US Department of Labor awards initial $4.5M to support disaster-related jobs, other assistance to Guam in wake of Typhoon Mawar

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced the initial award of $4,549,554 in funding to support cleanup and recovery activities in Guam after Typhoon Mawar caused flooding and extensive damage in May 2023.

Administered by the department’s Employment and Training Administration, the National Dislocated Worker Grant of up to $11,373,884 allows the Guam Department of Administration to provide people with temporary employment removing debris and delivering humanitarian assistance to those the storm affected.  

A powerful Category 4 storm, the typhoon made landfall on Guam’s northern tip and then moved across the island, bringing widespread flooding and 140 mile-per-hour winds. The storm knocked out power and affected Guam’s water supply. The Federal Emergency Management Agency issued a major disaster declaration on May 25, 2023, enabling Guam to request this funding.

Supported by the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act of 2014, Dislocated Worker Grants expand the service capacity of dislocated worker programs at the state and local levels by providing funding assistance in response to large, unexpected economic events that lead to significant job losses.