2024 Social Security and federal civilian pension adjustments

CLASSIFICATION
   EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING ADMINISTRATION                 Unemployment Insurance
               ADVISORY SYSTEM                            CORRESPONDENCE SYMBOL
          U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR                        OUI/DUIO
             Washington, D.C. 20210                      DATE
                                                         December 13, 2023

ADVISORY:       UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE PROGRAM LETTER NO. 03-24

TO:             STATE WORKFORCE AGENCIES

FROM:           LENITA JACOBS-SIMMONS
                Deputy Assistant Secretary

SUBJECT:        Social Security Annuities and Federal Civilian Pensions

1. Purpose. To ensure that states are aware that the social security survivors and old age
   retirement annuities and the Federal civilian pensions annual cost-of-living adjustment
   (COLA) increased for calendar year (CY) 2024, and to provide the U.S. Office of Personnel
   Management’s (OPM) COLA information.

2. Action Requested. State Administrators should provide the information contained in this
   Unemployment Insurance Program Letter (UIPL) to appropriate staff.

3. Summary and Background.

   a. Summary – This UIPL provides the (CY) 2024 COLA information and informs states to
      make necessary programming adjustments to accommodate the COLA increase.

   b. Background – Each year, OPM posts the COLA information for social security survivors
      and old age retirement annuities and Federal civilian pensions on its website. The 2024
      COLA information is located at: https://www.opm.gov/retirement-center/my-annuity-
      and-benefits/annuity-payments/#url=Cost-of-Living. The Employment and Training
      Administration (ETA) is providing these tables in Attachment I.

4. Instructions. States that have laws requiring a reduction of the unemployment insurance
   (UI) weekly benefit amount by the prorated weekly amount of retired pay and pensions
   should program the increase in the COLA amount for CY 2024 into their UI systems.

5. Inquiries. Please direct inquiries to the appropriate ETA Regional Office.

6. References.
      • 5 U.S.C. 8502(b); and
      • Employment and Training Handbook No. 391, Unemployment Compensation for
         Federal Employees Handbook for State Agencies, Chapter VII (3)(g).
         https://www.dol.gov/agencies/eta/advisories/handbooks/et-handbook-no-391

   RESCISSIONS                                            EXPIRATION DATE
   None                                                   Continuing

7. Attachment. Attachment I: Prorated CSRS and FERS COLA Effective 12/01/2023.





                                                               Attachment I to UIPL No. 03-24

  Prorated Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) and Federal Employees Retirement
                       System (FERS) COLA Effective 12/01/2023.


Social Security Annuities and Federal Civilian Pensions

Under the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) and the Organization Retirement and
Disability System (ORDS), the COLA will be 3.2 percent for those who have received benefits
for at least one year. Under the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) and FERS
Special, the COLA will be 2.2 percent for those who have received benefits for at least one year.

The table below shows the prorated percentage increase according to the month the retiree’s
annuity began.


            Monthly Annuity Began              Amount of Percentage Increase
              Retirement System                  CSRS                    FERS
          December 2022 or earlier               3.2%                    2.2%
          January 2023                           2.9%                    2.0%
          February 2023                          2.7%                    1.8%
          March 2023                             2.4%                    1.7%
          April 2023                             2.1%                    1.5%
          May 2023                               1.9%                    1.3%
          June 2023                              1.6%                    1.1%
          July 2023                              1.3%                    0.9%
          August 2023                            1.1%                    0.7%
          September 2023                         0.8%                    0.6%
          October 2023                           0.5%                    0.4%
          November 2023                          0.3%                    0.2%