14 job 242d rebuild macro perform integrated edits
Job 242D - Rebuild Macro and Perform Integrated Edits
The 242D Integrated Edits job is probably the most expensive to run, and certainly has the most steps of any job in the EXPO/EARS system. In order to conduct the integrated edits, the job must first estimate delinquent employers, rebuild current and prior quarter macro data, rebuild the Statewide Macro File, produce a Summary of Differences File if first calendar quarter is involved, perform macro-level edits, collect CES data (for parallel reporting on edited establishments), summarizing multi-family data (twice - once for estimation, the other for editing), conduct the integrated edits, then rebuild the two Crosswalk Files and the Alpha Locator File. Most States will only run this job about twice per quarter. Since it involves macro editing, its processing is usually reserved for late in the quarterly cycle. The parameters are listed below.
1. Estimation Report Format - This parameter roughly parallels the edit report format code just noted, but has an added failures-only report instead of an actual splitting of data. Here are the values that are available for selection:
- a. ‘0’ - Do not print the estimation report. This option is selected quite frequently, since many States prefer to spend time with the edit exceptions rather than rechecking the methods used to apply estimates.
- b. ‘1’ - Produce a full-format (six-quarter) detail for every account (single or master) that received estimates. Worksites are exempt from all listings to keep the size of the reports from getting unmanageably large.
- c. ‘2’ - Produce the six-quarter detail listing, but only for those employers that encountered an estimation failure. Fully successful estimates are omitted from this report.
- d. ‘3’ - Produce a three-quarter detail (with current, prior, and year-ago, same quarter data) for each attempted estimation for a single or master account, regardless of whether the estimation attempt is successful.
- e. ‘4’ - Produce the three-quarter detail listing, but list only those employers that had failed at least one of the estimation attempts.
- f. ‘5’ - Produce a single-line detail for each successfully or unsuccessfully estimated single or master record.
- g. ‘6’ - Produce the single-line detail output for those employers that encountered an estimation failure along the way. Successful estimates are not listed here
2. Print Separate Estimation Failures Report? - This option is rarely selected, since its only possible benefit is to provide both the full-scale estimation report and the failed estimates report. Either the all-accounts report, or the failures-only can be produced by the estimation format option just mentioned. To print both reports is overkill. The options are:
- a. ‘N’ - Do not print a separate estimation failures report.
- b. ‘Y’ - Produce both the regular estimation report and an estimation failures report.
Warning: If this option is selected and the estimation format switch is a positive, even number (‘2’, ‘4’, or ‘6’), then both reports will be identical, since they both will show estimation failures only, and in exactly the same format.
3. Print Two-Quarter Delinquent Accounts Report? - This option allows for the printing of a report that lists all of the employers that have remained delinquent for at least the last two consecutive quarters. By itself, this report is probably not very useful, since it does not provide a selection mechanism or disk storage of the roster.
- a. ‘N’ - Do not print the two-quarter delinquent accounts report.
- b. ‘Y’ - Prepare the report listing all singles and masters that have remained fully delinquent for at least the past two quarters.
4. Write Transaction Records for Estimates?* - This option enables the tracking of applied estimates in the Quarterly Transaction File, writing the before and after-change values for the quarter. If selected, this option provides an audit trail of estimation activity. For some States, the transactions can be used to forward estimates for partially-reported accounts back to the Tax File.
- a. ‘N’ - Do not track estimates in the transaction data.
- b. ‘Y’ - Write Quarterly Transaction File records to provide an audit trail of estimations and a mechanism for transfer of data to external files.
5. Newest Year/Quarter to be Replaced on Macro File - This field is a direct copy of the new-quarter field found for Job 241D. It is a 3-digit year/quarter field (in yyq format), denoting the most recent quarter of micro-level data to collect and aggregate in the rebuilding of Macro File data. The quarter must be present on the Micro File, and should normally be set to a value no earlier than the current quarter; otherwise, the macro edits (which are forthcoming, and are applied to current and prior quarter data) would become completely ineffective, since they would be attempted on non-current macro data.
6. Oldest Year/Quarter to be Replaced - This is another 3-digit year/quarter field (in yyq format), noting the oldest quarter of micro data to aggregate into macro data replacements. It must also be a quarter present on the Micro File, but it should also be set to no more recent than the immediate prior quarter; anything newer than this would exclude prior quarter data from the macro build process. That means the prior quarter portion of the upcoming macro edits would most likely be erroneous, since they would not be based upon current micro data. The quarter can be older than the prior quarter, however, as long as it is still in existence on the Micro File.
7. Ignore Edit Flag Setting (Edit all Accounts)? (Y-es, N-o) - Note that some of the standard parameters normally associated with micro edits are missing here, as are certain estimation options (such as whether to estimate delinquents, since this is a required process for integrated editing). There is no mention of single-only or multi-only selections, since all accounts must enter the integrated edit process. EDI or PEO-only processing is removed as well, since this job is too important and costly to be subdivided in such a way. This field is the full re-edit option. If the edit flags are ignored, then every account will be processed through the micro edits; otherwise, only those that have been changed or have a crucial-level edit condition will be reprocessed. Although it may seem necessary to re-edit everything in order to associate micro records in the integrated edits, this data merging is already handled by the macro data interface. Do not set this flag for only the sake of Job 242D.
- a. ‘Y’ (“Yes”) - This setting permits all accounts to be passed through all of the micro edits.
- b. ‘N’ (“No”) - This setting respects the edit flag settings, processing only the records that have an edit flag set to “N” (available for editing). These accounts are the ones that have been modified since the previous edit run, as well as those that had a “crucial” edit exception (those with an edit code numbered below ‘091’).
8. Edit Report Format - This option allows any of a number of levels of detail for the output edit report, from a single-line-per-record listing to a six-quarter full-scale list for every employer. There is a non-report option, but that is a singularly bad choice, since the only output available from the 028S job is the edit report. The options are described below.
- a. ‘0’ - Do not produce an edit report at all. Selection of this option is generally not wise; although it is possible to review integrated edits on-line with the ES2D screen following a 242D job run, it is much easier to follow along when there is a printed report available. The level of detail in this report (i.e., the number of quarters shown) is still left to your discretion, as noted within the remaining values.
- b. ‘1’ - Produce a full six-quarter format report for all edit exceptions, whether they relate to quarterly data or not. At five records per page, this is the most costly printing alternative.
- c. ‘2’ - Produce a full-sized edit listing for any establishments that contain employment and wage-related exceptions, but list all other edit conditions in a separate edit report with one edit code per line.
- d. ‘3’ - Produce an abbreviated, three-quarter (current, prior, and year-ago) format exceptions report for employment/wage-related edit failures, but list all other edit conditions in a separate edit report with one line per edit exception.
- e. ‘4’ - Produce a compact and concise edit report, with one detail line per establishment, regardless of the number and type of exceptions present. Although this provides the shortest listing of flagged accounts, it will not always be able to show all of the edit exceptions, due to the limited space involved with a single-line synopsis.
9. Single Qtr Edit Print Report Switch - Provides an option for editing only one of the two quarters, rather than both adjacent quarters (the standard editing method). This feature may be useful if, for instance, you have finalized the prior quarter, but need only to list the integrated (and non-integrated) edits for the current quarter. In fact, the sample screen shows exactly this situation. Here are the options:
- a. ‘ ’ (blank) - This is the default processing mode, allowing both the current (i.e., the specified) quarter and the quarter that immediately precedes it, to be edited simultaneously.
- b. ‘C’ - Edit current-quarter data only, ignoring all exceptions for the prior quarter. Administrative data exceptions are still checked, since they can relate to either quarter. The editing program acts as if the prior quarter is locked, requiring no further edit reporting.
- c. ‘P’ - Edit only the prior quarter, leaving current-quarter data unedited. Administrative data exceptions are still listed, since they could apply to either quarter’s editing. Current-quarter exceptions that were flagged earlier will still remain on the Micro Edit File, but will not be shown on this edit report.
The 242D job is run sparingly, generally about twice per quarter, during the last month or so of a quarter’s cycle (leading up to the EQUI deliverable submittal). It should not be run many times due to the processing time and costs associated with it.
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