About the Study

In 2022, the Chief Evaluation Office (CEO) partnered with the Office of Trade Adjustment Assistance (OTAA) to fund contractor Mathematica, and its partner Social Policy Research Associates, to conduct the TAA Navigators Formative Study. The formative study examines the implementation of Navigator programs across states and how those programs have provided hands-on assistance to workers to increase enrollment in the Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) program and improve training and employment outcomes.

The TAA program, administered by the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), Employment and Training Administration, was created to support American workers adversely affected by international trade. The program provides benefits to help workers who have lost their jobs due to increased imports or shifts in global trade patterns. As this is a federal program managed and administered by state workforce agencies, there is significant variation in the administration of the TAA program across states. One of these variations is the use of TAA Navigators.

This study is one in a series of studies under the Navigator Evidence-Building Portfolio project, which aims to build the evidence base about the potential of Navigators to improve outcomes and equity in workforce programs. This DOL-funded study was a result of the annual process to determine the department’s research priorities for the upcoming year. It contributes to the labor evidence-base to inform employment and training programs and policies and addresses Departmental strategic goals and priorities.

Project Duration: 60 Months
Contract End Date: August 2027
Contractor: Mathematica
For More Information: ChiefEvaluationOffice@dol.gov 

The Department of Labor’s (DOL) Chief Evaluation Office (CEO) sponsors independent evaluations and research, primarily conducted by external, third-party contractors in accordance with the Department of Labor Evaluation Policy. CEO’s research development process includes extensive technical review at the design, data collection and analysis stage, including: external contractor review and OMB review and approval of data collection methods and instruments per the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA), Institutional Review Board (IRB) review to ensure studies adhere to the highest ethical standards, review by academic peers (e.g., Technical Working Groups), and inputs from relevant DOL agency and program officials and CEO technical staff. Final reports undergo an additional independent expert technical review and a review for Section 508 compliance prior to publication. The resulting reports represent findings from this independent research and do not represent DOL positions or policies.