Unemployment Insurance Wage Records' Potential for Measuring Performance in JTPA, JOBS and Postsecondary Vocational Education

This paper explores two broad questions related to using UI wage records as "common currency," as follows: • What is the potential for using UI wage records data on employment and earnings as a common basis for measuring postprogram performance for programs such as welfare-to-work, postsecondary vocational education and JTPA? What are the major advantages of relying on UI wage data rather than continuing current practices? What are the major disadvantages (barriers)? Are any of these barriers insurmountable? • In what ways might coordination be improved and strengthened at the state level through the use of UI wage records data as "common currency" for assessing performance across these and related programs? Are there parallels at the federal level?