V.I. Dept. of Labor logo. Photo Credit: V.I. CONSORTIUM
The U.S. Virgin Islands is set to benefit from a significant grant aimed at modernizing and enhancing unemployment insurance systems.
The U.S. Department of Labor has announced that it will be awarding over $204 million to 18 states and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The grants, funded by the American Rescue Plan Act, are designed to support the strengthening, modernization, and improvement of user experience and reliability within these unemployment insurance systems.
The department’s Employment and Training Administration will oversee the administration of these grants. The primary goal is to enable the recipients to strategize the upgrade and redesign of their unemployment insurance programs.
This is not only to improve the general user experience but also to better defend these systems against fraudulent activities and to enhance the ease of maintenance and adaptability. Embracing cloud technology, the funds are expected to make the unemployment insurance systems more user-friendly and adaptable. Additionally, the department is pushing for grant recipients to collaborate, sharing models, insights, software modifications, and lessons to benefit other states.
This announcement is in line with the department's continuous efforts to improve unemployment insurance systems across the country. In July 2023, the department announced a funding of approximately $200 million for states to invest in IT projects, emphasizing the agility and resilience of unemployment insurance systems. Moreover, the department had previously disbursed more than $93 million to 49 states focusing on program integrity and over $73.5 million to 33 states to execute Tiger Team recommendations.
Out of the allocated funds, the Virgin Islands Department of Labor will receive $10.2 million. The grants vary among states, with most states receiving $11.25 million.
