United States

1.Series

Title:

Registered unemployment.

Starting year:

1933.

2.Agency making the initial registrations of unemployed persons

Name of the agency:

The official name may vary from state to state, but it is generally known as the State Workforce Development Agency or Employment Service.

Type of agency:

Public service under a national authority.

Name of the national authority:

Employment and Training Administration (administered through a Federal - State cooperative grant).

Location of the local offices making the registrations:

In 3,459 local "One-Stop" centres and service points throughout 50 states and 4 territories.

Type of services provided/administered by the agency:

  • Assisting job-seekers to find jobs;
  • Assisting job-seekers to establish their own business;
  • Assisting employers to find workers;
  • Vocational guidance;
  • Job-related training;
  • Paying unemployment compensation;
  • Other: various support services may be offered by local "One-Stop" centres.

    Percentage of job-seekers seeking work through the agency:

    Not known.

    3.The following information is registered about a person:

  • Name;
  • Sex;
  • Social security number (or similar identification number also used by other agencies);
  • Address of usual residence;
  • Date of birth;
  • Citizenship;
  • Nationality/ethnic group;
  • Educational/vocational attainment;
  • Current/past activity status;
  • Type of work (occupation) of past or present job;
  • Type of work (occupation) of job sought;
  • Name and address of present or previous employer or work place;
  • Type of business (industry) of present/previous employer/work place, with an unspecified number of groups distinguished;
  • Previous registrations with the agency/service;
  • Other: local "One-Stop" centres may require other job-related information.

    4.Criteria used for inclusion of a person in the registers (R) and/or the statistics of unemployed persons (S):

  • Being without work (R) and (S)*;
  • Seeking work (R) and (S)*;
  • Availability for work (R) and (S)*.

    * Unemployment Insurance claimants only.

    5.Criteria used for exclusion of a person from the registers (R) and/or the statistics of unemployed persons (S):

  • Death (R) and (S);
  • Taking up residency abroad (R) and (S);
  • Commencement of a (new) job (R) and (S);
  • Commencement of military service (R) and (S);
  • Participation in an employment promotion scheme, public works programme, etc. (R) and (S);
  • Studying or undergoing training (R) and (S)*;
  • Failure to contact the agency/service (sanctions vary among states) (R) and (S)*;
  • Refusal of suitable job offers (sanctions vary among states) (R) and (S)*;
  • Refusal of suitable training offers (sanctions vary among states) (R) and (S)*;
  • End of entitlement to receive unemployment compensation (R) and (S)*;
  • Inability to work (R) and (S)*.

    * Unemployment Insurance claimants only.

    6.Definition of unemployed persons used for the statistics

    For work registration, there is no Federal definition for unemployed persons.

    For receipt of Unemployment Insurance persons who claim benefits must be able to work, be available for work and actively seeking work.

    7.Updating of the registers

    The registers are updated regularly but the frequency varies among states.

    8.Unemployment rates

    Statistics from the registers are not used to obtain unemployment rates.

    9.Type of statistics of unemployed persons produced

    Reference period:

    Quarter.

    Frequency of production:

    Quarterly.

    Descriptive variables used:

  • Sex;
  • Age;
  • Educational level;
  • Occupation;
  • Industry.

    Form of publication:

    On paper, for general audience.

    Agency responsible for publication:

    Employment and Training Administration.

    Title of the publication:

    Wagner-Peyser Act Annual Program Report Data.

    10.Methodological information about the statistics

    Methodological information about the statistics is not available.

    11.Comparisons with unemployment statistics from other sources

    Comparisons have not been made with unemployment statistics from other sources.

    12.Major changes since the start of the statistics

    Major changes in legislation, capacity of the agency and/or administrative procedures took place in 1933, 1950, 1973, 1978, 1982 and 1998. The resulting changes in the statistics have not been estimated.

    13. Additional remarks

    Work registration policies vary across the United States. Generally, workers who are seeking staff-assisted referrals to jobs must register for work. In some states, workers may receive job vacancy and other information without registering for work.

    The work registration policies for those workers who file and receive Unemployment Insurance benefits also vary across the country. However, Unemployment Insurance claimants who are permanently laid off and who do not receive job vacancy information through a trade union hiring hall, must register for work.

    All states provide job listings through a computer network called America’s Job Bank.