** Archive **
WIATL 24 (Worker Profiling and ReEmployment Services (WPRS) and WIA Eligibility for Dislocated Workers)
Workforce Investment Act Transmittal Letter No. 24
November 27, 2006
TO: Local Elected Officials, WIA Local Workforce Investment Boards (WIBs), Fiscal Agents, Administrative Entities and One-Stop Operators
FROM: Barbara E. Riley, Director
SUBJECT: Worker Profiling and ReEmployment Services (WPRS), ReEmployment Eligibility and Assessment (REA), and Workforce Investment Act (WIA) Eligibility for Dislocated Workers

I.Purpose

To provide guidance and information regarding Worker Profiling and ReEmployment Services (WPRS), and ReEmployment Eligibility and Assessment (REA) as these programs relate to dislocated worker eligibility for WIA services.

ll.Effective Date

Immediately.

III.Guidance Statements

On November 24, 1993, the President signed into law the Unemployment Compensation (UC) Amendments of 1993, Public Law 103-152. The UC law requires states to establish and use a system to profile claimants for regular UC benefits. The WPRS system is an early intervention approach for providing dislocated workers with reemployment services to help expedite their return to productive employment.

The UC worker profiling methodology and referral process for UC claimants to receive reemployment services meet the criteria in WIA Section 101(9) for determining dislocated workers.

A profiled claimant is an individual who has applied for and is receiving UC benefits, and has been selected through the Ohio Job Insurance (OJI) system- generated Profiling Pool. A profiled claimant is considered a dislocated worker eligible for WIA services and may be referred to a One-Stop system for WIA services. The priority of service to be provided to a profiled dislocated worker will be determined by each One-Stop system to which referral may be made.

The UC profiling system identifies claimants who are most likely to exhaust UC benefits and unlikely to return to their previous job based on declining industry. On a weekly basis, the OJI system generates a pool of claimants selected for profiling. Profiled claimants are required to attend a reemployment services orientation and may be required to complete a reemployment eligibility assessment that covers information about WIA services.

Claimants in the profiling pool are selected based on the following UC criteria:

  • have received a first UC payment
  • are receiving benefits for Regular - Ohio, Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE), Unemployment Compensation Extension Act (UCX), or are combined wage claimants receiving a payment under Ohio law
  • are Ohio residents filing for benefits
  • are totally unemployed (no income or earnings for the first week paid)
  • are not job attached and have no hiring hall (i.e., required hiring hall work search assignment)
  • were last employed in a declining industry

You may view Ohio One-Stop Profiling Procedures, February 4, 2003 One-Stop Technical Assistance Video Conference - One-Stop Profiling Procedures at http://www.ohioworkforce411.gov/docs/jobseekers/One-Stop%20Profiling.pdf

To be included in the pool, the individual must have been last employed in a declining industry. The ODJFS Bureau of Labor Market Information (LMI) determines declining industries for WPRS by using LMI data for twelve economic regions. A declining industry is defined by using a moving fourth quarter-covered employment figures by industry (provided by the LMI QCEW data) and comparing it to employment for that same industry for the calendar year 2000 annual average. If the number of individuals in employment decreased, the industry is determined to be declining.

One of the eligibility criteria for dislocated worker programs under WIA is that the individual has been determined to be unlikely to return to a previous industry or occupation. "Were last employed in a declining industry" is defined for WIA as unlikely to obtain employment in a previous industry or occupation due to general economic conditions of the area.

A profiled claimant, who has no return to work date, is not job attached, has received a first UC payment and has a skill set that could preclude the individual from being competitive and finding reemployment in a previous or demand occupation may be considered an eligible dislocated worker meeting the WIA criterion in Section 101(9) (A) (iii), unlikely to return to previous industry or occupation.

Evidence that an individual has been profiled may be obtained from the local ODJFS staff in the One-Stop center. No further documentation is needed to establish the category for dislocation if the individual claimant has met the criteria for WPRS.

IV.Technical Assistance

For additional information, you may send your questions to the Bureau of Workforce Services, wiaqna@odjfs.state.oh.us.

V.Reference

Workforce Investment Act, Section 101(9)

Federal Register/Volume 65, No. 156, Friday, August 11, 2000 Final Rules and

Regulations, page 49316

Unemployment Compensation Amendments of 1993, Public Law 103-152