DIRECTIVE	:	UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE PROGRAM LETTER NO. 38-96, Change 1
TO	:	ALL STATE EMPLOYMENT SECURITY AGENCIES
FROM	:	MARY ANN WYRSCH Director Unemployment Insurance Service
SUBJECT	:	The Impact of Remote Claimstaking on Reporting and Use of Unemployment Compensation Claims Data and the Required Changes to the Interstate Statistical Data Exchange.

1. Purpose. To advise State Employment Security Agencies (SESAs) of changes to the Interstate Statistical Data Exchange format and data exchange instructions.

2. References. ET Handbooks Nos. 392 and 401; Unemployment Insurance Program Letter (UIPL) 35-95; UIPL 38-96 and the Interstate Connection (ICON) User Guide.

3. Background. As States prepare for the implementation of liable remote initial claimstaking and the new interstate statistical data exchange record format, questions have been raised about the omission of records of transitional and reopened claims from the new data exchange requirements. Change 1 to UIPL 38-96 is being issued to address the questions that have been raised and to correct previously issued instructions for reporting commuter weeks claimed data for Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS).

4. Changes. Transitional and reopened claims were initially omitted from the new data exchange because they do not represent emerging unemployment to the residence/agent State. However, we failed to identify that the agent State needs information pertaining to transitional and reopened claims and claim transfers to identify unemployed individuals in the State for Job Service registration and reemployment service purposes, and to create an agent State claim record. Therefore, the Liable-Agent Data Transfer (LADT) data exchange record and instructions are being revised to provide for the exchange of information pertaining to transitional and reopened claims.

   Commuter weeks claimed data used for the LAUS represents unemployment during the week that includes the 12th of the month. Therefore, the commuter data to be exchanged should represent claims for the week that includes the 12th of the month. Effective immediately, the exchange of the commuter weeks claimed data for the reference week (i.e., the week that includes the 12th of the month) of the prior two months will be transmitted on the first Monday of each month. This time frame allows sufficient time for all claims for the week of the 12th, including bi-weekly and late certifications, to be processed.

   As soon as the LADT is implemented in the State, commuter weeks claimed data is to be transmitted on the following first Monday of the month. However, this data exchange will parallel the existing commuter data exchange for data comparison until States have been issued instructions by the Department's Bureau of Labor Statistics.

   The attached revised record format adds a code 3, "Transitional Claims" indicator in Field 30 and identifies Field 59 for "Reopened and Transfer of Claim" indicators. The data to be transmitted for Reopened Claims and Transfer of Claims is the same as for initial claims, with a zero fill in Field 30. To ensure that the process date occupies the last field of the 480 character record, Field 60 is being inserted as a 59-byte filler and the process date is changed to Field 61, which occupies the last eight bytes of the record.

   Information in Attachment A is revised to include the identification of the required fields for the data exchange for all types of claims. Attachment B is a revised Figure 5 flow chart which eliminates initial claims from the title of the chart.

5. Action Required. SESA administrators are requested to: (1) provide a copy of this directive to all appropriate staff, including Labor Market Information Directors; (2) ensure that prompt action is taken by the State so that the data exchange requirements as set forth herein are met; and (3) ensure that the claims data received is properly used in compliance with all Federal reporting requirements.

6. Inquiries. Direct any questions to the appropriate Regional Office.

7. Attachments: 

   1. Liable/Agent Data Transfer Record - Revised 10/96

   2. Revised Figure 5 Flow Chart