U.S. Department of Labor releases additional nearly $50 million to Michigan for Trade Adjustment Assistance

ROMULUS, Mich. – While in Romulus today touring the General Motors Romulus Engine Plant, Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis announced that the U.S. Department of Labor is releasing an additional $49.9 million to the state of Michigan to provide career training and employment and case management services to workers whose jobs are impacted for trade-related reasons, as well as for associated administrative costs. Combined with the original fiscal year 2009 allocations, Michigan now has nearly $60 million available to assist trade-affected workers.

"This distribution will assist the state of Michigan in providing needed career services to workers who are impacted by foreign trade," said Secretary Solis. "Today the department reaffirms its commitment to these workers and their long-term career success."

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act) includes a major expansion and reform of the Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) program to ensure that all U.S. workers negatively affected by trade have the skills, resources and support to gain re-employment.

While the Recovery Act does not fund TAA, it does increase the maximum amount of TAA funds which may be used for training nationwide from $220 million to $575 million. Based on this increase, the Labor Department is making a supplemental distribution of $381,250,000 for fiscal year 2009. The additional funds released to Michigan are part of that supplemental distribution. This increase will ensure that states have funds available to implement changes made to TAA through the Recovery Act and to serve an increasing number of trade-affected workers.

For more information on TAA and other Department of Labor employment and training programs, visit http://www.doleta.gov.