CEO Library

In the issue brief, researchers report findings from testing and validating the Worker Paid Leave Usage Simulation (Worker PLUS) using data from the 2018 U.S. Department of Labor Family and Medical Leave Act Employee Survey; the 2014–2018 American Community Survey Public Use Microdata Sample; and benefit outlay data published by state paid leave programs in California, New Jersey, and Rhode Island. The brief also discusses the implication of the model testing results on choice of simulation methods, assessment of program take-up rates, and estimation of program benefit outlays.

The issue brief provides a step-by-step guide to using the Worker Paid Leave Usage Simulation (Worker PLUS) Model to perform an example policy simulation of the recently proposed parental leave program for federal workers. The model uses as its intakes the 2018 U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) Family and Medical Leave Act Employee Survey and the sample of civilian employees at the federal government from the 2014–2018 American Community Survey Public Use Microdata Sample and applies program parameters that best reflect the proposed leave program.

In the issue brief, researchers use simulation results from the Worker Paid Leave Usage Simulation (Worker PLUS) Model to analyze the impacts of moving from the unpaid leave system under the current Family and Medical Leave Act to a system that includes a paid leave program that adopts the program rules of the existing program in California. The population considered consists of individuals who work in the state of Maryland who meet the eligibility rules of the California program, and among them, the low-wage workers who earn no more than $30,000 annually.

The brief provides a step-by-step guide to performing example simulations using the Worker Paid Leave Usage Simulation (Worker PLUS) model. With this guide, users should be able to replicate the provided example of model running using either the Python or the R simulation engine, and to check how the simulation results compare against actual program data for existing state programs in California, New Jersey, and Rhode Island.

To help researchers, policy analysts, and interested members of the public gain better understanding of the Worker Paid Leave Usage Simulation (Worker PLUS) Model and its applications in policy analysis, researchers present an issue brief series to supplement the model documentation files.

This is a companion template to the Worker Paid Leave Usage Simulation model, or Worker PLUS model, and is part of two supplementary resources on administrative costs. It is a starting template of standard administrative cost categories observed in paid family and medical leave (PFML) programs as a platform to plan, estimate, and test the administrative costs of running a new program. The Excel template is available to users when they download the model.

This is a companion document to the Worker Paid Leave Usage Simulation model, or Worker PLUS model, and is part of two supplementary resources on administrative costs. The second supplementary resource is an Excel template, titled “Administrative Cost Excel Template,” which presents a starting template of standard administrative cost categories observed in paid family and medical leave (PFML) programs as a platform to plan, estimate, and test the administrative costs of running a new program. The Excel template is available to users when they download the model.

In 2017, the Chief Evaluation Office (CEO) funded contractors IMPAQ International and the Institute for Women’s Policy Research (IWPR) to conduct the Microsimulation Model on Worker Leave. The goal of the study was to produce an updated, open-source, publicly available simulation tool based on the Albelda Clayton-Matthews/IWPR Paid Family and Medical Leave Simulation Model (ACM model).

In 2018, the Chief Evaluation Office (CEO) partnered with the Employment and Training Administration (ETA) to fund contractor The Urban Institute to design and conduct an evaluation that examines critical policy issues, lessons learned, and challenges states faced administering Unemployment Insurance (UI) programs during the Great Recession that began in 2007 and the economic recovery that followed. Additionally, the opportunity to study these topics as they relate to the COVID-19 pandemic was incorporated into the study.

In 2018, the Chief Evaluation Office (CEO) partnered with the Employment and Training Administration (ETA) to fund contractor The Urban Institute to design and conduct an evaluation that examines critical policy issues, lessons learned, and challenges states faced administering Unemployment Insurance (UI) programs during the Great Recession that began in 2007 and the economic recovery that followed.

In 2015, the Chief Evaluation Office partnered with the Employment and Training Administration (ETA) to fund contractors Mathematica, Social Policy Research Associates, and MDRC to design and conduct an evaluation to better understand the implementation and outcomes of the National Guard Youth Challenge (YC) and Job Challenge (JC) program. The implementation study and outcome evaluation of three Job Challenge grants includes an analysis of post-JC outcomes between 2016 and 2018 for justice-involved graduates.

The brief examines one aspect of the Job ChalleNGe grants – the goal of serving more court-involved youth. It draws on findings from multiple data sources including two rounds of site visits, a background information form, a follow-up survey with Job ChalleNGe participants, program records, and postsecondary and criminal justice administrative records.

The toolkit provides a basic overview of evaluation elements for program management purposes. It also draws from and provides information about other generally accepted and available evaluation resources that may be useful as an entry point for state Reemployment Services and Eligibility Assessments (RESEA) programs that may not make full use of evaluations in program planning or implementation or that may need additional evaluation reference to expand their evaluation activities.

In 2017, the Chief Evaluation Office (CEO) partnered with the Employment and Training Administration (ETA) to fund contractors Urban Institute, George Washington University, Capital Research Corporation, and the National Association of State Workforce Agencies to conduct an analysis of employer performance measurement approaches required by Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA).

Many youth in America are not on track for labor market success. One factor that increases the risk of poor labor market outcomes among these youth is dropping out of school (Rumberger 2020). Youth who drop out of school are at greater risk for job instability and for lower long-term earnings (Hair et al. 2009). They are also more likely to struggle with mental health and substance abuse issues (Maynard et al. 2015). These challenges are compounded for youth who have early involvement with the juvenile or criminal justice systems.

The Contingent Worker Supplement (CWS) to the Current Population Survey— administered six times between 1995 and 2017—is uniquely valuable in providing detailed information on a consistent set of work arrangements in a large, nationally representative survey. Drawing on data from all six CWS waves, researchers provide an in-depth picture of the nature of contingent and alternative work and whether and how employment arrangements are changing in the United States.

In 2014, the Chief Evaluation Office partnered with the Employment and Training Administration (ETA) to manage an impact evaluation and complementary analysis of Youth CareerConnect and to develop a participant tracking system for the program. These evaluation activities were carried out by contractors Mathematica, and Social Policy Research Associates. The final impact report follows implementation study reports published in 2017 and 2019.

In 2021, the Chief Evaluation Office (CEO) partnered with the Employment Training Administration (ETA) and funded the Urban Institute and its partner Capital Research Corporation to conduct the Older Workers Study.

The purpose of this project is to provide evaluation technical support to CEO in leveraging data and expertise to assemble knowledge and answer questions of interest to DOL.

In 2021, the Chief Evaluation Office (CEO) partnered with the Social Security Administration (SSA) and the Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) and funded contractor Mathematica to support the ongoing evaluation of the Retaining Employment & Talent After Injury/Illness Network (RETAIN) demonstration projects. CEO’s contract supports enrollment data collection and the random assignment of study participants for phase 2 of the RETAIN demonstration.

This project evaluated subsidized and transitional employment approaches for critical low-income populations, potentially including welfare recipients and low-income non-custodial parents. The project examined subsidized employment strategies designed to address two distinct goals: (1) provide work-based income support for people who were not able to find regular, unsubsidized jobs; and 2) to improve the employability of disadvantaged groups.

In 2018, the Chief Evaluation Office partnered with the Employment and Training Administration (ETA) to fund contractor The Urban Institute to design and conduct an evaluation that examines critical policy issues, lessons learned, and challenges states faced administering Unemployment Insurance (UI) programs during the Great Recession that began in 2007 and the economic recovery that followed. 

In 2016, the Chief Evaluation Office partnered with the Employment and Training Administration (ETA) to fund contractors Mathematica and Social Policy Research Associates to conduct the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) Implementation Study.

The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) of 2014 included multiple provisions to strengthen service quality, access, accountability, and coordination across many programs. The report focuses on implementation of WIOA’s changes to various aspects of performance accountability and in other data-driven areas under the law, as related to the “core” workforce programs for Titles I and III.

The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) of 2014 included multiple provisions to strengthen service quality, access, accountability, and coordination across many programs. The report describes early WIOA implementation efforts, based on data collected during pilot site visits to four states and eight local areas in fall 2017. The purpose of the site visits was to help inform the design of the WIOA implementation study and to identify key stakeholders’ initial perspectives on WIOA requirements across five domains.