Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Data Sharing Longitudinal System topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Task force backs changes to allow university and labor to share wage/employment data for fisheries research
Summary
University of Alaska and Department of Labor representatives described a proposed statutory amendment to allow secure data sharing of unemployment-insurance wage/employment records and other datasets so researchers can evaluate workforce impacts of fisheries closures and policy options.
The task force discussed a proposed amendment to state law to enable broader, secure sharing of employer-filed wage and employment records between the University of Alaska’s Institute of Social and Economic Research (ISER) and state agencies, including the Department of Labor. Advocates said better data will let researchers and policymakers evaluate community-level workforce impacts of fisheries changes and of legislative proposals.
Chad Hutchison of the University of Alaska presented a draft amendment he said would permit ISER researchers to access Department of Labor wage and employment records in a way that preserves confidentiality while avoiding the time-consuming current process of in-person data access. "The amendment allows for better information sharing with the Department of Labor, to the university," Hutchison said.
Dan Robinson, the Department of Labor research chief, confirmed that the department’s unemployment insurance records provide detailed employment and earnings information that is especially useful for small rural communities. "The existing statute does prohibit that except in very narrow circumstances. So the more we share data productively the better," Robinson said.
Why this matters: task force members said access to these data would allow measurement of policy impacts — for example, the effects of hatchery programs, disruptions in shipping or changes in processor activity — and requested a legislative route to implement the amendment.
ISER and labor officials agreed to refine the draft language and participate in follow-up conversations with task force staff. The task force recorded this as a priority item for its long-range recommendations and to support evidence-based policymaking.
