DIRECTIVE	:	UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE PROGRAM LETTER NO. 40-95
TO	:	ALL STATE EMPLOYMENT SECURITY AGENCIES
FROM	:	MARY ANN WYRSCH Director Unemployment Insurance Service
SUBJECT	:	Celebration of the 60th Anniversary of the Unemployment Insurance (UI) Program

1. Purpose. To inform the UI System of the Department's plans to celebrate the 60th Anniversary of the UI Program.

2. Reference. Titles III and IX of the Social Security Act (SSA).

3. Background. August 14 will commemorate the 60th Anniversary of the UI Program created by Titles III and IX of the SSA. The Unemployment Insurance Service (UIS) has been working with other parts of the Department on plans to celebrate the 60th Anniversary of the UI Program.

   A large celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the UI Program took place 10 years ago. The Social Security Administration also had a large celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the SSA and is planning to celebrate the 60th Anniversary of the SSA on August 14. The Social Security Administration became an independent agency on March 31 and its newly independent status will be included in its celebration plans.

4. Celebration Themes. The 60th Anniversary of the UI Program will promote themes that are important to the Administration and will be timely in terms of illustrating that Government programs can work well for the American people. These themes will include:

   • Existence of the unique Federal/State partnership that has administered the UI Program in an effective manner for the past 60 years to provide unemployed workers with temporary income support and to facilitate reemployment.

   • Changes over the past 60 years that have caused the UI Program to continuously improve and transform itself (e.g., changes in the labor force resulting in instituting a system for profiling potential exhaustees).

   • Uses of technology in up-to-date service delivery which make it easier for the customer and are cost effective (e.g., telephone claims).

5. Celebration Plans. Plans to celebrate the 60th Anniversary of the UI Program will include:

   • Sending letters to all Governors from Secretary of Labor Robert B. Reich commemorating the 60th Anniversary of the UI Program and promoting the celebration of the Federal-State relationship of the UI Program.

   • Producing a UI Program poster which will be distributed to all Regional Offices, SESAs and other appropriate organizations to display in office buildings. The poster should be distributed from the printer during the week of July 31.

   • Producing a 5-7 minute video on the UI Program to be sent to all Regional Offices and all SESAs. The videos should be mailed during the week of July 31.

   • Producing a 90 second news spot to be sent to several hundred local news media regarding the UI Program's 60 years of service including a message of "celebrating change" to the general public.

   • Holding a special event at the Department in Washington, D.C. to celebrate the 60th Anniversary of the UI Program. News media will be requested to be present at the celebration which is scheduled for August 10.

   • Issuing a nationwide News Release from the Department's Office of Information announcing the 60th Anniversary of the UI Program. The News Release will be issued on August 10 to coincide with the date of the event at the Department.

   • Coordinating with the Interstate Conference of Employment Security Agencies (ICESA) to celebrate the 60th Anniversary during ICESA's 59th Annual Conference, scheduled for August 28 - September 1, in Wichita, Kansas. The newly produced video will be shown during the luncheon on Thursday, August 31.

6. Action Required. SESA Administrators are requested to:

   • Inform all appropriate SESA staff of the plans to celebrate the 60th Anniversary of the UI Program;

   • Display the UI poster in SESA local offices;

   • Incorporate the UI video into any SESA plans to celebrate the 60th Anniversary; and

   • Advise the SESA Public Information Officer of the 90 second news spot.

7. Inquiries. Direct questions to the appropriate Regional Office.