Congressman Geoff Davis (R-KY), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Human Resources of the Committee on Ways and Means, today announced that the Subcommittee will hold a hearing on improving efforts to help unemployed Americans find jobs.  The hearing will take place on Thursday, February 10, 2011, in Room B-318 Rayburn House Office Building, immediately after a brief Subcommittee organizational meeting beginning at 2:00 P.M.

In view of the limited time available to hear witnesses, oral testimony at this hearing will be from invited witnesses only. Witnesses will include public and private sector experts on unemployment benefits and employment security policies designed to promote reemployment.  However, any individual or organization not scheduled for an oral appearance may submit a written statement for consideration by the Committee and for inclusion in the printed record of the hearing.

BACKGROUND:

In December 2010 (currently the most recent official data; data for January 2011 will be released on February 4, 2011), there were 14.5 million unemployed individuals in the United States; the U.S. unemployment rate was above 9 percent for the 20th consecutive month, a record dating back to the beginning of official data in 1948; and the average duration of unemployment was more than 34 weeks, slightly below the all-time high set earlier last year.

To assist unemployed individuals, the federal-state unemployment compensation program created by the Social Security Act of 1935 offers weekly payments while unemployed individuals search for work.  According to the U.S. Department of Labor, in order to be eligible for benefits, jobless workers must have a history of attachment to the workforce and must be able and available for work. Nearly $160 billion in total unemployment benefits were paid in fiscal year 2010, counting both state and federal benefits, stretching to a combined maximum of up to 99 weeks per individual in high unemployment states.  An additional nearly six billion dollars in federal administrative funds were spent last year to process unemployment benefits and operate public employment offices designed to connect the unemployed with new jobs. 

In announcing the hearing, Chairman Davis said, “This hearing starts with the basic question, ‘Are we doing everything we can to help the unemployed find jobs?’  In 2010, about 50 million people were hired into new positions.  But in this recession, unemployed workers have been at the back of the pack when it comes to getting hired.  Instead, the number of unemployed and the length of unemployment durations have grown to record levels, despite billions of dollars spent on benefits and services designed to help them find new work.  This hearing will provide an opportunity to review that issue, and ask what we can do to make this system work better.”

FOCUS OF THE HEARING:

The hearing will focus on current policies and programs designed to help unemployed individuals return to work and how they can be improved.

DETAILS FOR SUBMISSION OF WRITTEN COMMENTS:

Please Note: Any person(s) and/or organization(s) wishing to submit for the hearing record must follow the appropriate link on the hearing page of the Committee website and complete the informational forms. From the Committee homepage, https://waysandmeans.house.gov, select “Hearings.”  Select the hearing for which you would like to submit, and click on the link entitled, “Click here to provide a submission for the record.”  Once you have followed the online instructions, submit all requested information. ATTACH your submission as a Word document, in compliance with the formatting requirements listed below, by the close of business on Thursday, February 24, 2011.  Finally, please note that due to the change in House mail policy, the U.S. Capitol Police will refuse sealed-package deliveries to all House Office Buildings. For questions, or if you encounter technical problems, please call (202) 225-1721 or (202) 225-3625.

FORMATTING REQUIREMENTS:

The Committee relies on electronic submissions for printing the official hearing record.  As always, submissions will be included in the record according to the discretion of the Committee.  The Committee will not alter the content of your submission, but we reserve the right to format it according to our guidelines.  Any submission provided to the Committee by a witness, any supplementary materials submitted for the printed record, and any written comments in response to a request for written comments must conform to the guidelines listed below.  Any submission or supplementary item not in compliance with these guidelines will not be printed, but will be maintained in the Committee files for review and use by the Committee.

1.       All submissions and supplementary materials must be provided in Word format and MUST NOT exceed a total of 10 pages, including attachments. Witnesses and submitters are advised that the Committee relies on electronic submissions for printing the official hearing record.

2.       Copies of whole documents submitted as exhibit material will not be accepted for printing. Instead, exhibit material should be referenced and quoted or paraphrased.  All exhibit material not meeting these specifications will be maintained in the Committee files for review and use by the Committee.

3.       All submissions must include a list of all clients, persons and/or organizations on whose behalf the witness appears.  A supplemental sheet must accompany each submission listing the name, company, address, telephone, and fax numbers of each witness.

The Committee seeks to make its facilities accessible to persons with disabilities.  If you are in need of special accommodations, please call 202-225-1721 or 202-226-3411 TTD/TTY in advance of the event (four business days notice is requested).  Questions with regard to special accommodation needs in general (including availability of Committee materials in alternative formats) may be directed to the Committee as noted above.

Note: All Committee advisories and news releases are available on the World Wide Web at http://www.waysandmeans.house.gov/

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