U.S. Department of Labor announces 1st Trade Adjustment Assistance certifications under new law

WASHINGTON The U.S. Department of Labor today announced the certification of 20 petitions for benefit eligibility for workers under the Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) program, which provides training and employment services for workers who have lost their jobs due to competitive foreign trade. These are the first certifications under the new TAA law that took effect on May 18, 2009, which, among other changes, expanded program access to previously ineligible service industry workers.

"These certifications mark the beginning of a new era of opportunity for service workers who lose their jobs as a result of direct foreign competition," said Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis. "Workers covered under TAA are offered the employment and training services needed to upgrade existing skills or pursue new careers in growing industries."

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act) expanded the pool of eligible TAA recipients to include: workers in companies that supply services; workers whose companies have shifted production to any foreign country; workers in public agencies; workers whose companies produce component parts of a finished product; workers in companies that supply testing, packaging, maintenance and transportation services to companies with TAA-certified workers; and workers whose companies are identified in an International Trade Commission "injury" determination listed in the Trade Act of 1974. The Recovery Act also raised the cap on annual TAA training funds from $220 million to $575 million.

Workers experiencing a loss or decrease in employment due to trade may submit a petition to the Department of Labor for certification. Workers certified as eligible for TAA have access to a variety of resources such as re-employment services, job search allowances, relocation allowances and various types of income support.

Expanded TAA has resulted in more than 1,200 petitions filed since May 18, compared with137 petitions filed during the same period in 2008. Determinations for pending applications are forthcoming.

For more information on Trade Adjustment Assistance, visit http://www.doleta.gov/tradeact. For information on the array of Department of Labor training and employment programs, visit the same site's home page at http://www.doleta.gov.

Editor's Note: A list of TAA determinations is below.

TAA Certifications: First 20 Under New Law – June 2009