Organization: U.S. Department of Labor (DOL)
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Policy 
Building Resilience: A Plan for Transforming Unemployment Insurance
In recognition of the UI system’s challenges both before and during the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) in June 2022 placed the UI system on its High Risk List, recommending that the DOL develop and implement a plan to transform the UI system. This transformation plan details the activities and strategies already completed and those underway and being pursued by the Department of Labor. It also contains recommendations for needed legislative action that directly address the critical challenges identified by GAO. This plan is structured according to the DOL’s key action areas that together will build a resilient UI system, capable of responding effectively to future economic challenges.
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Communications 
Plain Language: Foundations 101 Webcast
This is a video recording of a NASWA Feb 2024 webinar on plain language presented for UI state leaders. Slides are also available.
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Human-Centered Design 
Improving Unemployment Insurance Applications with CX Principles
This resource contains principles and examples of high-impact improvements to consider making in different parts of the online application. CX principles for online applications describes broadly applicable best practices that when implemented across the various sections of an online application can increase claimant self-service and reduce the need for interventions from state agency staff. The employer and occupation sections highlight promising improvements within these sections to collect employment history, reason for filing for unemployment (separation information), and a claimant’s occupation. Gathering the information for these sections is particularly complex for claimants and state agencies alike.
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Improving mobile usability for claimants
Mobile usability refers to the ease with which people can accomplish tasks on smartphones or tablets. A good mobile experience enables people to do the same things they do on a desktop computer while considering mobile devices’ constraints.
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Digital Identity 
Prototyping a document management system for future emergencies
Research from the Department of Labor shows that document management systems reduce barriers for claimants and help states be more efficient. With additional improvements and investment, these systems can be even more effective in serving the public and reducing backlogs in times of crisis.
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Automation + AI 
Use Cases for Robotic Process Automation in UI Claims Processing
For the past year, modernization teams at the Department of Labor (DOL) have been helping states identify opportunities to automate rote, non-discretionary, manual tasks, with the goal of helping them speed up the time that it takes to process claims. This post provides more context on Robotic Process Automation (RPA) and potential use cases in unemployment insurance.
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Human-Centered Design 
Customer Experience Principles for Unemployment Insurance
The blog post sets up a foundational perspective on CX principles for the state UI agencies.
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Unemployment Insurance IT Modernization Strategy
A guide to the strategy to help states move from monolithic, brittle unemployment insurance systems to modular, flexible solutions.
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Human-Centered Design 
Evaluating CX with Survey Design
In the Fall of 2022, the USDOL Office of Unemployment Insurance Modernization (OUIM) consulted with the Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES) to provide hands-on support with IT modernization and customer experience strategy. Primary discussions focused on making informed product, service, and business decisions based on qualitative and quantitative data— how might IDES leverage existing data streams to identify the most pressing technology issues in their unemployment insurance system, and how might IDES act upon this information in a timely and impactful manner?
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Human-Centered Design 
Unemployment Insurance Equitable Access Toolkit
The Unemployment Insurance Equitable Access Toolkit contains common equity recommendations, promising practices, and insights, represented visually as a different floor of an agency office building, compiled in one interactive document.
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User Research 
The UI Lexicon Project
To better understand the problem and find potential solutions, the U.S. Department of Labor conducted an exploratory UI Lexicon research project.
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Unemployment Insurance Claim Status Playbook
A U.S. Department of Labor published claim status playbook and model prototype on how to help make states' unemployment insurance claim process efficient and hassle-free.