under the taxing provisions of the Unemployment Insurance Law, and
other matters that require appellate adjudication (Code 1967, Art. 96A,
sec. 7g).

Advisory Council

The Governor appoints a State advisory council, and the Executive
Director appoints local advisory councils, consisting of an equal num-
ber of representatives from the public, the employer, and the employee.
The councils aid the Executive Director in formulating policies and
discuss with him problems that arise in the administration of the law
to insure impartial solutions of such problems (Code 1957, Art. 95A,
sec. 12).

Local Office Operations

This Division, created in July, 1956, administers all operations in
the Department's twenty local offices. It pays weekly Unemployment
Insurance benefits to eligible individuals and operates a public employ-
ment service without charge to either worker or employer, registering
applicants for jobs in all occupations and arranging initial interviews
between employers and prospective employees. The Division provides
vocational guidance and counseling services and administers aptitude
and proficiency tests when desirable. It cooperates with other staff
departments in developing labor market information—types of posi-
tions open, types of labor supply available, current wage rates, and
other related material. It maintains a special Farm Labor Program to
recruit local and migratory labor for agricultural and food-processing
jobs. It also administers special programs to find employment for
qualified older workers, qualified physically-handicapped persons, mem-
bers of minority groups, school and college graduates, and persons
seeking summer work. It gives job preference to qualified veterans.

Unemployment Insurance Division

This Division supervises the Unemployment Insurance Program
carried out by the Local Office Operations Division. The Unemploy-
ment Insurance Division also collects contributions from employers
covered by the Maryland Unemployment Insurance Law, collects quar-
terly wage information on the employees of these employers, deter-
mines weekly benefit amounts in accordance with this wage informa-
tion, issues benefit checks to local offices, reviews benefit payments to
determine if any were improperly made, recovers improper payments,
and pays benefits to individuals who formerly worked in Maryland,
but who reside in other states, as provided by a reciprocal interstate
agreement. The law provides for an experience-rating system under
which employers who maintain steady employment are eligible for
reduction in the rate of contributions. All funds collected under the
law are deposited with the Federal Treasury for the credit of the
Unemployment Trust Fund of Maryland and may be used only for the
payment of benefits.

Employment Service Division

This is a staff division concerned with Employment Service technical
functions. It is responsible for the development of programs, the
evaluation of Employment Service activities, and the staff supervision
of such functions as counseling; aptitude testing; employer relations
and placement; and services to older workers and the handicapped. It
furnishes job analysis and related service directly to employers. The