Department of Labor March 15, 2011 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

Announcement regarding the Virgin Islands triggering ``off'' Tier Three of Emergency Unemployment Compensation 2008 (EUC08). Public Law 111-312 extended provisions in Public Law 111-92 which amended prior laws to create a Third and Fourth Tier of benefits within the EUC08 program for qualified unemployed workers claiming benefits in high unemployment states. The Department of Labor produces a trigger notice indicating which states qualify for EUC08 benefits within Tiers Three and Four and provides the beginning and ending dates of payable periods for each qualifying state. The trigger notice covering state eligibility for the EUC08 program can be found at: https:// ows.doleta.gov/unemploy/claimsarch.asp. Based on data published January 25, 2011, by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the following trigger change has occurred for the Virgin Islands' EUC08 program: The seasonally-adjusted total unemployment rate for the 3- month period ending December 2010 for the Virgin Islands fell below the 6.0% threshold to remain ``on'' Tier Three of the EUC08 program. The payable period for the Virgin Islands in Tier Three of the EUC08 program concluded February 26, 2011. As a result, the maximum potential entitlement of 47 weeks will decrease to a maximum potential entitlement of 34 weeks in the EUC08 program.

The Department of Labor, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, conducts a pre-clearance consultation program to provide the general public and Federal agencies with an opportunity to comment on proposed and/or continuing collections of information in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA) [44 U.S.C. 3505(c)(2)(A)]. The program helps to ensure that requested data can be provided in the desired format, reporting burden (time and financial resources) is minimized, collection instruments are clearly understood, and the impact of the collection requirements on respondents can be properly assessed. The proposed information collection is for an evaluation of the YPDP. The YPDP is sponsored by ETA to test innovative strategies that can improve the skills and education of young parents and, ultimately their employment and earnings.

This notice announces a change in benefit period eligibility under the EB program for Alaska. The following changes have occurred since the publication of the last notice regarding the State's EB status: Based on data released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics on January 25, 2011, the three month average, seasonally adjusted total unemployment rate for Alaska met or exceeded the 8.0% threshold to enter a high unemployment period (HUP) in the EB program. As a result, Alaska's payable period in (HUP) began February 13, 2011, and eligibility for claimants has been increased from a maximum potential entitlement of 13 weeks to a maximum potential entitlement of 20 weeks in the EB program. The trigger notice covering state eligibility for the EB program can be found at: https://ows.doleta.gov/unemploy/claims_arch.asp.