[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 54 (Monday, March 21, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 15342-15348]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-6510]


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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Employment and Training Administration


Workforce Investment Act; Lower Living Standard Income Level

AGENCY: Employment and Training Administration, Labor.

ACTION: Notice of determination of Lower Living Standard Income Level.

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SUMMARY: Under Title I of the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) of 1998 
(Pub. L. 105-220), the Secretary of Labor annually determines the Lower 
Living Standard Income level (LLSIL) for uses described in the law. WIA 
defines the term ``Low Income Individual'' as one who qualifies under 
various criteria, including an individual who received income for a 
six-month period that does not exceed the higher level of the poverty 
line or 70 percent of the LLSIL. This issuance provides the Secretary's 
annual LLSIL for 2011 and references the current 2011 Health and Human 
Services ``Poverty Guidelines.''

DATES: Effective Date: This notice is effective on the date of 
publication in the Federal Register.

ADDRESSES: Send questions about the Lower Living Standard Income Level 
calculations: Mr. Samuel Wright, Department of Labor, Employment and 
Training Administration, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW., Room S-4231, 
Washington, DC 20210.
    Send written youth program comments to: Mr. Evan Rosenberg, 
Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, 200 
Constitution Avenue, NW., Room N-4464, Washington, DC 20210.
    For Further Information on LLSIL:
    Please contact Mr. Samuel Wright, Telephone 202-693-2870; Fax 202-
693-3015 (these are not toll free numbers); e-mail address 
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#a0d7d2c9c7c8d48ed3c1cdd5c5cc8ec5e0c4cfcc8ec7cfd6"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="9aede8f3fdf2eeb4e9fbf7effff6b4ffdafef5f6b4fdf5ec">[email protected]</span></a>.
    For Further Information on Federal Youth Programs:
    Evan Rosenberg, Telephone 202-693-3593; Fax 202-693-3532 (these are 
not toll free numbers).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: It is the purpose of the Workforce 
Investment Act of 1998, to provide workforce investment activities 
through statewide and local workforce investment systems that increase 
the employment, retention, and earnings of participants. The Workforce 
Investment Act programs are intended to increase the occupational skill 
attainment by participants and the quality of the workforce thereby 
reducing welfare dependency, and enhance the productivity and 
competitiveness of the Nation.
    The LLSIL is used for several purposes under WIA. Specifically, WIA 
Section 101(25) defines the term ``low income individual'' for 
eligibility purposes, and Sections 127(b)(2)(C) and 132(b)(1)(B)(v)(IV) 
define the terms ``disadvantaged youth'' and ``disadvantaged adult'' in 
terms of the poverty line or LLSIL for State formula allotments. The 
Governor and State/local workforce investment boards (WIBs) use the 
LLSIL for determining eligibility for youth and eligibility for adults 
for certain services. We encourage the Governors and State/local WIBs 
to consult WIA regulations and the preamble to the WIA Final Rule 
(published at 65 FR 49294 August 11, 2000) for more specific guidance 
in applying the LLSIL to program requirements. The Department of Health 
and Human Services (HHS) published the most current poverty-level 
guidelines in the Federal Register January 20, 2011 (Volume 76, Number 
13) PP 3637-3638. The HHS 2011 Poverty guidelines may also be found on 
the Internet at: http://aspe.hhs.gov/poverty/11poverty.shtml. ETA plans 
to have the 2011 LLSIL available on its Web site at [http://www.doleta.gov/llsil/2011/].
    WIA Section 101(24) defines the LLSIL as ``that income level 
(adjusted for regional, metropolitan, urban and rural differences and 
family size) determined annually by the Secretary [of Labor] based on 
the most recent lower living family budget issued by the Secretary.'' 
The most recent lower living family budget was issued by the Secretary 
in the fall of 1981. The four-person urban family budget estimates, 
previously published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), provided 
the basis for the Secretary to determine the LLSIL. BLS terminated the 
four-person family budget series in 1982, after publication of the fall 
1981 estimates. Currently,

[[Page 15343]]

BLS provides data to ETA through which ETA develops the LLSIL tables, 
as provided in the Appendices.
    ETA published the 2010 updates to the LLSIL in the Federal Register 
of May 7, 2010, pp 25296-25300. This notice again updates the LLSIL to 
reflect cost of living increases for 2010, by applying the percentage 
change in the most recent 2010 Consumer Price Index for All Urban 
Consumers (CPI-U) for an area, compared with the 2009 CPI-U to each of 
the May 7, 2010 LLSIL figures. Those updated figures for a family-of-
four are listed in Appendix A, Table 1, by region for both metropolitan 
and non-metropolitan areas. Figures in all of the accompanying tables, 
in the Appendices, are rounded up to the nearest dollar. Since low 
income individuals, ``disadvantaged adult'' and ``disadvantaged youth'' 
may be determined by family income at 70 percent of the LLSIL, pursuant 
to WIA Sections 101(25), 127(b)(2)(C), and 132(b)(1)(B)(v)(IV), 
respectively, those figures are listed as well.
    Jurisdictions included in the various regions, based generally on 
the Census Regions of the U.S. Department of Commerce, are as follows:

Northeast

Connecticut
Maine
Massachusetts
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New York
Pennsylvania
Rhode Island
Vermont
Virgin Islands

Midwest

Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Kansas
Michigan
Minnesota
Missouri
Nebraska
North Dakota
Ohio
South Dakota
Wisconsin

South

Alabama
American Samoa
Arkansas
Delaware
District of Columbia
Florida
Georgia
Northern Marianas
Oklahoma
Palau
Puerto Rico
South Carolina
Kentucky
Louisiana
Marshall Islands
Maryland
Micronesia
Mississippi
North Carolina
Tennessee
Texas
Virginia
West Virginia

West

Arizona
California
Colorado
Idaho
Montana
Nevada
New Mexico
Oregon
Utah
Washington
Wyoming

    Additionally, separate figures have been provided for Alaska, 
Hawaii, and Guam as indicated in Appendix B, Table 2.
    For Alaska, Hawaii, and Guam, the year 2010 figures were updated 
from the April, 2010 ``State Index'' based on the ratio of the urban 
change in the State (using Anchorage for Alaska and Honolulu for Hawaii 
and Guam) compared to the West regional metropolitan change, and then 
applying that index to the West regional metropolitan change.
    Data on 23 selected Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs) are also 
available. These are based on annual and semiannual CPI-U changes for a 
12-month period ending in December 2010. The updated LLSIL figures for 
these MSAs and 70 percent of the LLSIL are reported in Appendix C, 
Table 3.
    Appendix D, Table 4 lists each of the various figures at 70 percent 
of the updated 2010 LLSIL for family sizes of one to six persons. 
Because tables 1-3 only list the LLSIL for a family of four, table 4 
can be used to determine the LLSIL for families of one to six persons. 
For families larger than six persons, an amount equal to the difference 
between the six-person and the five-person family income levels should 
be added to the six-person family income level for each additional 
person in the family. Where the poverty level for a particular family 
size is greater than the corresponding LLSIL figure, the figure is 
shaded. A modified Excel version of Appendix D, Table 4, with the area 
names, will be available on the Department of Labor, Employment and 
Training Administration LLSIL Web page at [http://www.doleta.gov/llsil/2011/]. Appendix E, Table 5, indicates 100 percent of LLSIL for family 
sizes of one to six and is used to determine self-sufficiency as noted 
at 20 CFR 663.230 of the WIA regulations and WIA Section 
134(d)(3)(A)(ii).

Use of These Data

    Governors should designate the appropriate LLSILs for use within 
the State from Appendices A, B, and C, containing Tables 1 through 3. 
Appendices D and E, which contain Tables 4 and 5, which adjusts a 
family of four figure for larger and smaller families, may be used with 
any LLSIL designated. The Governor's designation may be provided by 
disseminating information on MSAs and metropolitan and non-metropolitan 
areas within the State or it may involve further calculations. For 
example, the State of New Jersey may have four or more LLSIL figures 
for Northeast metropolitan, Northeast non-metropolitan, portions of the 
State in the New York City MSA, and those in the Philadelphia MSA. If a 
workforce investment area includes areas that would be covered by more 
than one figure, the Governor may determine which is to be used.
    Under 20 CFR 661.110, a State's policies and measures for the 
workforce investment system shall be accepted by the Secretary to the 
extent that they are consistent with the WIA and the WIA regulations.

Disclaimer on Statistical Uses

    It should be noted, the publication of these figures is only for 
the purpose of meeting the requirements specified by WIA as defined in 
the law and regulations. BLS has not revised the lower living family 
budget since 1981, and has no plans to do so. The four-person urban 
family budget estimates series has been terminated. The CPI-U 
adjustments used to update the LLSIL for this publication are not 
precisely comparable, most notably because certain tax items were 
included in the 1981 LLSIL, but are not in the CPI-U. Thus, these 
figures should not be used for any statistical purposes, and are valid 
only for those purposes under WIA as defined in the law and 
regulations.

Lower Living Standard Income Level for 2011

    Under Title I of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (Pub. L. 105-
220), the Secretary of Labor annually determines the Lower Living 
Standard Income Level (LLSIL). This Notice announces the LLSIL tables 
for 2011.

[[Page 15344]]

WIA requires the Department of Labor to update and publish the LLSIL 
tables annually. The LLSIL tables are used for several purposes under 
WIA, including determining eligibility for youth.

    Signed at Washington, DC this 14th day of March 2011.
Jane Oates,
Assistant Secretary, Employment and Training Administration.

Attachments

Appendix A

                                   Table 1--Lower Living Standard Income Level
                                  (for a family of four persons) by Region \1\
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                          Region \2\                              2011 adjusted LLSIL        70 percent LLSIL
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Northeast
    Metro.....................................................                  $39,379                  $27,565
    Non-Metro \3\.............................................                   37,616                   26,331
Midwest
    Metro.....................................................                   34,776                   24,343
    Non-Metro.................................................                   33,587                   23,511
South
    Metro.....................................................                   33,506                   23,454
    Non-Metro.................................................                   32,771                   22,940
West
    Metro.....................................................                   37,920                   26,544
    Non-Metro \4\.............................................                   36,402                   25,481
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ For ease of use, these figures are rounded to the next highest dollar.
\2\ Metropolitan area measures were calculated from the weighted average CPI-Us for city size classes A and B/C.
  Non-metropolitan area measures were calculated from the CPI-Us for city size class D.
\3\ Non-metropolitan area percent changes for the Northeast region are no longer available. The Non-metropolitan
  percent change was calculated using the U.S. average CPI-U for city size class D.
\4\ Non-metropolitan area percent changes for the West region are unpublished data.

Appendix B

                                   Table 2--Lower Living Standard Income Level
                           (for a family of four persons)--Alaska, Hawaii and Guam \1\
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                            Region                                2011 Adjusted LLSIL        70 percent LLSIL
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Alaska
    Metro.....................................................                  $45,182                  $31,627
    Non-Metro \2\.............................................                   45,674                   31,972
Hawaii, Guam
    Metro.....................................................                   48,867                   34,207
    Non-Metro \2\.............................................                   48,760                   34,132
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\1\ For ease of use, these figures are rounded to the next highest dollar.
\2\ Non-Metropolitan percent changes for Alaska, Hawaii and Guam were calculated from the CPI-Us for city size
  class D in the Western Region.

Appendix C

                                   Table 3--Lower Living Standard Income Level
                                   (for a family of four persons) 23 MSAs \1\
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
             Metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs)                2011 Adjusted LLSIL        70 percent LLSIL
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Anchorage, AK.................................................                  $46,311                  $32,418
Atlanta, GA...................................................                   31,667                   22,167
Boston--Brockton--Nashua, MA/NH/ME/CT.........................                   42,142                   29,499
Chicago--Gary--Kenosha, IL/IN/WI..............................                   36,251                   25,375
Cincinnati--Hamilton, OH/KY/IN................................                   34,498                   24,149
Cleveland--Akron, OH..........................................                   35,937                   25,156
Dallas--Ft. Worth, TX.........................................                   31,520                   22,064
Denver--Boulder--Greeley, CO..................................                   36,195                   25,337
Detroit--Ann Arbor--Flint, MI.................................                   33,311                   23,317
Honolulu, HI..................................................                   49,943                   34,960
Houston--Galveston--Brazoria, TX..............................                   31,143                   21,800
Kansas City, MO/KS............................................                   33,328                   23,330

[[Page 15345]]

 
Los Angeles--Riverside--Orange County, CA.....................                   40,035                   28,024
Milwaukee--Racine, WI.........................................                   34,380                   24,066
Minneapolis--St. Paul, MN/WI..................................                   34,395                   24,077
New York--Northern NJ--Long Island, NY/NJ/CT/PA...............                   41,706                   29,194
Philadelphia--Wilmington--Atlantic City, PA/NJ/DE/MD..........                   37,930                   26,551
Pittsburgh, PA................................................                   41,394                   28,976
St. Louis, MO/IL..............................................                   32,688                   22,881
San Diego, CA.................................................                   43,731                   30,612
San Francisco--Oakland--San Jose, CA..........................                   40,514                   28,360
Seattle--Tacoma--Bremerton, WA................................                   41,029                   28,720
Washington--Baltimore, DC/MD/VA/WV \2\........................                   42,336                   29,635
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\1\ For ease of use, these figures are rounded to the next highest dollar.
\2\ Baltimore and Washington are now calculated as a single metropolitan statistical area.

Appendix D

Table 4--Seventy Percent of Updated 2011 Lower Living Standard Income 
Level (LLSIL), by Family Size

    To use the seventy percent LLSIL value, where it is stipulated 
for WIA programs, begin by locating the region or metropolitan area 
where they reside. These are listed in Tables 1, 2 and 3. After 
locating the appropriate region or metropolitan statistical area, 
find the seventy percent LLSIL amount for that location. The seventy 
percent LLSIL figures are listed in the last column to the right on 
each of the three tables. These figures apply to a family of four. 
Larger and smaller family eligibility is based on a percentage of 
the family of four. To determine eligibility for other size families 
consult table 4 and the instructions below.
    To use Table 4, locate the seventy percent LLSIL value that 
applies to the individual's region or metropolitan area from Tables 
1, 2 or 3. Find the same number in the ``family of four'' column of 
Table 4. Move left or right across that row to the size that 
corresponds to the individual's family unit. That figure is the 
maximum household income the individual is permitted in order to 
qualify as economically disadvantaged under WIA.
    Where the HHS poverty level for a particular family size is 
greater than the corresponding LLSIL figure, the LLSIL figure 
appears in a shaded block. Individuals from these size families may 
consult the 2011 HHS poverty guidelines found in the Federal 
Register, Vol. 76, No. 13, January 20, 2011, pp. 3637-3638 (on the 
Internet at http://aspe.hhs.gov/poverty/11fedreg.shtml) to find the 
higher eligibility standard. Individuals from Alaska and Hawaii 
should consult the HHS guidelines for the generally higher poverty 
levels that apply in their States.
BILLING CODE 4510-FT-P

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Appendix E

Table 5--Updated 2011 LLSIL (100%), By Family Size

    To use the LLSIL to determine the minimum level for establishing 
self-sufficiency criteria at the State or local level, begin by 
locating the metropolitan area or region from Table 1, 2 or 3. Then 
locate the appropriate region or metropolitan statistical area and 
then find the 2011 Adjusted LLSIL amount for that location. These 
figures apply to a family of four. Locate the corresponding number 
in the family of four in the column below. Move left or right across 
that row to the size that corresponds to the individual's family 
unit. That figure is the minimum figure States must set for 
determining whether employment leads to self-sufficiency under WIA 
programs.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                  Family of    Family of    Family of    Family of    Family of
                 Family of one                       two         three         four         five         six
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
$11,221........................................      $18,383      $25,230      $31,143      $36,755      $42,983
11,354.........................................       18,606       25,538       31,520       37,202       43,504
11,401.........................................       18,686       25,660       31,667       37,372       43,703
11,777.........................................       19,293       26,482       32,688       38,576       45,109
11,807.........................................       19,342       26,547       32,771       38,673       45,227
11,997.........................................       19,654       26,987       33,311       39,309       45,968
11,998.........................................       19,667       27,004       33,328       39,332       45,999
12,068.........................................       19,773       27,140       33,506       39,545       46,250
12,101.........................................       19,822       27,211       33,587       39,644       46,361
12,377.........................................       20,287       27,852       34,380       40,573       47,448
12,387.........................................       20,298       27,867       34,395       40,594       47,473
12,422.........................................       20,362       27,952       34,498       40,714       47,612
12,520.........................................       20,523       28,169       34,776       41,036       48,000
12,940.........................................       21,213       29,113       35,937       42,413       49,595
13,036.........................................       21,362       29,327       36,195       42,713       49,955
13,051.........................................       21,396       29,363       36,251       42,782       50,036
13,106.........................................       21,480       29,492       36,402       42,961       50,245
13,545.........................................       22,202       30,479       37,616       44,395       51,911
13,652.........................................       22,373       30,718       37,920       44,746       52,337
13,662.........................................       22,384       30,728       37,930       44,767       52,347
14,182.........................................       23,243       31,900       39,379       46,475       54,347
14,414.........................................       23,620       32,429       40,035       47,242       55,256
14,593.........................................       23,911       32,818       40,514       47,811       55,918
14,780.........................................       24,210       33,238       41,029       48,419       56,623
14,910.........................................       24,432       33,538       41,394       48,854       57,131
15,016.........................................       24,613       33,782       41,706       49,214       57,564
15,174.........................................       24,867       34,145       42,142       49,735       58,158
15,247.........................................       24,988       34,298       42,336       49,966       58,435
15,752.........................................       25,803       35,428       43,731       51,608       60,358

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16,274.........................................       26,660       36,604       45,182       53,319       62,361
16,450.........................................       26,949       37,000       45,674       53,898       63,030
16,680.........................................       27,334       37,517       46,311       54,657       63,911
17,559.........................................       28,776       39,499       48,760       57,540       67,292
17,602.........................................       28,835       39,590       48,867       57,669       67,447
17,986.........................................       29,468       40,454       49,943       58,935       68,931
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[FR Doc. 2011-6510 Filed 3-18-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510-FT-P


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