U.S. Department of Labor Awards National Dislocated Worker Grant to California for Disaster Recovery after Severe Storms

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced Disaster Recovery National Dislocated Worker Grant (DWG) funding up to $8,805,300, with $2,935,100 released initially, for the California Department of Employment Development. Funding will be used to assess workforce needs in response to storms in February and March 2019. These storms brought torrential rains, heavy snow, and wind gusts, resulting in widespread flooding, power outages, and severe infrastructure damage. The record-breaking rainfall further eroded areas recently destroyed by multiple wildfires, causing landslides, mudslides, and mandatory evacuations. 

The state received two major disaster declarations from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in May 2019, which allow the state to request DWG funding to assess workforce needs in the following counties declared eligible for FEMA's Public Assistance Program: Amador, Butte, Calaveras, Colusa, Del Norte, El Dorado, Glenn, Humboldt, Lake, Marin, Mariposa, Mendocino, Modoc, Monterey, Napa, Riverside, Santa Barbara, Shasta, Sonoma, Tehama, Trinity, and Tuolumne.

Supported by the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act of 2014, Dislocated Worker Grants temporarily expand the service capacity of dislocated worker training and employment programs at the state and local levels by providing funding assistance in response to large, unexpected economic events that cause significant job losses.