NEWSLETTER | October 2020 | Volume 5 | Issue 9
Driving the national workforce agenda and providing value-added member services
Conferences & Meetings
More than 1,000 attendees joined the first-ever fully virtual NASWA Summit | 84th Annual Meeting.

All NASWA members (state workforce agency personnel) can now access presentations and view session recordings.

NOTE: NASWA member login (email address and NASWA account password) are required to access presentations and a Zoom password is required to access session recordings.

Need help? Contact NASWA-meetings@naswa.org
OCTOBER VIRTUAL MEETINGS
NASWA in Action
WELCOME 2020-2021 ASSOCIATION YEAR
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
This association year's Executive Committee is:

  • Fitzgerald Washington (AL) - Board Chair
  • Suzi LeVine (WA) - Board Vice Chair
  • Anna Hui (MO) - Board Past Chair
  • Robin Cooley (WY) - Secretary
  • Jackie Turner (MS) - Treasurer
CONGRATULATIONS 2020-2021 ASSOCIATION YEAR COMMITTEE CHAIRS
We welcome this association year's Committee Chairs:

  • Administration & Finance - Mike Smith (OR)
  • Communications - Tara Hutchison (AL)
  • Employment & Training - Deniece Thomas (TN)
  • Equal Opportunity - Louise Dean (AK)
  • Technology - Nicholas Stowe (WA)
  • UI IB Subcommittee - Patsy Westcott (AK)
  • Unemployment Insurance - Beth Townsend (IA)
  • Veterans Affairs - Sam Mitchell (WA)
  • Workforce & Labor Market Information - Tom McCarty (TX)
SEPTEMBER VIRTUAL COMMITTEE MEETINGS
Six of NASWA's nine committees plus the Board of Directors met virtually in September.
Board of Directors
Nearly 200 members from 48 states, territories and DC met virtually to hear NASWA updates and participate in a Roundtable and Peer-to-Peer Exchange.
Communications Committee
Members from 26 states and DC met to share best practices and to discuss Virtual One-Stop Services, Trust Fund Messaging, and Media and UI Claims
Employment & Training Committee
Members from 26 states joined the Employment & Training Committee meeting. They discussed adaptive leadership, state innovations, and priority reemployment and recovery issues.
Equal Opportunity Committee
Thirty-seven participants met before the Summit to hear updates from USDOL Civil Rights Center and share promising practices. The Equal Opportunity Committee sponsored a workshop jointly with the E&T Committee on racial equity.
Technology Committee Meeting
Members from 24 states joined to hear about WIOA Virtual Service Delivery, updates from NASCIO, and hear from peers across the country.
Unemployment Insurance Committee
Led by outgoing Committee Chair Ronald Marino (NJ), the Unemployment Insurance Committee organized a workshop on UI Operations and met virtually with 75 participants to discuss current issues with USDOL and each other.
Workforce & Labor Market Information
WLMI Committee members from 28 states shared how they are using data to help state agencies address health and economic challenges.
VETERANS POLICY DIRECTOR FEATURED PRESENTER
NASWA Veterans Policy Director Lori Adams was a featured presenter at two virtual events on September 18. She spoke to members of the National Association of State Directors of Veterans Affairs (NASDVA), and was part of a panel discussing employment in a post-COVID environment at the National Coalition of Homeless Veterans Virtual Conference.
What's Happening in the States
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
NASWA Services
2020 UI IT SUPPORT CENTER ANNUAL REPORT
UI ITSC released its annual report in September. The UI ITSC fosters partnerships to advance modernization of unemployment insurance and workforce programs, facilitates the exchange of ideas and practices among states, and provides products, services and training that help states leverage technology to meet evolving needs. This report summarizes the activities and project highlights of UI ITSC within the last year. Some notable sections of the report include:

  • Modernization and State Engagement
  • Activities during COVID-19 Pandemic
  • Product Portfolio
  • Training Offerings
For more information on UI ITSC, please contact Ben Peirce, UI ITSC Director at bpeirce@naswa.org.
NASWA AFFILIATES
NASWA Affiliates enjoy exclusive benefits.
Labor Market Insights
OCTOBER LABOR MARKET INSIGHTS

Contributed by Michael Horrigan, President of W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research.


I want to take the opportunity to clear up some important misconceptions that have emerged in interpreting recent labor market data. On a number of occasions I have been asked if the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ (BLS) unemployment numbers are a true reflection of what is currently happening in U.S. labor markets? In particular, concern is expressed over the much lower levels of unemployment reported by BLS as compared to Unemployment Insurance (UI) recipiency levels. My answer is...
Bulletin Board
UI PERFORMANCE AWARDS
Congratulations to recipients of the 2020 USDOL UI Performance Excellence Awards presented during the 2020 NASWA Summit | 84th Annual Meeting!

Performance Excellence in Benefit Payments
  • Missouri (Large state)
  • Utah (Medium state)

Performance Excellence in Appeals Decisions
  • Minnesota (Large state)
  • Utah (Medium state)
  • South Dakota (Small state)
Performance Excellence in Tax Operations
  • Texas (Large state)
  • Utah (Medium state)

Performance Excellence in Integrity
  • Missouri (Large state)
  • Utah (Medium state)

Significant Improvement in the Improper Payment Rate
  • Michigan (Large state)
  • Nevada (Medium state)
  • North Dakota (Small state)
VA AND U.S. DOL VETS SIGN AGREEMENT
TO ENHANCE SERVICE TO VETERANS

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Veteran Readiness and Employment Service (VR&E) and the Department of Labor (DOL) Veterans' Employment and Training Service (VETS) have signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) which will help both agencies assist Veterans to reach their full potential in the workplace.
COVID-19 Resources
You can search Reemployment & Recovery COVID-19 topics in addition to Unemployment Insurance topics.

NASWA Members (state workforce agency personnel) have additional resources and solutions available for internal use only. This requires your NASWA Member login to access.
Workforce Jobs
Have you seen the jobs available on our Workforce Jobs page?

View the most recent job listings or email webmaster@naswa.org to submit a workforce development-related job.
Please send relevant content for the newsletter to Brooke Higdon.