The Public Employment Service: The United States

Table of Contents
Chapter  1. Introduction
Chapter  2. The American Labour Market and Basic PES Structure
	A. Labour market overview
		1. Introduction
		2. Population and labour force
			Table 2.1.  Population and labour force levels, 1997
		3. Trends in employment/population ratios
			Table  2.2.  Labour force developments
			Table  2.3.  Labour force developments by educational attainment and gender
		4. Job tenure and precarious employment
	B. The structure of unemployment
		Chart 2.1. Unemployment and unemployment beneficiaries, 1980-1997
		Table 2.4.  Duration of unemployment, selected years
		1. Unemployment by population group
			Table 2.5.  Unemployment rates for selected demographic groups and years
		2. Lay-offs and worker dislocation
	C. Earnings and income
		1. Recent earnings experience
			Table  2.6.  Average annual pay, constant 1996 US dollars
			Chart 2.2. Nominal (current US$) and real (1996 US$) minimum wage
			Table 2.7.  Minimum wage relative to earnings and pay, comparison with selected OECD countries,...
		2. Earnings inequality and mobility
			Table 2.8.  Trends in earnings dispersion, 1979-1995
			Chart 2.3. Incidence of low hourly earnings, by gender
			Chart 2.4. Incidence of low hourly pay, by level of educational attainment
		3. Incomes and poverty
			Table  2.9.  Median annual money income by demographic group
			Table  2.10.  Percentage of the population in poverty
	D. Employment protection
	E. The origins of the public employment service in the US
		1. Labour exchange and labour market programmes
		2. Unemployment insurance
		3. Public assistance
	F. Key labour market policy institutions and actors
	G. US Department of Labor and the state employment security agencies
		1. US Department of Labor
			Chart 2.5. Main actors in employment service and unemployment insurance policy implementation: flow of requirements
		2. State employment security agencies
		3. Local-level service provision
			Chart 2.6. Distribution of PES local office types in the United States
	H. Staffing
		Table 2.11.  Estimated labour market programme staff by funding source, Programme Year (PY) 1997
		Table 2.12.  Public employment service and related agencies: office structure and staff, 1997
		Table 2.13.  Indicators of PES staff workload
	I. Funding the PES system
	J. Key programmes and benefit schemes
		Table 2.14.  Selected federal assistance and support measures for individuals and families...
	Annex  2A. Selected FUTA and Social Security Act Requirements for Participating States
		Requirements for employer tax credits
		Requirements for administrative grants
Chapter  3. Unemployment Insurance in the United States: Regular and Extended Benefits
	A. Unemployment insurance
		Chart 3.1. Major financial flows in the United States - Unemployment Insurance System
	B. Basic aspects of funding unemployment insurance
		Table 3.1. Financial condition of unemployment trust fund reserve accounts
	C. UI tax rates and experience rating
		Table 3.2. Unemployment payroll tax bases and rates, 1996
	D. Coverage and eligibility under UI
		1. Extent of UI coverage
		2. Eligibility criteria for unemployment insurance
		3. Monetary criteria
			Table 3.3. Unemployment benefits: minimum qualifying earnings and work experience, 1996
		4. Non-monetary criteria
	E. Disqualifications, denials and adjudication issues
		1. Disqualifications and denials
			Table 3.4. Disqualifications of monetarily-eligible initial UI claims, 1995
			Table 3.5. Disqualifications of UI claims for non-separation issues, 1994
		2. The adjudication process
	F. UI benefit duration and levels
		1. UI benefit duration
		2. UI benefit levels
			Table 3.6.  State minimum and maximum weekly benefit amounts (WBA) and duration limits...
	G. Trends in receipt of UI benefits
	H. Fraud control and performance monitoring
	I. Recent innovations in the UIS system
		Box 3.1. UI call centres in Wisconsin
Chapter  4. Job-broking and the Development of One-stop Centres
	A. Quantitative indicators of job-broking activities
		Table 4.1. PES activity: international comparisons of basic flows
		Chart 4.1. Registered job-seeker inflows, 1986-1996
		Chart 4.2. Notified vacancies, entered employment and placements, 1987-1997
		Table 4.2. Basic flows, stocks and market share indicators, PY1995-PY1996 (July 1995-June 1997)
		Table 4.3. Methods of job search by the unemployed
	B. Job-broking and employment policy
	C. Federally-led initiatives to improve the employment service
		1. ES revitalisation
		2. ES information resources
		3. The development of onestop centres
	D. Implementation of one-stop concepts: the cases of Connecticut and Wisconsin
		1. Connecticut Works
		2. Partnership for Full Employment
	E. Staffing issues
		Table 4.4.  Hartford, Connecticut, one-stop career centre staff according to principal...
		Table 4.5.  Racine County, Wisconsin, workforce development centre staff according...
	F. Job-seeker registration, counselling and access to services
		Box 4.1 The Hartford one-stop centre: job-seeker inflows
	G. Vacancy registration
	H. Job matching
	I. Employer outreach
		1. Introduction
		2. Employer services: The case of the Racine County Workforce Development Center
	J. Vocational guidance and special services
		1. Vocational guidance
		2. Services for veterans and disabled persons
	K. Performance measures for one-stop centres
		Table 4.6.  Workforce development system (WDS) performance measures initiative: menu...
		Table 4.7. Connecticut one-stop performance report indicators
	L. Private placement agencies
Chapter  5. Profiling Unemployed Job-seekers:  Identifying those At-risk of Long-term Unemployment...
	A. Introduction
	B. Profiling procedures in the United States
	C. Profiling in Connecticut and Wisconsin
		Chart 5.1. The profiling process in Connecticut and Wisconsin
	D. How does profiling work in practice?
		1. Services provided
			Table 5.1. Profiling services in Connecticut, Wisconsin and the United States, 1997
		2. Sanctions arising from non-participation in the profiling process
	E. How do profiled job-seekers fare in the labour market?
		Table 5.2. Profiling outcomes in Connecticut and Wisconsin
	F. Improving the performance of profiling: key issues that must be addressed
		1. Resources
		2. Early intervention and the services offered
		3. Model and data issues with respect to profiling
		4. Accounting for former welfare clients
Chapter 6. Employment and Training Programmes
	A. Introduction
	B. Overview of spending and participation in active labour market programmes (ALMPs)
		Table 6.1.  Public expenditures and participant inflows in labour market programmes
		Table 6.2.  Public expenditures and participant inflows in US labour market programmes, 1996-97
	C. The administrative context of ALMPs
	D. The Job Training Partnership Act
		Box 6.1. Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA)
		Table 6.3.  Federal JTPA guidelines for Title II and III programmes
		1. How is JTPA administered and funded?
		2. Co-ordination and delivery structure
		3. JTPA funding
			Table 6.4.  JTPA funding, 1985 to 1997
		4. How do individuals enter JTPA in Connecticut and Wisconsin?
		5. The interaction between benefits and programmes
		6. The training market and the role of contracting out
		7. Performance standards
			Table 6.5.  Federal JTPA performance standards for the 1995 programme year
			Box 6.2. Federal and state government and SDA roles in setting performance standards
	E. Participation and outcomes from JTPA in programme year 1995
		1. Outcomes for adult participants in JTPA
			Table 6.6.  JTPA outcomes, programme year 1995
		2. Outcomes for youth participants in JTPA
	F. How well does JTPA work: evidence from evaluations
		1. Evaluations of the impact on employment and earnings
		2. Evaluations of the impact of performance standards
	G. Other training programmes for adults
		1. Programmes for employed workers
		2. Trade adjustment assistance
	H. Other youth programmes
		1. Apprenticeships
			Table 6.7.  Apprentices in Connecticut and Wisconsin, 1994 to 1998
		2. School-to-work initiatives
		3. Job Corps
	I. Wage subsidy programmes
		Table 6.8.  Work Opportunity Tax Credit certifications by selected worker groups, 1997
Chapter  7. Welfare Reform in Connecticut and Wisconsin
	A. Introduction
	B. Welfare reform initiatives
		Box 7.1. Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)
		Table 7.1.  Main differences between AFDC and PRWORA
		1. Why reform welfare?
			Chart 7.1. AFDC, Food Stamp and Medicaid expenditures as a percentage of GDP, and AFDC recipients as a percentage...
		2. History of welfare reform
	C. Welfare programmes in Connecticut and Wisconsin
		1. Access to welfare programmes
		2. Welfare in Wisconsin: Wisconsin Works (W2)
			Table 7.2.  Main elements of the Wisconsin Works programme
			Table 7.3.  Comparison of Jobs First and W-2
		3. Welfare in Connecticut: Jobs First
		4. Main differences between Connecticut and Wisconsin state plans
		5. The status of the Jobs First and W2 caseloads
			Table 7.4.  W-2 programme participants and support services, Wisconsin, January 1998
			Table 7.5.  Jobs First caseload, August 1997, Connecticut
			Table 7.6.  Payments under selected W-2 options relative to AFDC
			Table 7.7.  State grants for TANF, child-care and welfare-to-work
		6. Additional assistance: Welfare-to-Work grants (WtW)
			Table 7.8.  Participant eligibility requirements for Welfare-to-Work grants
	D. Issues and challenges under welfare reform
		1. Leaving welfare: permanent jobs or a return to welfare?
		2. What will happen in a downturn?
		3. Work first and learn later?
		4. Can the new programmes be effectively evaluated?
		5. Cost shifting
		6. Access to support services
			Table 7.9.  Child-care arrangements in Connecticut and Wisconsin
	Annex 7A. Performance Bonuses under TANF
	Annex 7B. Wisconsin Welfare Reform Chronology
Chapter  8. Conclusions
	A. Introduction
	B. Unemployment Insurance
	C. The labour exchange function and one-stop centres
	D. Profiling
	E. Employment and training programmes
	F. Welfare reform
Notes
Glossary
Bibliography
List of boxes
	Box 3.1. UI call centres in Wisconsin
	Box 4.1 The Hartford one-stop centre: job-seeker inflows
	Box 6.1. Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA)
	Box 6.2. Federal and state government and SDA roles in setting performance standards
	Box 7.1. Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)
List of tables
	Table 2.1. Population and labour force levels, 1997
	Table 2.2. Labour force developments
	Table 2.3. Labour force developments by educational attainment and gender
	Table 2.4. Duration of unemployment, selected years
	Table 2.5. Unemployment rates for selected demographic groups and years
	Table 2.6. Average annual pay, constant 1996 US dollars
	Table 2.7. Minimum wage relative to earnings and pay, comparison with selected OECD countries, mid-1997
	Table 2.8. Trends in earnings dispersion, 1979-1995
	Table 2.9. Median annual money income by demographic group
	Table 2.10. Percentage of the population in poverty
	Table 2.11. Estimated labour market programme staff by funding source, Programme Year (PY) 1997
	Table 2.12. Public employment service and related agencies: office structure and staff, 1997
	Table 2.13. Indicators of PES staff workload
	Table 2.14. Selected federal assistance and support measures for individuals and families, United States, 1996
	Table 3.1. Financial condition of unemployment trust fund reserve accounts
	Table 3.2. Unemployment payroll tax bases and rates, 1996
	Table 3.3. Unemployment benefits: minimum qualifying earnings and work experience, 1996
	Table 3.4. Disqualifications of monetarily-eligible initial UI claims, 1995
	Table 3.5. Disqualifications of UI claims for non-separation issues, 1994
	Table 3.6. State minimum and maximum weekly benefit amounts (WBA) and duration limits, total unemployment...
	Table 4.1. PES activity: international comparisons of basic flows
	Table 4.2. Basic flows, stocks and market share indicators, PY1995- PY1996 (July 1995-June 1997)
	Table 4.3. Methods of job search by the unemployed
	Table 4.4. Hartford, Connecticut, one-stop career centre staff according to principal funding source and employer
	Table 4.5. Racine County, Wisconsin, workforce development centre staff according to principal funding source and employer
	Table 4.6. Workforce development system (WDS) performance measures initiative : menu of core measures for voluntary use...
	Table 4.7. Connecticut one-stop performance report indicators
	Table 5.1. Profiling services in Connecticut, Wisconsin and the United States, 1997
	Table 5.2. Profiling outcomes in Connecticut and Wisconsin
	Table 6. 1. Public expenditures and participant inflows in labour market programmes
	Table 6.2. Public expenditures and participant inflows in US labour market programmes, 1996-97
	Table 6.3. Federal JTPA guidelines for Title II and III programmes
	Table 6.4. JTPA funding, 1985 to 1997
	Table 6.5. Federal JTPA performance standards for the 1995 programme year
	Table 6.6. JTPA outcomes, programme year 1995
	Table 6.7. Apprentices in Connecticut and Wisconsin, 1994 to 1998
	Table 6.8. Work Opportunity Tax Credit certifications by selected worker groups, 1997
	Table 7.1. Main differences between AFDC and PRWORA
	Table 7.2. Main elements of the Wisconsin Works programme
	Table 7.3. Comparison of Jobs First and W-2
	Table 7.4. W-2 programme participants and support services, Wisconsin, January 1998
	Table 7.5. Jobs First caseload, August 1997, Connecticut
	Table 7.6. Payments under selected W-2 options relative to AFDC
	Table 7.7. State grants for TANF, child-care and welfare-to-work
	Table 7.8. Participant eligibility requirements for Welfare-to-Work grants
	Table 7.9. Child-care arrangements in Connecticut and Wisconsin
List of charts
	Chart 2.1. Unemployment and unemployment beneficiaries, 1980-1997
	Chart 2.2. Nominal (current US$) and real (1996 US$) minimum wage
	Chart 2.3. Incidence of low hourly earnings, by gender
	Chart 2.4. Incidence of low hourly pay, by level of educational attainment
	Chart 2.5. Main actors in service and unemployment insurance policy implementation: flow of requirements
	Chart 2.6. Distribution of PES local office types in the United States
	Chart 3.1. Major financial flows in the United States - Unemployment Insurance System
	Chart 4.1. Registered job-seeker inflows, 1986-1996
	Chart 4.2. Notified vacancies, entered employment and placements, 1987-1997
	Chart 5.1. The profiling process in Connecticut and Wisconsin
	Chart 7.1. AFDC, Food Stamp and Medicaid expenditures as a percentage of GDP, and AFDC recipients as a percentage...