Continued state access to UI wage-data index

Accessible letter PDF: https://www.dol.gov/sites/dolgov/files/ETA/advisories/UIPL/2006/UIPL04-07_508.pdf

CLASSIFICATION
      EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING                                   UI
   ADMINISTRATION ADVISORY SYSTEM                               CORRESPONDENCE SYMBOL
                                                                OWS/DUIO
      U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR                                  DATE
         Washington, D.C. 20210
                                                                December 13, 2006

ADVISORY: UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE PROGRAM LETTER NO. 4-07

TO:            STATE WORKFORCE AGENCIES

FROM:          EMILY STOVER DeROCCO /s/
               Assistant Secretary
               Employment and Training Administration

SUBJECT:       Continued Access to the Distributed Data Base Index (DDBI) for Unemployment
               Insurance (UI) Purposes

1. Purpose. To advise state workforce agencies that the transition of oversight responsibility for
   the Wage Record Interchange System (WRIS) from the National Association of State
   Workforce Agencies (NASWA) to the Employment and Training Administration (ETA) need
   not affect the states’ data exchange for UI purposes.

2. References. Consolidated WRIS Data Sharing Agreement; Interstate Benefits Payment Plan;
   Interstate Information Exchange Agreement.

3. Background. Recently, the NASWA Executive Committee ended NASWA’s role as a party
   to the WRIS Consolidated Data Sharing Agreement. This agreement established the
   operating conditions and procedures that governed the participation of state UI agencies,
   NASWA, and the state Performance Accountability and Customer Information Agencies
   (PACIA) in WRIS. ETA is moving rapidly to have new WRIS agreements in place by
   January 1, 2007.

   The WRIS was designed to facilitate the interstate exchange of UI wage data to assess the
   performance of individual training providers and state employment and training programs; to
   submit reports to the Secretary of Labor regarding the performance of workforce investment
   programs and activities authorized under the Workforce Investment Act (WIA); and to
   support research and evaluation authorized under the terms of the WRIS Consolidated Data
   Sharing Agreement.

 RESCISSIONS                                              EXPIRATION DATE
 None                                                     December 13, 2007

   To implement WRIS, a Distributed Data Base Index (DDBI) was established at the Interstate
   Connection Network (ICON) hub. The DDBI facilitated the efficient implementation of

   WRIS by creating an index of social security numbers (SSNs), provided by participating
   states’ UI agencies, of all individuals for whom employers reported wages for the past eight
   quarters. This benefited state UI operations by making some interstate activities that operate
   using ICON more efficient.

   Three ICON applications use the DDBI. Those applications, each with a brief description,
   are as follows:

   a) Interstate Benefits (IB) Quarterly Crossmatch: Allows states to search for individuals with
   outstanding overpayments.

   b) Reemployment Crossmatch: Matches the SSNs of claimants receiving a first payment in a
   calendar quarter against wage records for the following quarter.

   c) State Identifier (SID): Immediately identifies the state(s) with wage information on file
   for a specific SSN for interstate and combined wage claim filing purposes.

4. Impact on UI Operations. The NASWA WRIS data sharing agreements ensured that states’
   UI wage data accessed by a PACIA remained confidential. Although NASWA terminated
   the WRIS data sharing agreements on October 25, 2006, the DDBI continues to be available
   for UI purposes and states should continue to populate the DDBI to realize the efficiencies it
   provides the three applications described above. The exchange of UI wage and claim
   information for purposes of administration of state and federal unemployment compensation
   laws operates under the Interstate Information Exchange Agreement that each state has
   accepted. NASWA’s termination of the WRIS data sharing agreements does not impact the
   exchange of wage and claim data among states for UI purposes.

   States are encouraged to continue updating the DDBI during this transition period so that the
   UI applications listed above will continue to operate effectively. Without the DDBI, SID
   will not be available, and the IB and Reemployment Crossmatches will not function
   efficiently. Prior to states’ use of the DDBI, these crossmatches required a broadcast to all
   states of all match requests.

5. Action Required. Administrators are requested to provide this information to appropriate
   staff and to direct staff to continue to provide data to the DDBI.

6. Inquiries. Inquiries should be directed to the appropriate Regional Office.