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  • III. Operational Planning Elements

    The Unified or Combined State Plan must include an Operational Planning Elements section that supports the State’s strategy and the system-wide vision described in Section II(c) above.  Unless otherwise noted, all Operational Planning Elements apply to Combined State Plan partner programs included in the plan as well as to core programs.  This section must include—

    • b. State Operating Systems and Policies

      The Unified or Combined State Plan must include a description of the State operating systems and policies that will support the implementation of the State strategy described in section II Strategic Elements.  This includes—

III. b. 6. C. Use of Unemployment Insurance (UI) Wage Record Data

Explain how the State will meet the requirements to utilize quarterly UI wage records for performance accountability, evaluations, and as a source for workforce and labor market information, consistent with Federal and State law. (This Operational Planning element applies to core programs.)

Current Narrative:

As part of the administration of the Unemployment Insurance program, the EDD is responsible for gathering and maintaining information in the Base Wage File, which is the repository for the wage data submitted by employers.  The wage data is comprised of the Social Security Numbers (SSN) and names, which employers receive from their employees, and the quarterly wages and withholdings attributed to those SSNs. The California Unemployment Insurance Code (CUIC) stipulates that information obtained in the administration of the CUIC must remain confidential and is not open to public disclosure, unless there is an exception in state law.  Most of the exceptions are listed under CUIC Section 1095 and have been narrowly crafted to ensure confidential information is made available only when a strong justification has been demonstrated. 

Local Boards and WIOA core program partner agencies are listed as a formal exception under CUIC Section 1095 and therefore have ongoing access to base wage file data of their participants in order to monitor the performance outcomes required under WIOA Section 116. This access allows Local Boards and partners to understand their performance at both a program and participant level, which enables them to make adjustments, as necessary, to improve their overall program performance.

California is also participating in the State Wage Interchange System (SWIS), the new WIOA-based data exchange for states to obtain and provide base wage information to each other. This will allow California to exchange interstate quarterly wage records with any other state participating in the SWIS in accordance with WIOA Section 116.