Grants will fund outreach and technical assistance to workers

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced approximately $1.2 million in grant funds authorized by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 from the dislocated workers assistance national reserve. A solicitation for grants announcement appears in today's Federal Register. One to four projects will be funded to provide technical assistance and outreach to dislocated workers impacted by foreign trade.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor's Employment and Training Administration today announced approximately $67 million in grant funds for the Workforce Investment Act Indian and Native American Program.

SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA In the week ending March 6, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 462,000, a decrease of 6,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 468,000. The 4-week moving average was 475,500, an increase of 5,000 from the previous week's revised average of 470,500.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 3.5 percent for the week ending Feb. 27, unchanged from the prior week's unrevised rate of 3.5 percent.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced that approximately 4,600 workers from companies in 14 states – California, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia and Wisconsin – are eligible to apply for Trade Adjustment Assistance.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced a $297,000 grant to provide an estimated 280 jobless workers with partial premium payments for health insurance coverage.

"Unemployment should not affect a family's health and safety," said Assistant Secretary of Labor for Employment and Training Jane Oates. "This grant will help provide peace of mind by assisting eligible workers with health insurance premium payments while they look for new jobs."

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced a $786,901 grant to assist about 183 workers affected by layoffs at BAE Systems Inc. in Fridley, Minn.

"While we are seeing positive signs in our economy, we won't be satisfied until all unemployed workers are able to quickly prepare for and enter good jobs that lead to long-term careers," said Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis. "Today's grant will provide these Minnesotans with the re-employment and retraining services necessary to find new jobs in promising industries,"

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor has announced a $2,769,323 National Emergency Grant increment to continue clean-up and recovery efforts in the wake of damage caused by Hurricane Gustav in Louisiana in 2008.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor has announced a $341,844 National Emergency Grant award to assist in clean-up and recovery efforts in the wake of severe storms and flooding that occurred in Arkansas in December 2009.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced that approximately 5,500 workers from companies in 12 states – California, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas and Vermont – are eligible to apply for Trade Adjustment Assistance.

Suite of resources to level playing field for those applying for employment and training funds

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today launched an online suite of resources for grant applicants. Created by the department s Employment and Training Administration, the new site will introduce potential grantees to ETA grants and provide examples to guide people through the process of applying.

SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA In the week ending Feb. 27, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 469,000, a decrease of 29,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 498,000. The 4-week moving average was 470,750, a decrease of 3,500 from the previous week's revised average of 474,250.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 3.5 percent for the week ending Feb. 20, a decrease of 0.1 percentage point from the prior week's revised rate of 3.6 percent.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor has announced a $2,497,927 National Emergency Grant supplemental award to Maine to continue to provide services to hundreds of federal civilian and secondarily-impacted workers affected by a 2005 Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) action.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today released state-by-state figures on the number of individuals who will lose their unemployment benefits in the coming days if Congress fails to extend unemployment insurance benefits.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced that approximately 2,700 workers from companies in nine states Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, North Carolina and Ohio – are eligible to apply for Trade Adjustment Assistance.

SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA In the week ending Feb. 20, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 496,000, an increase of 22,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 474,000. The 4-week moving average was 473,750, an increase of 6,000 from the previous week's revised average of 467,750.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 3.5 percent for the week ending Feb. 13, unchanged from the prior week's unrevised rate of 3.5 percent.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced a $1,324,672 grant to assist about 275 workers affected by layoffs at Dell Computer's call center in Twin Falls, Idaho.

"This grant will provide important re-employment and retraining services to help workers in Idaho access job opportunities in expanding fields," said Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced a $7,543,200 grant to assist about 1,120 workers affected by layoffs from multiple companies in the aviation, construction, health care, manufacturing and retail industries in south central Kansas. The majority of the layoffs were from four companies in the area's aviation manufacturing industry: Boeing, Bombardier Aerospace, Cessna and Hawker Beechcraft Corp.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced that approximately 3,000 workers from companies in 17 states – Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Michigan, New Mexico, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia – are eligible to apply for Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA).

SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA In the week ending Feb. 13, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 473,000, an increase of 31,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 442,000. The 4-week moving average was 467,500, a decrease of 1,500 from the previous week's revised average of 469,000.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 3.5 percent for the week ending Feb. 6, unchanged from the prior week's unrevised rate of 3.5 percent.

WASHINGTON – Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis today visited the Labor's Community Service Agency (LCSA) in Phoenix, Ariz. YouthBuild students at LCSA are working to retrofit a building using green construction skills acquired in a training program funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (Recovery Act), which is one-year old today.