WASHINGTON — Losing a job is often traumatic, especially when the layoff was unexpected and through no fault of the worker. For those struggling with long-term unemployment, the trauma can deepen to despair and frustration as finances dwindle and prospects are limited.

WASHINGTON — In response to recent court decisions that have created significant uncertainty around the H-2B temporary foreign nonagricultural worker program, the U.S. Departments of Labor and Homeland Security today announced an interim final rule to reinstate and make improvements to the program and a final rule to establish the prevailing wage methodology for that program.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor today announced the state of Missouri will receive a grant worth more than $5 million to explore, develop, and test strategies that improve employment outcomes for young adults in the St. Louis area.

The funding will expand the local network of American Job Centers and encourage greater collaboration between the workforce system and community organizations to better serve area youth with little-to-no work experience or post-secondary education.

WASHINGTON — For many of our nation's youth, job opportunities are elusive, despite a much healthier national economy. Those with juvenile criminal records often find the barriers between education and career success daunting. Without a good job, these young people likely face a return to prison or a life in poverty.

WASHINGTON — The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), signed by President Obama on July 22, 2014, is the first major reform to federal job training programs in more than 15 years. WIOA is designed to improve the coordination of employment and training services across federal agencies, strengthen collaboration with state and local partners, and provide Americans with increased access to training, education and other support to succeed in the job market and in their careers.

WASHINGTON — Americans with disabilities face many obstacles in life, including those that make their search for employment difficult. To help remove some of these impediments, the U.S. Department of Labor is working to increase the ability of federal job training programs to serve youth and adults with disabilities through better collaboration and new partnerships at state and local levels.

WASHINGTON — Building a better workforce system starts with having reliable data. With the passage of last year's Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act to encourage greater coordination between workforce and education programs, states have made important strides to integrate their programs. To further the progress, the U.S.

WASHINGTON — Getting an education and finding career success are plateaus out of reach for too many of our nation's youth. To help at-risk youth reach these goals, the U.S. Department of Labor sponsors the YouthBuild program. The program helps young people who left school early to complete high school or state equivalency degree programs, and learn critical job skills in demand in the construction, health care, information technology and other industries.

WASHINGTON — Returning home from prison can be hard, particularly without the benefits of a stable job. Without employment, the likelihood of recidivism rises. To provide the support, training and assistance needed to find and keep a good job, the U.S. Labor Department today announced a $27 million Training to Work — Adult Reentry grant program — to help thousands of soon-to-be-released inmates become productive citizens.

State: Massachusetts

Type of Award: National Emergency Grant incremental funding

Incremental Award Released: $854,851

Total Award Amount Approved: $1,576,221

Funding Awarded to: Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development

Number of Workers to Be Served: About 300

State: Washington

Type of Award: National Emergency Grant incremental funding

Incremental Award Released: $2,698,119

Total Award Amount Approved: $5,586,385

Funding Awarded to: Pacific Mountain Workforce Consortium

Number of Airmen and Soldiers to Be Served: About 900

WASHINGTON — Youth who have been in the juvenile justice system often face numerous challenges as they attempt to enter the workforce and become productive citizens. The stigma that a juvenile record carries can close doors before they ever open. All too often, these hurdles continue into adulthood and become overwhelming barriers that sustain a cycle of crime and incarceration.

State: Wisconsin

Type of Award: National Emergency Grant incremental funding

Employers Experiencing Layoffs: American TV; C&D Technologies Inc.; Caterpillar Global Mining LLC; Deaconess Home Health Inc.; FIS; Joy Global Inc.; Kindred Transitional Care and Rehabilitation; Kohl's Department Stores Inc.; Rock-Tenn Co.; the Social Development Commission; The Oilgear Co.; Tramont Corp.

Incremental Award Released: $659,640

WASHINGTON — More than 9 million people are released from more than 3,000 county jails nationwide each year, many with few job skills and little prospect for employment. Without a strong support system or a steady job, many former inmates commit new crimes and end up back in jail — a cycle of incarceration that persists across the country. The U.S.

State: Wisconsin

Type of Award: National Emergency Grant incremental funding

Employers Experiencing Layoffs: American TV; C&D Technologies Inc.; Caterpillar Global Mining LLC; Deaconess Home Health Inc.; FIS; Joy Global Inc.; Kindred Transitional Care and Rehabilitation; Kohl's Department Stores Inc.; Rock-Tenn Co.; the Social Development Commission; The Oilgear Co.; Tramont Corp.

Incremental Award Released: $659,640

WASHINGTON — Losing a job is a difficult experience — fraught with uncertainty, fear and stress. Finding a new job is time-consuming and lost income creates a financial burden. For employers, layoffs can also be costly. Trimming staff when business slows means if new employees are needed when business picks back up, the employer faces the cost of training and lower productivity as workers acclimate.

WASHINGTON — Losing a job is a difficult experience — fraught with uncertainty, fear and stress. Finding a new job is time-consuming and lost income creates a financial burden. For employers, layoffs can also be costly. Trimming staff when business slows means if new employees are needed when business picks back up, the employer faces the cost of training and lower productivity as workers acclimate.

State: Commonwealth of Kentucky

Type of Award: National Emergency Grant

Employers Experiencing Layoffs: Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant (McCracken County), GE Aviation (Madisonville)

Total Award Amount Approved: $4,598,681

Initial Award Released: $2,170,658

Funding Awarded to: West Kentucky Workforce Investment Board

Number of Workers to Be Served: About 875

State: Commonwealth of Kentucky

Type of Award: National Emergency Grant

Employers Experiencing Layoffs: Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant (McCracken County), GE Aviation (Madisonville)

Total Award Amount Approved: $4,598,681

Initial Award Released: $2,170,658

Funding Awarded to: West Kentucky Workforce Investment Board

Number of Workers to Be Served: About 875

WASHINGTON — From August 2-14, 2013, a series of storms and floods destroyed homes, businesses and infrastructure throughout the state of Missouri, resulting in the Federal Emergency Management Agency declaring 18 counties in the state eligible for its Public Assistance Program on September 6, 2013. The renewal effort that followed was bolstered with a U.S. Department of Labor National Emergency Grant of $2,044,035 on Oct. 2, 2013, with an initial release of $1,000,000.