    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1993, Book II)]
    [November 24, 1993]
    [Pages 2070-2071]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Statement on Signing the Unemployment Compensation Amendments of 1993
    November 24, 1993

        Today I am pleased to sign into law H.R. 3167, the ``Unemployment
    Compensation Amendments of 1993.'' This legislation will provide the
    unemployed and their families with important assistance by extending
    eligibility for the Emergency Unemployment Compensation (EUC) program to
    individuals exhausting their regular unemployment benefits. EUC benefits
    would be extended from last October 2 through February 5 of next year.
    In addition, the legislation will accelerate the reemployment of workers
    by requiring the establishment of a worker profiling system in each
    State to link workers most likely to experience long-term unemployment
    with effective job search assistance.
        There are some important signs that the economy continues to improve
    and that a job recovery is underway. In the first 9 months of my
    Administration, our economy has created 1.3 million private sector jobs,
    which is more than were created in the previous 4 years combined. With
    the solid foundation provided by the enactment of the economic program
    this summer, I believe the economy will continue to grow and create more
    new jobs.
        However, the improvement in the economy is not yet solid enough to
    justify discontinuing the EUC program. It is therefore appropriate that
    we extend EUC to provide support to help unemployed workers pay their
    grocery bills and other living expenses while they seek new employment.
        Just providing income support to the unemployed is not enough. The
    Administration is committed to moving from the present system that
    simply buffers the pain of unemployment toward a new system that speeds
    displaced workers into reemployment. The critical first step in this
    transformation is the requirement in this Act that States establish a
    worker profiling system.
        Under these systems, workers filing for unem-

    [[Page 2071]]

    ployment benefits who have permanently lost their jobs and are likely to
    need reemployment services would be identified early in their period of
    unemployment. These workers would then be referred to, and offered, job
    search assistance. There is strong evidence from demonstration projects
    in New Jersey and other States that such systems reduce the period of
    unemployment experienced by these workers as well as the associated
    costs and pain of such unemployment. In short, the workers benefit
    through earlier reemployment, the Federal Government benefits through
    reduced unemployment insurance costs and increased tax receipts, and the
    economy benefits through increased productivity.
        I believe these worker profiling systems will make a real difference
    and provide new opportunities for unemployed workers. We will build upon
    this approach in proposing a comprehensive reemployment program early
    next year that will provide displaced workers with greatly enhanced
    access to early, effective, and comprehensive services.
        In combining the requirement for worker profiling systems with the
    extension of EUC, H.R. 3167 makes a significant down payment on systemic
    reform and contributes to enhancing the economic security of American
    workers.

                                                          William J. Clinton

    The White House,
    November 24, 1993.

    Note: H.R. 3167, approved November 24, was assigned Public Law No. 103-
    152.