US Department of Labor awards $1M in funding to assist West Virginia’s severe storm recovery efforts

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced funding of $1,016,923 to support disaster-relief employment for eligible individuals to assist with cleanup after severe storms in February and March caused flooding and extensive waterway damage in southwestern areas of West Virginia.

Administered by the department’s Employment and Training Administration, the funding is the first increment of a National Dislocated Worker Grant of up to of $3,050,769 to WorkForce West Virginia to provide temporary employment for eligible individuals to remove debris from streams, clear downed trees and perform other clean-up activities in Boone, Cabell, Kanawha, Lincoln, Logan, Mason, Mingo, Putman and Wayne counties.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency issued an emergency declaration for the region in May.

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