# 2025-10981: HHS Restarts Data Matching for Unemployment Benefits

2025-10981, Privacy Act of 1974; Matching Program, is a Federal Register notice from Health and Human Services Department, Children and Families Administration published 2025-06-17, effective 2025-07-19; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-11-03).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2025-10981
- As of: 2026-11-03
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Document number: 2025-10981
- Title: Privacy Act of 1974; Matching Program
- Type: Notice
- Agencies: Health and Human Services Department; Children and Families Administration
- Citation: 90 FR 25618
- Published: 2025-06-17
- Effective: 2025-07-19
- Comments close: not stated
- Significant: no
- Touches household money: yes
- Regulation identifier numbers: none
- Last updated: 2026-11-03

## In one line

HHS Restarts Data Matching for Unemployment Benefits

## Summary

The Department of Health and Human Services is restarting a program that matches state unemployment records with new job and wage info to help manage unemployment benefits better. This program affects state workforce agencies and will run for 18 months starting around July 19, 2025, with a chance to extend for another year. People can comment on the program until July 17, 2025, but there’s no direct cost impact mentioned.

## Abstract

In accordance with the Privacy Act of 1974, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Administration for Children and Families (ACF), Office of Child Support Services (OCSS), is providing notice of a re-established matching program between HHS/ACF/OCSS and state workforce agencies (SWA) administering the Unemployment Compensation benefits program (UC). The matching program compares SWA records with new hire and quarterly wage information maintained in the National Directory of New Hires (NDNH), the outcomes of which help SWAs administer their UC programs.

## Effects PRIA read

- Unemployment records matched with wage data: mixed, high. HHS/ACFS/OCSS will compare Unemployment Compensation (UC) applicants' and recipients' name and Social Security number (SSN) with new hire and quarterly wage records in the National Directory of New Hires (NDNH). Match results are returned to state workforce agencies to help establish or verify UC e…
- NDNH match data used for secondary purposes: mixed, medium. State workforce agencies may use NDNH match information for secondary purposes including updating reported participation in work activities, updating recipient and employer contact information, administering tax compliance functions, and meeting Department of Labor (DOL) reporting requirements.
- Program timeframe and renewal terms: mixed, low. The re-established matching program will run for an initial 18-month term from approximately July 19, 2025, through January 18, 2027, and may be renewed for one additional year if the parties make no changes and certify compliance within 3 months of expiration. The deadline for public comments on t…
- Specific personal data returned to states: cost, low. OCSS will return specific NDNH data elements that matched UC records, including new hire processed date; employee name and address; employee date and state of hire; employer federal and state identification numbers; employer name and address; employee wage amounts and quarterly wage reporting perio…
- Privacy Act notice and verification protections: benefit, medium. The notice states the program complies with the Privacy Act: individuals whose information is used will be notified that their information may be verified through matching, and agencies must verify match findings before suspending, terminating, reducing, or making a final denial of benefits or taki…

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## Sources
- [2025-10981 on federalregister.gov](https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/06/17/2025-10981/privacy-act-of-1974-matching-program)
- [2025-10981 as published (PDF)](https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2025-06-17/pdf/2025-10981.pdf)

## Related
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- [All Federal Register documents](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2025-10981 (as of 2026-11-03).