WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor has issued guidance to states on how to promote equitable access to unemployment insurance programs for all workers and job seekers.
In a November 8 letter to unemployment insurance systems across the country, the department’s Employment and Training Administration shared best practices for assessing and improving equitable access at all stages of the unemployment insurance claims process to improve customer experience and state workload efficiency.
The new guidance includes technical assistance and tools from various department initiatives and state partnerships, including those funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan. It also provides an overview of how states can remove barriers related to race, age, ethnicity, language proficiency, disability status, geographic location, or other systemic issues that can create obstacles for people seeking to access unemployment benefits.
“Ensuring equitable access to unemployment insurance benefits gives workers and their families peace of mind by providing economic stability in the face of job loss,” said Acting Assistant Secretary for Employment and Training Brent Parton. “Today’s guidance furthers this goal and provides practical ways to remove long-standing barriers to accessing unemployment insurance programs.”
The guidance also includes requirements for state agencies and provides guidance on how to apply equal access rules in their unemployment insurance programs. The department’s Employment and Training Administration and the Office for Civil Rights worked together to incorporate provisions of federal nondiscrimination and equal opportunity regulations to provide states with consistent guidance on how to meet or exceed their legal obligations.
“The Department of Labor is committed to advancing equality everywhere,” said Naomi Barry-Perez, director of the Civil Rights Center. “As part of the department’s Equity Action Plan, this initiative will improve access to unemployment insurance for everyone who needs it, especially those who are considered the most vulnerable.”
