America’s Job Bank, run by the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), shuts down June 30, 2007. At that time, federal contractors must immediately list all job openings with the appropriate state job service office. Officials with DOL’s Employment and Training Administration (ETA) said they extensively reviewed and evaluated the on-going viability and expense of maintaining the national online job board before resolving to phase it out.
Impact on Federal Contractors
The demise of America’s Job Bank (AJB) leaves contractors (and subcontractors) wondering where to post job openings to make sure they comply with federal government mandates.
According to a letter and information sent by ETA Assistant Secretary Emily Stover DeRocco to state-run employment service officers in early 2006, the decision to discontinue AJB will not impact the ability of federal contractors to “immediately list all of its employment openings with the appropriate employment service delivery system.” This refers to state job service offices, also known as state employment service or one-stop service locations, and workforce development offices (in some states).
All jobs must be listed, including agreements to lease workers from “temp agencies,” except executive or top management jobs, positions filled from within the organization, and jobs lasting 3 days or less.
Job Listings for Veterans
The Vietnam Era Veterans’ Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA) permits covered contractors to fulfill their mandatory job-listing requirement by listing openings with either the appropriate local employment service office or with AJB. Obviously, AJB is no longer an option.
In any event, change was inevitable
with the passage of the Jobs for
Veterans Act (JVA). It amends
VEVRAA by changing the mandatory
job-posting requirement for covered
contractors. Under JVA, contractors
can no longer meet the requirement by
posting solely with AJB. Employers
with contracts of $100,000 or more
must “immediately list all employment
openings with the appropriate employment
service delivery system.”
Contractors are also allowed to list job
openings with one-stop career centers,
other appropriate service delivery
points, or America’s Job Bank (or any
subsequent national electronic job bank
established by DOL).”
Veterans Jobs - Job Board for U.S. Military Veterans
Important note: The JVA does not go into effect until the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) enacts regulations implementing it. This is not expected until at least July 2007, according to OFCCP’s regulatory agenda. (JVA also changes the threshold contract amount for a covered contract and the types of veterans protected under the law.) Until JVA is implemented, VEVRAA remains in force as is.
Rationale for AJB Phase-Out
DOL’s decision to phase out AJB came after the recognition that the online environment has changed since AJB started 1995. DeRocco stated in the 2006 letter to state employment service officials that “most states have developed or purchased their own Internet-based job banks, and the private sector has caught up and produced many nationwide Internet job sites and thousands of other specialty sites.”