Questions and Answers

ET Handbook No. 406 (ETA 9002 and VETS 200 Report and Specifications)

 

 

COLLECTION OF DEMOGRAPHIC DATA

 

1.Is the collection of race and ethnicity and disability status by the public labor exchange required when registering job seekers?

 

Yes.The Department of Labor=s Equal Opportunity regulations (29 CFR Part 37.37(b)(2)) require the collection and retention of demographic information about individuals participating in programs or activities funded by DOL: race and ethnicity, age, gender and disability status.Specifically, the state must ensure that a data collection and retention system for its state programs is established and maintained (29 CFR Part 37.53 and 37.37(b)(2)). Part 37 also requires that each state develop and implement a Methods of Administration (MOA) document.The MOA, which covers a state=s Workforce Investment Act Title I, Wagner-Peyser, and Unemployment Insurance programs, shows how the state has complied with and will continue to comply with the non-discrimination and equal opportunity provisions of the Workforce Investment Act and its implementing regulations. The sixth requirement of the state=s MOA asks for a description of how the state=s data collection and retention system will be maintained and used for equal opportunity purposes.

 

   2. Are data on client characteristics, such as eligible claimant, disability status, etc., viewable to partner staff, or are they considered confidential?

 

Client characteristic data are confidential.States, however, may determine data sharing arrangements amongst One-Stop program partners in accordance with their own laws to facilitate effective service delivery to customers.Such data may be shared on a need-to-know basis.Services cannot be denied to participants who decline to indicate race and/or ethnicity.

 

3.On the 9002A and C, we are asked to report the number of job seekers with disabilities.Can        a job seeker decline to answer this question and still have a valid registration?In addition, isthere a conflict between asking for disability information and any aspect of the Americans    with Disabilities Act (ADA)?

 

States must inquire about disability status from job seekers.However, it is not required that a participant respond to questions about disability status.Services cannot be denied to participants who decline to indicate disability status.  Requesting this information, which is to be collected upon registration, is not in conflict with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 or the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, as long as there is no evidence of denial of services as a result of providing the information or of a customer declining to identify a disability.

 

 

 

 

 

REGISTRATION/REPORTING

 

4.Please clarify information in TEIN 13-00 (Consultation Paper on Labor Exchange Performance Measurement System) regarding registration of job seekers: Is it mandatory that job seekers provide a Social Security Number (SSN) for the purposes of registration?

 

The Department can require states to ask a job seeker for his/her social security number as part of the registration process for public labor exchange services.States have to disclose the reason for request of the SSN.  Social security number disclosure must be voluntary and states cannot deny access to job seeker services if the SSN is not provided.In such instances, an alternate participant identifier is to be used.States are not expected to report any individual identifiers (e.g., SSN, alternate) to DOL, and will report aggregate data only.  States should ensure that job seeker confidentiality is maintained in accordance with state and federal law.  We are aware that the 9002 entered employment and employment retention performance measures will be determined through wage records.We feel, however, that the lack of a SSN will inhibit the employer wage record file cross matching process for only a small percentage of labor exchange registrants.

 

5.What data elements must states complete on the 9002 reports?

   

All non-shaded items listed on ETA 9002 A-E & VETS 200 A-C are mandatory for            reporting.

 

6. Can a state workforce agency (SWA) access the State Directory of New Hires (SDNH) to verify entered employment and retention outcomes?

 

Under section 653A of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 13206-7(b)), state workforce agencies operating employment security and workers’ compensation programs have been granted SDNH access for the purpose of program administration.The SSA does not define “employment security programs,” but it has been interpreted by DOL to mean SWA-administered UI and ES programs.

 

The means of access to the SDNH by SWAs varies from state to state and is dependent upon: (1) which state agency houses the directory and (2) whether the directory of new hires is part of a statewide automated data processing and information retrieval system needed to administer child and spousal support programs.For example, if the SDNH is located with the state child support enforcement (CSE) agency, all disclosures must be in accordance wih SSA provisions and Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) regulations.  If the SDNH is not part of the statewide child and spousal data processing and retrieval system, inter- or intra-agency access to the directory may be granted and/or expanded by state law.  

    

 7.How should multiple distinct services rendered to a single individual in the report period

    be reported?In other words, do we count only one service per client for the four quarter       report period?

 

A partial answer to this is Ayes,” further illustrated by the chart below. The draft ETA 9002 A has one data field for capturing the total number of individuals receiving staff-assisted services (Row 10) where all individuals are counted once.Other subset categories break out the various types of staff-assisted services, (Rows 11-15: career guidance, job search activities, referred to employment, referred to other WIA services, referred to support services).The individual may appear in more than one subset or multiple times.

 

Although an individual may receive a service multiple times, he/she appears only once in the total count of job seekers receiving that service.Thus, it is important to keep in mind that the data captured for service-related items are based on the number of individuals receiving a particular service and not on the number of times a particular service is provided to an individual.

 

As an illustration, a group of three workers received various Wagner-Peyser staff-assisted services.  Worker A received Career Guidance (Row 11) assistance.Worker B received Job Search Activities (Row 12) and was Referred to Employment (Row 13).  Worker C was Referred to Employment (Row 13) three times. The information reported on the ETA 9002 A for these three workers would appear as follows:

 

 

 

ETA 9002 A Report Field and

Activity Description

 

 

Count Value

 

 

Registered Job Seeker(s) Included in Count Value

 

 

 

Row 10: Received Staff-Assisted Services

 

 

3

 

 

Workers A, B, and C

 

 

 

 Row 11: Career Guidance       Row 11: Career Guidance

 

 

1

 

 

Worker A

 

 

     Row 12: Job Search Activi       Row 12: Job Search Activities

 

 

1

 

 

Worker B

 

R

 

Row 13: Referred to Employment

 

 

4

 

 

Workers B and C

 

 

 

Row 14: Referred to WIA Services

 

 

0

 

 

None

 

 

 

Row 15: Referred to Support Services

 

 

0

 

 

None

 

Utilizing this system, it is possible to see the total number of individuals who received some type of staff-assisted service, in addition to the number of individuals receiving a specific service, such as career guidance.

 

8.Please define a “registration year” and the process for reporting 9002 and VETS 200 data.

 

With the implementation of the labor exchange performance measures, it is important to be able to identify job seekers according to their quarter of registration.It’s also important to have consistent definitions of registration for both services and performance outcomes.Thus, a job-seeking customer is counted as a registered job seeker during the quarter in which registration occurs (registration quarter), and the subsequent three quarters.This four quarter period constitutes the registration year.  A job seeker who engages in a labor exchange activity after a registration year expires will begin a new registration year; states will need to review and update customer data as necessary.

 

For purposes of reporting, a rolling four-quarter period is used.The 9002 A and 9002 B quarterly reports will cover persons who registered or received services within the prior four quarters.The 9002 C and 9002 D reports will capture outcomes on registered job seekers, including veterans, for the most recent four consecutive quarters.  The rolling four-quarter reporting period eliminates the concept of a carry-over registration from one program year to the next and provides for some uniformity for registration across states.  Additionally, once the registration year expires, the job seeker would start a new registration year upon engaging in a labor exchange activity within the local One-Stop system, thus ensuring that a job seeker is counted only once during a one-year period.A job seeker who is Are-registered@ is eligible to be counted again in the measures.States will need to develop automated processes to track and report on registrants according to their registration quarter.

 

 9. Do reporting instructions include the software programs to generate computations for the performance measures?

 

The ET Handbook No. 406 does not contain software instructions.We are making available to all states software that supports state performance calculation and reporting.Developed in partnership with Mathematica Policy Research, Inc., the labor exchange report validation software and user’s guide are available at http://ows.doleta.gov/employ/validation.asp.

 

10.When will the first report under the revised reporting instructions be due?

 

The overall reporting process was effective July 1, 2002.States must now collect data using the revised reporting instructions.  For job seekers and veterans registered during the quarter ending September 30, 2002, the ETA 9002 A and B reports (services to job seekers and veterans) will be due November 15, 2002.Performance outcome information on this group of job seekers will be due May 15, 2004.The following schematic provides an overview of the reporting structure:

 

JOB SEEKERS and VETERANS:

 

For job seekers registering during the first quarter of PY 2002 (July 1 to September 30, 2002), the ETA 9002 A and B reports will be due November 15, 2002.

 

For these same job seekers, outcome information on these job seekers will be reported on the ETA 9002 C and D reports as follows:

 

Job Seeker Entered Employment Rate:November 14, 2003

Job Seeker Employment Retention Rate at Six Months:       May 15, 2004

Job Seeker Customer Satisfaction:                                          February 14, 2003

 

           For job seekers and veterans registered during the first quarter of PY 2002 (July 1-           September 30, 2002), the following chart indicates the due date of the first report for the    ETA 9002 A and B (services to job seekers and veterans) and ETA 9002 C and D      (performance outcomes job seekers/employers and veterans):

 

 

 

ETA Report

 

 

Reported Data

 

 

Due Date of First Report

 

 

 

ETA 9002 A and B

 

 

Services Provided

 

 

November 15, 2002

 

 

 

ETA 9002 C and D

 

 

Entered Employment Data Fields

 

 

November 14, 2003

 

 

 

ETA 9002 C and D

 

 

Employment Retention Data Fields

 

 

May 15, 2004

 

 

 

ETA 9002 C and D

 

 

Job Seeker Customer Satisfaction Data Fields

 

 

February 14, 2003

 

As illustrated above, there will be a 12 to 18 month lag period between the first report of         services for this one group of registered job seekers on the 9002 A and B, and entered employment and employment retention outcomes for this group reported on the ETA 9002C and D reports.

 

Since the reports listed above will be the first received under the new reporting system, these will only contain information for one quarter of registrants.As the system ramps up, using the rolling four quarter concept, eventually four quarters of information will be reported.The first time that four cohorts of information (annual roll-up for PY 2002) will be reported will be as follows:

 

ETA 9002 A and B

    Services Provided:                                                                 August 15, 2003

 

ETA 9002 C and D

    Job Seeker Entered Employment                                         August 14, 2004

    Job Seeker Employment Retention Rate at Six Months:   February 14, 2005

    Job Seeker Customer Satisfaction:                                      November 14, 2003

 

ETA 9002 E                                                                       

   Job Openings Received:                                          August 15, 2003

 

EMPLOYERS:

 

    Also, for employers served during the first quarter of PY 2002, the Employer Customer      Satisfaction score will be reported on the February 14, 2003 report.

 

 

JOB OPENINGS:

 

For the ETA 9002 E report containing job openings and the number of employers listing jobs with the labor exchange, the first report covering jobs listed during the first quarter of PY 2002 will be due November 15, 2002.

                                  

    11. Is there an opportunity to carry in registrants from PY 2001 into PY 2002?

 

The concept of “carry-in” of registrants does not apply.State workforce agencies must ensure that the transition in reporting systems results in no adverse impact on delivery of labor exchange services to job seekers and employers.Job seekers and employers still registered PY 2001 will continue to receive services in PY 2002.Similarly, job openings listed with the labor exchange through June 2002 must be provided with referrals until closed in accordance with state policy and procedures.To help ensure a smoother transition in reporting systems and to support the principle of continuity of labor exchange services, the following guidelines apply:


The definition of AInterstate@ is a count of registered job seekers who are part of placement activities involving the joint action of local offices or One-Stop Centers in different states.This information should be reported by the job seeker-holding state.This includes agricultural placement activity.

 

26.What is the definition of the “Program Year?@

 

     The federal program year is July 1st through June 30th.

 

 

VETERANS’ EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING SERVICE (VETS) MEASURES AND 200 REPORTS

 

27.The draft Veterans= Employment and Training Service Performance Measures consultationpaper indicated that states will be required to report on the increase in the number of Federal Contractor Job Listings, or FCJL openings listed.Will this become an additional performance measure for states?

 

VETS has chosen not to use the proposed FCJL measure as a measure of performance.States will, however, still be required to submit data on the number of Federal Contractor Job Listings, the number of Federal Contractors listing jobs, the number of veterans referred to FCJL jobs, and on the number of veterans placed in FCJL jobs.  

 

28. We noticed that there is a line on the VETS 200 for job seeker customer satisfaction.Is it


    intended that a separate sample of veteran job seekers be selected for customer satisfaction

    surveys?

 

At this time, that line is merely a placeholder on the report.Currently, VETS is researching the best approach to take in attempting to develop a measurable survey.We do not expect the requirement and implementation of this measure in the immediate future.Should this measure be developed, VETS will issue necessary guidance.

 

29. For the VETS 200 reports, the instructions indicate that the A-C reports are to be completed for individuals who have registered in the most recent four quarters.The report mixes the reporting of services and outcomes.  Since outcomes will not be available for job seekers registered in the most recent four quarters, should veteran outcomes be reported separately (i.e., the 9002 A and B cover a different period of time than the 9002 C and D)?

 

Services are reported for the most recent four quarters.Until outcome data are available, the outcome fields will be zero-filled.Our opinion is that having all data reported on one report will be less of a burden on states.We will provide additional guidance on the completion of the report forms.

 

30. Please define ARecently Separated Veteran@ and ANewly Separated Veteran.@

 

P.L. 106-419 amended U.S.C. Title 38, Section 4212, Subsections (a) and (d) to include recently separated veterans.This law also changed the definition of ARecently Separated Veteran@ to those registering for services within one year (12 months) of their separation from military service. Since the WIA definition of ARecently Separated Veteran@ remains as those registering for service within four years (48 months) of separation, for the purpose of reporting public labor exchange services we have changed the definition of those registering within one year after separation to ANewly Separated Veterans.@ In sum, “Newly Separated Veteran” is a term of art we created to distinguish 38 U.S.C. Chapter 42 veterans within one year of separation from the WIA term.

 

31. Should veterans registering for services be classified in more than one veteran=s category?

 

Yes.It is possible for a veteran registered for services to be a Vietnam-Era Veteran (not serving in-country) and also a Campaign Veteran as a result of service in a campaign other than Vietnam.By the same token, a Campaign Veteran for service in Vietnam should be classified as both a Campaign Veteran and a Vietnam-Era Veteran.  It is to the benefit of the veteran to be classified in as many veterans= categories as possible. 

 

Although the number of Vietnam-Era and Campaign Veterans is a subset of total registered veterans, the sum of the total of these two subsets may exceed the total number of registered veterans.

 

32. In the VETS 200 reports, why is there a “Referred to Federal Training” data element only?Shouldn’t there be a data element that reflects referrals to training other than Federal training?

 

The only required data element for reporting referral to training is “Referred to Federal Training.”  DOL was careful to ask states to report only on elements that we are required to report to Congress.One of the components of the “Received Staff-Assisted Services” category is referral to skills training.States may use that category to report referrals to other types of training.

 

33. What type of documentation is required to validate whether a veteran customer is awarded aCampaign Badge? Do we need a veterans’ representative to authenticate the CampaignBadge or do we allow the customer to declare this himself?

 

There is no validation requirement of the veteran job seeker.An applicant can self-identifyasa Campaign Badge veteran at the time of registration, whether the registration process isconducted face-to-face or via self-service.