Job Training: Effect of Under-Reported Unemployment Data on Grant Funding to Rural Areas

摘要

Joint Economic Committee (JEC) staff have advanced economic arguments that allege a systematic under-reporting of the number of unemployed individuals residing in rural counties. Based on these arguments they raised the question of whether rural counties are receiving their 'fair share' of funding under programs that use unemployment data in making grant awards to counties. The JEC Vice Chairman requested assistance in determining the possible extent to which rural counties may be under-funded in federal grant programs that use local area unemployment data for allocating funds. The review of the 20 largest formula grant programs identified the Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA) as the only program that allocates funds directly to local areas using unemployment data.