US Department of Labor awards more than $3.4M to continue disaster-related jobs, assistance to Guam in response to Typhoon Mawar

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced the award of more than $3.4 million to support continued disaster-relief employment and workforce training for Guam’s residents affected by Typhoon Mawar.

In June 2023, the department announced a National Dislocated Worker Grant of up to $11.3 million – with an initial award of $4.5 million – for the Guam Department of Administration to provide people with temporary jobs focused on debris removal, water damage cleanup and the delivery of humanitarian assistance to those in need. The funding announced today continues that employment and supports career and training services. 

A powerful Category 4 typhoon made landfall on Guam’s northern tip in May 2023 and then moved across the island. The storm brought widespread flooding and 140 mile-per-hour winds, knocking out power and affecting Guam’s water supply. The Federal Emergency Management Agency issued a major disaster declaration on May 25, 2023, enabling Guam to request federal assistance for recovery efforts.

National Dislocated Worker Grants are overseen by the department’s Employment and Training Administration and supported by the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act of 2014. The grants provide funding assistance to temporarily expand the service capacity of dislocated worker programs at the state and local levels when large, unexpected economic events cause significant job losses.