Department of Labor
Project details
I led research with state and federal unemployment experts to inform emergency response efforts and advocate for change.
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Background
From 2022–2024, I was part of a small strategic projects team within the Office of Unemployment Insurance Modernization. We reported to the Secretary of Labor and worked closely with the Chief Information Officer and the Administrator of the Office of Unemployment Insurance at DOL. We were tasked with proposing innovative solutions to support the administration’s priorities: equity, fraud prevention, and timely benefits payments.
Emergency programs like Pandemic Unemployment Assistance and Disaster Unemployment Assistance have been an economic lifeline for millions of workers in times of crisis. These programs support workers who don’t qualify for traditional unemployment, including freelance, self-employed, and gig workers. However, states lack the necessary data and tools to verify income for these populations, which leaves the programs vulnerable to fraud and improper payments.
testimonial
“If you are a poet, you will see clearly that there is a cloud floating in every sheet of paper. Without a cloud, there will be no rain; without rain, the trees cannot grow; and without trees, we cannot make paper. The cloud is essential for the paper to exist.”
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Goals and approach
Our initial scope was nebulous and exciting — with a mandate from leadership to figure out how we could truly transform the unemployment system for future emergencies.
I helped narrow our focus and worked with the team to define clearer research goals:
- Understand pain points, policy requirements, and best practices for income verification
- Identify opportunities to reduce administrative burden for claimants and state workforce agencies
- Propose short- and long-term solutions to improve program integrity and support non-traditional workers
I facilitated a design sprint to identify questions, hypotheses, and assumptions from past research. We led interviews with subject matter experts at DOL, and took a snowball recruiting approach to connect with broader audiences at state and federal agencies. During our working sessions, I diagrammed the income verification process in a rough journey map:
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Background
From 2022–2024, I was part of a small strategic projects team within the Office of Unemployment Insurance Modernization. We reported to the Secretary of Labor and worked closely with the Chief Information Officer and the Administrator of the Office of Unemployment Insurance at DOL. We were tasked with proposing innovative solutions to support the administration’s priorities: equity, fraud prevention, and timely benefits payments.
Emergency programs like Pandemic Unemployment Assistance and Disaster Unemployment Assistance have been an economic lifeline for millions of workers in times of crisis. These programs support workers who don’t qualify for traditional unemployment, including freelance, self-employed, and gig workers. However, states lack the necessary data and tools to verify income for these populations, which leaves the programs vulnerable to fraud and improper payments.
testimonial
It doesn’t matter what the project is—I’d work with Nicole again in a heartbeat. She has an amazing eye for research, storytelling, and getting the most important points across to stakeholders.Joanne Esteban, Product Lead at DOL
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