 617, 625, 640, 650. Literature: "Unemployment Insurance For Ex-Service Members", "Unemployment Insurance For Federal Workers", "Significant Provisions of State Unemployment Insurance Laws", "Comparison of State Unemployment Insurance Laws", fact sheets, and other program information are available on the Internet at http://www.workforcesecurity.doleta.gov/unemploy/laws.asp#overview. COVID related program information can be found at: https: //oui/doleta.gov/unemploy/coronavirus.
Examples of Funded Projects
Not applicable.

 


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