Labor Department Should Reconsider Its Approach to Employment Security Automation

The Employment Security Automation Project has been proposed by the Department of Labor to coordinate the development, implementation, and operation of automated employment security systems nationwide. Labor believed that, by consolidating the automation activities of both the Employment Service and the Unemployment Insurance Service, greater efficiency and economy would be achieved. The project has experienced many problems since its inception. The estimated cost has risen and may go even higher, and the completion date has been extended 3 years and will probably need to be extended further. States have had difficulty in implementing their plans because of insufficient computer capacity and delays in acquiring new computers.