US Department of Labor awards initial $6.6M to Florida to support disaster-related employment, other assistance in Hurricane Idalia’s wake

WASHINGTON – On Aug. 30, 2023, Hurricane Idalia made landfall as a Category 3 storm along the northeastern Gulf Coast, bringing high winds, storm surges and massive flooding to Florida and the region. To support disaster-relief jobs and employment and training services as the state recovers from the impacts, the U.S. Department of Labor today announced an initial award of more than $6.6 million to assist people in 33 counties.

Administered by the department’s Employment and Training Administration, this National Dislocated Worker Grant of up to $20 million will allow the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity to provide people with temporary employment focused on debris removal, water damage cleanup and the delivery of humanitarian assistance to those affected by the storm, and for career and training services for affected workers.  

The project serves eligible people in the following counties: Alachua, Baker, Bay, Bradford, Calhoun, Citrus, Clay, Columbia, Dixie, Duval, Franklin, Gadsden, Gilchrist, Gulf, Hamilton, Hernando, Hillsborough, Jefferson, Lafayette, Leon, Levy, Liberty, Madison, Marion, Nassau, Pasco, Pinellas, Putnam, St. Johns, Suwannee, Taylor, Union and Wakulla.

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