The Utah agency is operated on a computerized job match system. All applications and all job orders received by the agency are stored in a computer so that applicants can be matched with jobs. Whenever an individual receives service or a job order is acted on, the interviewer initiates a transaction ledger which informs the computer of the action and is subsequently recorded in the proper place in the computer. Thus, the Employment Service Automated Recording System (ESARS) keeps a record of all transactions for each applicant and each job order.
A sampling technique has been devised where the computer is queried for the necessary information. This sampling technique randomly selects a 40 per cent sample with a very low error factor (i.e., the sample varies only slightly from the total population recorded in the computer). The study used the following questions: (1) How many applicants were available for work? (2) How many people were placed? (3) How many people were counseled? (4) How many counseled applicants were placed? Placement rates were computed on each of the following variables: sex, age, marital status, disadvantaged, veteran, handicapped, and minority.
Two sets of data have been gathered for fiscal year (FY) 1974 and FY 1973. Even though the total applicant intake of FY 1974 increased by 16 per cent over FY 1973, the percentages of total available applicants, applicants placed, applicants counseled, and counseled applicants placed remained similar for the two years. The major part of this discussion is based on the 1974 figures, which are supported by the study of the previous year.
Applicant Data
Description of Applicants
During FY 1974,154,096 individuals contacted the Utah employment service local offices and filed applications for employment. The following are some of the characteristics of the population studied: 57 percent were male; 50 per cent were in the age range of 22-24 years; 13 per cent were 45 years and older; 43 per cent were married; 20 per cent were separated, divorced, or widowed; 90 per cent were Caucasian; 10 per cent were from minority groups; 17 per cent were classified as disadvantaged; and 16 per cent were handicapped.
Applicant Placement Rate
The placement rate of applicants looking for work who contacted the Utah local offices is important. People possessing certain characteristics often thought of as barriers to employment, such as being handicapped, a minority group member, or separated, divorced, or widowed, were placed in jobs at a higher rate than other applicants when processed through regular channels. The following are the percentages of applicants with these characteristics who were placed in jobs: minority, 39 per cent; veteran handicapped, 46 per cent; handicapped, 33 per cent; and separated, divorced, or widowed, 34 per cent. The key seems to be characteristics that make a person different or require special attention from the interviewer. Perhaps interviewers conducted more thorough appraisals and worked harder to place these people. In some cases legislation mandates the services certain groups are to receive.
Undoubtedly there were many others who found employment on their own as a result of the local office contact. These may be people who needed job information, some direction and encouragement, or the experience of being interviewed or counseled, from which they learned what kinds of information they needed when presenting themselves to a potential employer. Since we have no statistics to show the number of people who found jobs on their own as a result of help received from the employment service, we can only speculate about them. Further study is needed on this group.
Placement of Counseled Applicants
From the total of available applicants, 6.2 per cent were referred for counseling. This is a small portion of the total intake that received counseling services. There is reason to believe that many applicants who needed or could have benefited from the additional service of counseling were not recognized or referred by the Utah agency interviewers. Part of this may be the result of less emphasis on counseling which reduces the available staff. The people most often referred for counseling were disadvantaged, veterans, minorities, separated, divorced, or widowed, handicapped, and in the age range of 22 to 44 years. Men were referred to counseling at about the same percentage rate of intake as women. However, since men came to the employment office more often than women, they comprised about 59 per cent of the counseling cases.
How many of the people sent to counseling were placed in jobs? Does counseling improve placement chances? The answers to these questions are significant for the administrative planner.
The chances of an applicant's finding work more than doubles with the added advantage of counseling. The percentage of applicants placed increased from 27.5 per cent to nearly 45 per cent with one counseling interview. Of the counseled applicants 63 per cent had only one or two counseling interviews. It appears that the number of counseling interviews significantly improves an applicant's chances of placement. Eleven per cent of the applicants had five or more interviews and of these only 2 per cent had more than ten. A question arises as to the value of time expended beyond 5 to 10 interviews. Counselors may be dealing with problems that should be handled by some other agency. They should increase their skills in being effective sooner or discerning more readily when to refer the applicant for special assistance. The employment counselors in Utah significantly cut down the number of long-term counseling contacts during FY 1974, as compared to FY 1973. This appears to be the counselors' response to the priority goal of replacement by helping applicants to start working sooner.
