Behavioral Insights: Growing Across State UI Programs

3 Cheers for State Workforce Agencies!

Behavioral Insights (BI) is catching on in UI programs across the country. Since its formation, the NASWA BI Unit has been proud to lead State Workforce Agencies in adopting Behavioral Insights to improve program integrity and address other challenges. Over the last year, we have offered support to more than a dozen state projects, presented at conferences and shared a wealth of BI resources in our Toolkit. Within this newsletter, we have written about the importance of plain language, why it is hard not to rush to judgment and how the messenger effect can improve outreach. Most energizing to us, however, is not our accomplishments, but yours. Our data tells us that states are working hard to draw on behavioral research and maximize integrity in their UI programs. Three data points in particular show how BI has spread, taken root and started to grow across UI programs.

The NASWA BI team is comprised of seven individuals – nowhere near large enough to address every behavioral barrier to UI integrity that states and claimants face. To create system-wide change, we need a movement of engaged staff. As is clear in the below map—which shows the number of people that have enrolled in the Behavioral Insights Certificate offered through NASWA Learning—that movement is happening. Staff are certainly showing an interest in learning BI. Through completion of the e-Learning course, staff learn to diagnose and define behavioral problems in UI, as well as to create and test solutions. Moreover, with a solid understanding, staff are better able to understand when and how to tap additional resources, such as NASWA BI’s direct support.

BI Certification Enrollments by State (Since 2023)

Training means nothing if it is not effective. State staff are not only gaining certification, but it is having an impact. Following completion of the BI Certificate, staff have

• expressed appreciation for the importance of BI content (with 75% saying they would recommend it to colleagues),
• increased knowledge (with 86% demonstrating improved skills) and
• been ready to act (with 77% planning to apply BI at their work).

Staff Reaction to BI Certificate (2024)

By far the most popular item in our BI Toolkit is the “Simply Put Series: Using NASWA's Model Claimant Handbook for Clearer Communications - A Case Study with the Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry,” a resource filled to the brim with clarity and handbook-optimizing insights. When communicating with claimants, a poor turn of phrase or a buried piece of information can lead to expensive misunderstandings--costing states and claimants in dollars, time and stress. It is exciting to see that BI innovation is budding and states are learning and applying new tools. Together, we can keep making things better.