What Is It?

Implementation of the Worker Profiling and Reemployment Services (WPRS) system is a prominent first step in building a nation-wide reemployment system. State unemployment insurance, labor exchange and training partners are implementing WPRS systems in all States. Amendments to the Social Security Act contained in P.L. 103-152 require that UI claimants who are identified through profiling methods as likely to exhaust benefits and
who are in need of reemployment services to transition to new employment participate in reemployment services, such as job search assistance.

How It Works?

Data elements needed for profiling purposes are collected from claimants during the initial claims and/or work registration process and entered into a computer database that will be used to profile claimants. Necessary labor market information data are also entered.

Claimants who have been issued a first payment are then profiled using a two-step approach. Claimants who are on recall or who use a union hiring hall are first excluded. Then, the remaining claimants are either assigned a probability of dislocation through a statistical model process or additional characteristic screens are used to identify the appropriate claimants.

A list of claimants who are potentially eligible for referral to Service Providers is then created by the State's computer system. If a statistical model is used, claimants are ranked, highest to lowest, in order of their probability of exhaustion of benefits. If characteristic screens are used, the result is simply a list of claimants considered likely to exhaust benefits.

The UI component and Service Provider jointly determine the number of profiled UI claimants to be selected and referred. This referral agreement establishes the number of claimants that should be referred and can actually be provided reemployment services.

Claimants are notified that they have been identified as likely dislocated workers and are referred to reemployment services, why reemployment services are being offered, and when and where to report. Claimants will also be informed that continuing eligibility for unemployment benefits is contingent upon the claimant's participation in reemployment services.

Service Provider conducts Orientation and notifies UI component that the claimant was/or was not present and whether the claimant was appropriately referred.

The Service Provider conducts an assessment and, in consultation with the claimant, develops an individual Service Plan which lists those services for which participation is required.

The Claimant participates in reemployment services based upon the Service Plan and continues to submit weekly certifications to UI attesting to her/his continued participation for receipt of benefits.

The Service Provider notifies UI component upon claimant termination or completion of participation in reemployment services based upon the Service Plan.

Upon termination or completion of the Service Plan for any circumstances, the Service Provider furnishes the UI component the Service Plan which contains follow up information relating to the services received by such claimants and, if applicable, employment outcomes.

ETA/ USES/06-2000