[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 27 (Tuesday, February 10, 1998)] [Notices] [Pages 6774-6781] From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] [FR Doc No: 98-3341] ----------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF LABOR Employment and Training Administration Federal-State Unemployment Compensation Program: Unemployment Insurance Program Letters Interpreting Federal Unemployment Insurance Law The Employment and Training Administration interprets Federal law requirements pertaining to unemployment compensation (UC) as part of its role in the administration of the Federal-State UC program. These interpretations are issued in Unemployment Insurance Program Letters (UIPLs) to the State Employment Security Agencies. The UIPLs described below are published in the Federal Register in order to inform the public. [[Page 6775]] UIPL 08-98 Federal law authorizes withdrawals from a State's unemployment fund only with respect to an individual's unemployment. This means that payment of UC from the State's unemployment fund is limited to periods in which an individual has experienced unemployment. UIPL 08-98 is issued to remind the States that their UC laws must contain this limitation. Whether an individual is unemployed depends on whether the individual has suffered a loss of work--an actual reduction in hours worked. It is not sufficient that the individual merely have reduced earnings. If just wages, and not also hours worked, are used as a measure for unemployment, then it is possible that an individual moving from a high- to low-paying job could be eligible for UC without having experienced unemployment. Thus, each State's law must contain language to prevent payment of UC to individuals who have experienced no unemployment for the period being compensated. UIPL 09-98 UIPL 09-98 advises States of the Department's position concerning State-wide personnel actions such as hiring freezes, shutdowns and furloughs. The service delivery needs of the UC program must first be taken into account. When a State subjects its UC program to State-wide personnel actions, the State will be required to address how its workload will be handled without a decline in performance and demonstrate it has adequately addressed those activities funded by Federal dollars. This position is consistent with one of the basic purposes of the ``methods of administration'' requirement of section 303(a)(1) of the Social Security Act--to assure the proper and prompt delivery of UC services to claimants and employers. Dated: January 29, 1998. Raymond J. Uhalde, Acting Assistant Secretary of Labor. BILLING CODE 4510-30-P [[Page 6776]] [GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN10FE98.004 [[Page 6777]] [GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN10FE98.005 [[Page 6778]] [GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN10FE98.006 [[Page 6779]] [GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN10FE98.007 [[Page 6780]] [GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN10FE98.008 [[Page 6781]] [GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN10FE98.009 [FR Doc. 98-3341 Filed 2-9-98; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4510-30-C