US Department of Labor certifies approximately 7,300 workers in 15 states as eligible to apply for Trade Adjustment Assistance

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced that approximately 7,300 workers from companies in 15 states – Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas and Wisconsin – are eligible to apply for Trade Adjustment Assistance.

"As the recovery unfolds, the U.S. Department of Labor remains committed to helping all workers – including those who have been adversely impacted by trade," said Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis. "Through our TAA program, we're taking aggressive steps to prepare displaced workers for new and more competitive occupational skills that will lead to future employment and good, safe jobs."

"Auto workers across the country have been hit hard by the recent economic downturn. While we have added 44,000 auto sector jobs since June of last year, there is still a lot of work to be done getting people back to work. Trade Adjustment Assistance is one part of this administration's comprehensive effort to support workers and their families in auto communities and nationwide during this period by providing them opportunities to retrain for jobs in new growth industries, continued access to health care, and other assistance finding jobs," said Dr. Ed Montgomery, executive director of the White House Council on Automotive Communities and Workers.

Workers covered by these latest Trade Adjustment Assistance 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.

Workers 50 years of age and older may elect to receive Re-employment Trade Adjustment Assistance. 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 Trade Adjustment Assistance 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.

Trade Adjustment Assistance Certifications