Employment Security Department
| Average Annual FTEs | Near General Fund State | Other Funds | Total Funds | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (Dollars in Thousands) | ||||
| Current Budget | 2,726.8 | 26,087 | 1,662,357 | 1,688,444 |
| 2023-25 Maintenance Level | 2,114.2 | 27,933 | 741,515 | 769,448 |
| Difference from 2023-25 Original | (612.6) | 1,846 | (920,842) | (918,996) |
| % Change from 2023-25 Original | (22.5%) | 7.1% | (55.4%) | (54.4%) |
2023 Policy Other Changes |
||||
| Continuous Improvement Team | 9.3 | 0 | 3,136 | 3,136 |
| AmeriCorps Equity Enhancement | 1.0 | 7,929 | 0 | 7,929 |
| WA Cares System Completion | 13.5 | 0 | 15,399 | 15,399 |
| LCD Outreach and Access Staff | 11.3 | 0 | 3,128 | 3,128 |
| Information Security Team | 3.8 | 0 | 1,655 | 1,655 |
| Clean Tech Jobs | 1.0 | 0 | 326 | 326 |
| Expand EcSA to Over 200% FPL | 1.0 | 5,292 | 0 | 5,292 |
| Transfer CCL Coordinator Funds | 0.0 | (2,700) | 0 | (2,700) |
| Fraud Staffing | 0.0 | 0 | 2,083 | 2,083 |
| Audit Coordination Project Manager | 2.0 | 0 | 600 | 600 |
| Federal QUEST Grant - Quality Jobs | 0.0 | 0 | 7,500 | 7,500 |
| Business Navigators | 1.0 | 2,896 | 0 | 2,896 |
| WorkSource System Replacement | 9.0 | 0 | 11,613 | 11,613 |
| 2023 Policy Other Changes Total | 52.9 | 13,417 | 45,440 | 58,857 |
2023 Policy Comp Changes |
||||
| State Employee Benefits | 0.0 | 0 | 109 | 109 |
| WFSE General Government | 0.0 | 1 | 28,004 | 28,005 |
| Rep Employee Health Benefits | 0.0 | 0 | 781 | 781 |
| Non-Rep Recruitment/Retention | 0.0 | 1 | 274 | 275 |
| Non-Rep General Wage Increase | 0.0 | 12 | 3,586 | 3,598 |
| PERS & TRS Plan 1 Benefit Increase | 0.0 | 0 | 343 | 343 |
| Vaccine Booster Incentive | 0.0 | 1 | 235 | 236 |
| 2023 Policy Comp Changes Total | 0.0 | 15 | 33,332 | 33,347 |
2023 Policy Central Services Changes |
||||
| Shared Tenant M365 to CSM | 0.0 | (2) | (2,219) | (2,221) |
| State Data Center | 0.0 | 0 | (511) | (511) |
| Archives/Records Management | 0.0 | 0 | 21 | 21 |
| Audit Services | 0.0 | 0 | 111 | 111 |
| Legal Services | 0.0 | 0 | 388 | 388 |
| Administrative Hearings | 0.0 | 0 | 3,407 | 3,407 |
| CTS Central Services | 0.0 | 2 | 3,121 | 3,123 |
| DES Central Services | 0.0 | 0 | 1,301 | 1,301 |
| OFM Central Services | 0.0 | 3 | 4,328 | 4,331 |
| GOV Central Services | 0.0 | 1 | 997 | 998 |
| 2023 Policy Central Services Changes Total | 0.0 | 4 | 10,944 | 10,948 |
| Total Policy Changes | 52.9 | 13,436 | 89,716 | 103,152 |
| 2023-25 Policy Level | 2,167.1 | 41,369 | 831,231 | 872,600 |
| Difference from 2021-23 | (559.7) | 15,282 | (831,126) | (815,844) |
| % Change from 2023-25 Original | (20.5%) | 58.6% | (50.0%) | (48.3%) |
Policy Changes
Continuous Improvement Team
Funding and staff are provided for the development of a continuous improvement team to make customer, employer, and equity enhancements to the Unemployment Insurance program beyond the investments already made in past years. (Unemployment Compensation Admin - Federal)
AmeriCorps Equity Enhancement
Funding is provided to increase the stipend for members of the Washington Service Corps from $16,502 per year to $26,758. The increased stipend is available to members who enter into their service year with income below 200 percent of the federal poverty level. In addition, the funding covers one outreach staff member. (General Fund - State)
WA Cares System Completion
Funding and staff are provided to complete the second phase of the Long-term Services and Supports Trust IT system, which includes the implementation of program qualification and correspondence with other state agency systems. (Long-Term Servs & Sup Trust Account - State)
LCD Outreach and Access Staff
Funding and staff are provided for the Paid Family and Medical Leave program and the Long-Term Services and Supports program to increase outreach to underserved communities, perform program evaluation and data management, perform necessary fiscal functions, and make customer experience enhancements. (Family & Medical Leave Insur Acct - State, Long-Term Servs & Sup Trust Account - State)
Information Security Team
Funds are provided to increase the department's information security team to improve the agency's capacity to proactively address critical security vulnerabilities, audit findings, and process gaps. (Administrative Contingency Account - State)
Clean Tech Jobs
The department will use this funding for the staffing necessary to participate in the Clean Technology Advisory Committee and provide data support for the clean tech jobs report. (Climate Commitment Account - State)
Expand EcSA to Over 200% FPL
Funding is provided for two years to expand the Economic Security for All (EcSA) program to individuals that have incomes over 200 percent of the federal poverty level. Participants of the program must demonstrate financial need and may receive up to $5,000 per year in support services and assistance with training or education costs necessary to maintain or secure employment. (General Fund - State)
Transfer CCL Coordinator Funds
Funding is transferred from the Employment Security Department to the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction for grants to the nine educational service districts for the cost of employing one employee to support the expansion of Career Connected Learning (CCL). (Workforce Education Investment Acc - State)
Fraud Staffing
Expenditure authority is provided to cover a portion of the costs associated with the increase in permanent staff on the Unemployment Insurance fraud team. (Employment Services Administrative - State)
Audit Coordination Project Manager
Funding is provided for two project managers to assist with the coordination of state audits. (Performance Audits of Government - State)
Federal QUEST Grant - Quality Jobs
Federal expenditure authority is provided for a two-year grant intended to enhance the workforce system's ongoing efforts to support employment equity and employment recovery form the COVID-19 pandemic. The funds must be used for partnership development, community outreach, business engagement, and comprehensive career and training services. (General Fund - Federal)
Business Navigators
Funding and staffing are provided to increase the number of business navigators at the local workforce development boards to further support industry recovery and growth. (General Fund - State)
WorkSource System Replacement
The department will use this funding to complete the WorkSource Integrated Technology Platform replacement project. The replacement system will support the workforce administration statewide to ensure adoption of the U.S. Department of Labor's integrated service delivery model and to meet program performance requirements for the state's Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act and other federal grants. In addition, funding is provided for the maintenance and operation costs of the new technology platform upon completion of the project. (Employment Services Administrative - State)
State Employee Benefits
Health insurance funding is provided for state employees who are not represented by a union, who are covered by a bargaining agreement that is not subject to financial feasibility determination, or who are not part of the coalition of unions for health benefits. The insurance funding rate is $1,160 per employee per month for fiscal year 2024 and $1,233 per employee per month for fiscal year 2025. (Unemployment Compensation Admin - Federal, Family & Medical Leave Insur Acct - State, Employment Services Administrative - State, other funds)
WFSE General Government
Funding is provided for a general wage increase of 4%, effective July 1, 2023; a general wage increase of 3%, effective July 1, 2024; targeted job classification base range increases; recognition and retention lump sum payments for employees employed on or before July 1, 2022 and continuously employed through July 1, 2023; shift premium increase for eligible shifts from $1 to $2.50 per eligible hour; a COVID-19 booster incentive of $1,000; supplemental shift premium increases for nurse classifications; 5% premium pay for employees who are assigned to a facility that provides direct care to residents, patients and/or clients and whose duties are required to be performed on location; and an increase of $250 to the annual lump sum payment for Labor and Industries risk classes 7200/7201. (Unemployment Compensation Admin - Federal, Family & Medical Leave Insur Acct - State, General Fund - Federal, other funds)
Rep Employee Health Benefits
This provides health insurance funding as part of the master agreements for employees who bargain for health benefits as part of a coalition of unions. The insurance funding rate is $1,160 per employee per month for fiscal year 2024 and $1,233 per employee per month for fiscal year 2025. (General Fund - Federal, Family & Medical Leave Insur Acct - State, Unemployment Compensation Admin - Federal, other funds)
Non-Rep Recruitment/Retention
Funding is provided for recognition and retention lump sum payments for employees employed on or before July 1, 2022 and continuously employed through July 1, 2023. (Family & Medical Leave Insur Acct - State, Employment Services Administrative - State, Unemployment Compensation Admin - Federal, other funds)
Non-Rep General Wage Increase
Funding is provided for wage increases for state employees who are not represented by a union or who are covered by a bargaining agreement that is not subject to financial feasibility determination. It is sufficient for a general wage increase of 4 percent, effective July 1, 2023 and a general wage increase of 3 percent, effective July 1, 2024. This item includes both general government and higher education workers. (Employment Services Administrative - State, Family & Medical Leave Insur Acct - State, Unemployment Compensation Admin - Federal, other funds)
PERS & TRS Plan 1 Benefit Increase
For eligible Public Employees' and Teachers' Retirement Systems Plan 1 members, this item provides an increase of 3%, up to a maximum of $110 per month. (Unemployment Compensation Admin - Federal, Family & Medical Leave Insur Acct - State, General Fund - Federal, other funds)
Vaccine Booster Incentive
Funding is provided for a $1,000 lump sum COVID-19 booster incentive for non-represented employees. This funding does not cover institutions of higher education. (Unemployment Compensation Admin - Federal, Family & Medical Leave Insur Acct - State, Employment Services Administrative - State, other funds)
Shared Tenant M365 to CSM
Agency budgets are reduced by the base budget amounts provided to Consolidated Technology Services for Microsoft 365 licenses so the cost can be added to the central service model allocation in CTS central services (Step 92J). (Administrative Contingency Account - State, Workforce Education Investment Acc - State, General Fund - Private/Local, other funds)
State Data Center
Adjustments are made for each agency's share of costs related to the State Data Center. (Administrative Contingency Account - State, General Fund - Local, General Fund - Private/Local, other funds)
Archives/Records Management
Adjustments are made for each agency's anticipated share of charges for archives and records management services provided by the Secretary of State's Office. (Family & Medical Leave Insur Acct - State, Unemployment Compensation Admin - Federal, General Fund - Federal, other funds)
Audit Services
Adjustments are made for each agency's anticipated cost of audits performed by the State Auditor's Office. (Unemployment Compensation Admin - Federal, General Fund - Federal, Family & Medical Leave Insur Acct - State, other funds)
Legal Services
Adjustments are made for each agency's anticipated cost of legal services provided by the Attorney General's Office. Because legal services expenditures are based on consumption, funding provided in the central service model is not all inclusive. The methodology to estimate consumption has been updated from a three-year average to a two-year average and allows for analysis to incorporate unique agency circumstances. (Unemployment Compensation Admin - Federal, Family & Medical Leave Insur Acct - State)
Administrative Hearings
Adjustments are made for each agency's anticipated cost of hearings performed by the Office of Administrative Hearings. (Family & Medical Leave Insur Acct - State, Long-Term Servs & Sup Trust Account - State, Unemployment Compensation Admin - Federal)
CTS Central Services
Adjustments are made to reflect each agency's anticipated share of charges from Consolidated Technology Services (CTS) for the Office of the Chief Information Officer, Office of Cybersecurity, state network, enterprise services, small agency IT services, security gateways, and geospatial imaging services. This amount now includes the total amount for agencies that use the Microsoft 365 shared tenant. See Chapter 11 of the 2023-25 OFM Budget Instructions for allocation methodologies. (General Fund - Federal, Unemployment Compensation Admin - Federal, Family & Medical Leave Insur Acct - State, other funds)
DES Central Services
Adjustments are made to reflect each agency's anticipated share of charges from the Department of Enterprise Services (DES) for campus rent, parking, contracts, and security; capital project surcharges; financing cost recovery; public and historic facilities; real estate services; risk management services; personnel service rates; the Perry Street and Capitol Campus child care centers; small agency services; and the department's enterprise applications. See Chapter 11 of the 2023-25 OFM Budget Instructions for allocation methodologies. (Unemployment Compensation Admin - Federal, Family & Medical Leave Insur Acct - State, General Fund - Federal, other funds)
OFM Central Services
Adjustments are made to reflect each agency's anticipated share of charges for existing statewide applications, the One Washington program, and other central services provided by the Office of Financial Management. See Chapter 11 of the 2023-25 OFM Budget Instructions for allocation methodologies. (General Fund - Federal, Unemployment Compensation Admin - Federal, Family & Medical Leave Insur Acct - State, other funds)
GOV Central Services
A new central service is created to reflect each agency's anticipated share of charges from the Office of the Governor for statewide policy staff and the Office of Equity. (Family & Medical Leave Insur Acct - State, General Fund - Federal, Unemployment Compensation Admin - Federal, other funds)
