Changes to 5159 (SPD15)

Attachment B

OUI proposes updating the ETA 5159 report to include demographic data categories as defined by the ETA 203 report “Characteristics of the Insured Unemployed” under OMB control number 1205-0009, which implements the latest guidance from the Office of Management and Budget’s (OMB) Revisions to its Statistical Policy Directive No. 15: Standards for Maintaining, Collecting, and Presenting Federal Data on Race and Ethnicity, which became effective on March 29, 2024.

Disclosing personal demographic information is entirely voluntary by the claimant and cannot be used for the purposes of establishing eligibility for benefits. The following data elements are self-selected by the claimant on the initial claim application and should be masked from non-essential state workforce agency staff. Any other UI required reports that also collect demographic information will use the same definitions established by the ETA 203 report. The Information Not Available (INA) option will remain “as is” to capture incidences where claimants leave a question(s) blank.

The proposed new elements for the ETA 5159 report are included here below for convenience.

1. Incomplete claim. The number of claimants that have relinquished, either intentionally or unintentionally, the pursuit of an unemployment insurance (or unemployment compensation) claim. The claimant did not complete the initial claim application and an official claim is not established.

2. Unique Individuals with at least One Week Claimed. The total number of unique individuals that filed at least one continued claim during the report month. The count of unique individuals should be determined based on a unique claimant identifier such as a claimant Social Security Number, a claimant ID, or other unique identifier. Individuals should be counted only once regardless of the number of continued claims they filed during the report month, including claimants that filed under multiple benefit years during the same month.

3. First and Final Payments by Demographics. Information on claimants receiving First Payments and Final Payments by Race or Ethnicity, Sex and/or Gender, and Level of Educational Attainment, will use the same definitions established by the ETA 203 report (OMB Control No. 1205-0009). Disclosing personal demographic information is entirely voluntary by the claimant and cannot be used for the purposes of establishing eligibility for benefits. Refer to the ETA 203 report instructions for specific definitions for these fields and more detailed information on the use of terms for each demographic category.

First Payments: Enter the total number of payments representing first weeks compensated in the benefit year, as reported in Section B and included under items 21, 24, and 25 combined. These counts should be broken out under each of the three demographic categories outlined below. The sum of first payments reported for each of the three demographic categories should equal the sum of the figures reported under items 21, 24, and 25. There is no further breakout of demographic information by regular UI, UCFE, and UCX claimants.

Final payments: Enter the number of final payments made to claimants as reported in Section B and included under items 26, 27, and 28 above. These amounts should be broken out under each of the three demographic categories outlined below. The sum of final payments reported for each of the three demographic categories should equal the sum of the figures reported under items 26, 27, and 28. There is no further breakout of demographic information by regular UI, UCFE, and UCX claimants.

4. Race or Ethnicity. The count of first payments (Line 400) and final payments (Line 401) made to claimants during the report period falling under each category (i.e., American Indian or Alaska Native; Asian; Black or African American; etc.). If state law prohibits identifying race or ethnic group on employment records, or if the claimant does not self-code, this information will have to be recorded as INA in the appropriate category. Please use the comments section to indicate if this unknown data is the result of a state law.

What is your race or ethnicity? Select all that apply or Mark all that apply:

American Indian or Alaska Native: a person having origins in any of the original peoples of North, Central, or South America. Including, for example, Navajo Nation, Blackfeet Tribe, Native Village of the Barrow Inupiat Traditional Government, Nome Eskimo Community, Aztec, Mayan, etc.

Asian: a person having origins in any of the original peoples of Central or East Asia, and South Asia. Including, for example, Chinese, Asian Indian, Japanese, Korean, Filipino, Vietnamese, etc.

Black or African American: a person having origins in any of the Black racial groups of Africa. Including, for example, African American, Jamaican, Haitian, Nigerian, Ethiopian, Somali, etc.

Hispanic/Latino(a): a person of Cuban, Mexican, Puerto Rican, South or Central American, or other Spanish culture or origin. Including, for example, Dominican, Guatemalan, Colombian, Honduran, Spaniard, Salvadoran, etc.

Middle Eastern or North African: a person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Middle East or North Africa. Including, for example, Egypt, Lebanon, Jordan, Syria, Morocco, Algeria, etc.

Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander: a person having origins in any of the original peoples of Hawaii, Guam, Samoa, or other Pacific islands. Including, for example, Native Hawaiian, Tongan, Fijian, Samoan, Chamorro, Marshallese, etc.

White: a person having origins in any of the original peoples of Europe. Including, for example, Ireland, Poland, Germany, France, Italy, Sweden, etc.

Multiracial/Multiethnic: a person having origins in any of the different racial or ethnic groups as defined in the preceding categories that are aggregated into this report category when respondents select or mark all that apply.

Information Not Available (INA): Left blank, no answer provided.

5. Sex and/or Gender. The count of first payments (Line 500) and final payments (Line 501) made to claimants during the report period under each category. Sex is a biological category based on reproductive, anatomical, and genetic characteristics. Gender is a person’s sense of being. This identity is not necessarily visible to others. This information is self-selected by the claimant on the initial claim application. “Please select: Male (M), Female (F), or Another Gender Identity/Non-binary (X).” If the claimant does not self-select, this information will be recorded as Information Not Available (INA) in the appropriate category.

6. Level of Educational Attainment. The count of first payments (Line 600) and final payments (Line 601) made to claimants during the report period based on the claimant reported highest level of educational attainment in each category (i.e., Less than a High School Diploma, High School Diploma or GED, Some College, etc.,).

Some high school, no diploma or the equivalent

High School Diploma/GED

Trade/Technical/Vocational School or Certification: Occupational or vocational program

Some college but no degree

Associate’s degree – Academic program in college

Bachelor’s degree – Four-year degree (For example: BA, BS)

Master's degree (For example: MA, MS, MSW, MBA)

Doctorate/Advanced degree (For example: PhD, MD, DDS, JD)

Information Not Available (INA): Left blank, no answer provided.