DOL Median Earnings 2nd Quarter – After Exit Dashboard

For questions, concerns, or feedback please reach out to the Data Integrity (DI) team @ ESDDLDATADataIntegrityTeam@esd.wa.gov

Background

The Participant Individualized Record Layout (PIRL) report captures activities and performance within the Workforce (WorkSource) system.  It is the tool, which states use to communicate such activities and outcomes to the Department of Labor (DOL) Employment and Training Administration (DOLETA or ETA for short).   

The Department of Labor describes why it is so important to report performance:

“The public workforce development system provides resources, services, and tools to support individuals and businesses in developing and maintaining a workforce to support a thriving economy throughout the nation. Given the critical importance of this system, its performance at the local, state, and federal levels is vitally important. Consistent, accurate performance reporting allows the workforce system to assess its effectiveness, make data-informed improvements, be accountable to taxpayers, and, ultimately, support vibrant communities, businesses, and families throughout the nation.”

See DOL PIRL PM supporting documentation, for DOL’s official guidance/laws, regarding information/statutory laws, for all of the DOL Performance Measures, which are deciphered, defined, and maintained by DOL, and of which WA State is held accountable by DOL, on the PIRL.

Purpose and DOL Definition

The Department of Labor (DOL) describes The Median Earnings indicator as the following: 

"The Median Earnings indicator measures the earnings of participants who are employed during the second quarter after exit.

Median Earnings – 2nd Quarter After Exit: The median earnings of participants who are in unsubsidized employment during the second quarter after exit from the program. What is being measured? Here we are measuring the earnings of program exiters. Successful outcomes are all participants who exited during the reporting period with earnings. The median is the number that is in the middle of the series of numbers, so that there is the same quantity of numbers above the median as there are below the median. The data for this calculation is drawn from PIRL 1704. To calculate the median, wages (PIRL 1704) must first be ranked (sorted in ascending order). The median earnings value is the wage in the middle of the rank order list. If the list rank order of earnings contains an even number of values, sum the two middle values and divide them by two. Whether there is an odd or even number of entries in the list of earnings values, there will be an equal number of records above and below the median value”

For more information see the related E-Learning Module.

Accountable DOL WorkSource Programs

The following DOL WorkSouce programs are held accountable, for these DOL Performance Measures:

  • Title III Wagner-Peyser (WP) 

  • Title Ib Adult (AD)

  • Title Ib Youth (Y)

  • Title Ib Dislocated Worker (DW) (Including the Rapid Response (RR) Program)

  • Jobs for Veterans State Grants (JVSG)

  • National Dislocated Worker Grants (NDWG)

  • Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA)

Important Note:  The DI Team does NOT define nor create any of the definitions/calculations for the new DOL QRAs (QRA Calculations), or any of the DOL Performance Measures (QPR Calculations), on the PIRL, or any other Federal report or performance measure calculations (Like the UNTEER employment rate) you may have access to.  DOL deciphers, defines, and maintains the “what” the “why” and the “how” for those definitions/calculations, at the Federal level, within their DOL official guidance/laws, for all of the 50 states and the territories.  DOL provides the 50 states and the territories with pseudo code, in order to replicate the definitions, numbers, and percentages.  The DI Team only provides visuals for you.  As to why those numbers and percentages sometimes seem to be in conflict with each other (They all use the same data set, the PIRL), will also be defined, within DOL’s official guidance/laws, of which the DI Team always provides, with our dashboards.

Dashboard

Dashboard Supporting Documentation