To announce the rate of interest the U.S. Treasury Department will charge on Title XII advances during calendar year 1998.

To announce the "Safety During the Summer" Workshops and to increase awareness of the need for safety in Summer Youth Employment and Training Programs (SYETP).

To notify the States of the availability of a new publication -- Training and Employment Report of the Secretary of Labor.

To advise State Employment Security Agencies (SESAs) of the Department's policy concerning independent verification and validation (IV&V) of year 2000 compliance of SESAs' unemployment insurance (UI) automated benefit and tax systems; to provide guidelines for use in performing IV&V; and to require the submission of IV&V plans.

To transmit most recent economic data for SDA-level adjustments to performance standards models for Program Years (PY) 1998 and 1999 for Titles II-A, II-C, III, and Section 204(d), plus the accompanying worksheets. This information is used to apply the o

To provide clarification regarding the availability and maximum time periods of these two tax credits and how employers can claim them.

To inform the Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA) and Employment Service network of steps being taken in the redirection of the Federal Bonding Program.

To advise State Employment Security Agencies (SESAs) of procedural changes in the handling of interstate claims and of the elimination of certain IB forms.

To provide States with Welfare-to-Work (WtW) Planning Guidance and Instructions for Annual State Plans and planning allocations for fiscal year (FY) 1999.

To transmit the subject computation for State Employment Security Agency (SESA) usage in computing minimum weekly DUA amounts for ail major disasters declared during the fourth quarter of Fiscal Year (FY) 1998.