Introduction: The Federal-State Partnership of Unemployment Compensation

Federal and state governments jointly administer the unemployment compensation system. Many participants at the Symposium addressed this aspect of unemployment compensation, and it is the topic of the four Articles that follow. This Introduction discusses three broad areas in order to provide a framework for issues concerning federal-state relations in unemployment compensation. This Introduction also will highlight some of the points made by Symposium participants in response to the ideas expressed in the following Articles. Part I addresses how the federal-state partnership operates and defines areas of responsibility for both the states and the federal government. Part I also discusses the balance of power between the federal and state governments. Part II examines how the states interact in claims involving more than one state. Part III questions the traditional role of the federal government as a partner with the states in the administration of unemployment compensation.