US Department of Labor certifies approximately 3,000 workers in 9 states as eligible to apply for Trade Adjustment Assistance

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced that approximately 3,000 workers from companies in nine states – Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas and Wisconsin – are eligible to apply for Trade Adjustment Assistance.

"Through the Trade Adjustment Assistance Program, the U.S. Department of Labor is taking an aggressive approach to helping workers who are impacted by trade to position themselves to secure permanent jobs that pay family-supporting wages," said Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis. "TAA allows these workers to access the employment and training services they need to prepare for good jobs in promising industries."

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.

"Over the last year, I have traveled to dozens of communities across the country hit hardest by the auto industry's restructuring," said Dr. Ed Montgomery, executive director of the White House Council on Automotive Communities and Workers. "We have come a long way in that year, and the economy, including the auto industry, is beginning to show some encouraging signs of recovery. But we still have a long way to go. A lot of work remains to help auto-impacted communities rebuild. Trade Adjustment Assistance is an important tool in this administration's comprehensive, government-wide commitment to help these workers and their families find good jobs in new growth industries."

While the TAA program is open to eligible workers of all ages, workers 50 years of age and older may elect to receive Re-employment Trade Adjustment Assistance instead. 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 follows this news release.

TAA Certifications