U.S. Department of Labor Stands Ready to Assist Florida in Wake of Hurricane Michael

WASHINGTON, DC – As part of its commitment to state and local partners facing a serious impact by Hurricane Michael, the U.S. Department of Labor today announced it is ready to make available National Dislocated Worker Grant (DWG) funding to help Florida assess its workforce needs.

"The Department of Labor will deploy resources to help Floridians who, as a result of Hurricane Michael, find themselves unable to work and without a paycheck," said U.S. Secretary of Labor Alexander Acosta. "The American workforce – along with our volunteers and first responders – is the greatest in the world. As we did during last year's destructive hurricane season, Americans will come together to rebuild their communities.  The Department is here to help ensure the safety and stability of Floridians along the way."

DWG funding will be made available to impacted counties to supplement state and local response and recovery efforts. The Department is monitoring the situation to ensure it is doing everything it can to help Floridians and the mobility of the workforce.

As the severity and geographical extent of the damage becomes known, the Department will monitor activities and take additional actions as necessary.

Supported by the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act of 2014, DWGs 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.