US Department of Labor certifies approximately 3,400 workers in 8 states as eligible to apply for Trade Adjustment Assistance

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced that approximately 3,400 workers from companies in eight states – Illinois, Michigan, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina and Wisconsin – are eligible to apply for Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA).

"The U.S. Department of Labor is committed to supporting all of the nation's workers – including those in the auto industry – as they are faced with the prospect of layoffs or work reduction resulting from trade," said Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis. "Through the Trade Adjustment Assistance program, we are leveraging opportunities for displaced workers to acquire new occupational skills, which will help them secure good jobs in emerging areas of their local economies."

"These Trade Adjustment Assistance certifications will help thousands of workers from auto-related communities all across the country," said Dr. Ed Montgomery, executive director of the White House Council on Automotive Communities and Workers. "This program provides access to income support, tax credits toward health insurance and job training so that these workers and their families are helped during the transition to new jobs."

Workers covered by these latest TAA certifications will be contacted by their respective states with instructions on how to apply for individual benefits and services. Those who apply may receive case management and re-employment services, training in new occupational skills and trade readjustment allowances that provide income support for workers enrolled in training. Some workers may also receive job search and relocation allowances, and the Health Coverage Tax Credit (HCTC).

Workers 50 years of age and older may elect to receive Re-employment Trade Adjustment Assistance (RTAA). If a worker obtains new employment at wages less than $55,000 and less than those earned in adversely affected employment, the RTAA program will pay 50 percent of the difference between the old wage and the new wage, up to $12,000 over a two-year period. RTAA participants may also be eligible for retraining and the HCTC.

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

Editor's Note: A chart reflecting companies covered by these certifications is below.

TAA Certifications