The U.S. Department of Labor today announced the award of more than $18 million in competitive grant funding to help workers in Maine, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Washington and Wisconsin understand the application process for claiming and receiving unemployment benefits and related services.
The state grants are funded by the American Rescue Plan Act, and will support efforts by partner organizations to reduce disparities in unemployment benefits and services in the seven states.
Administered by the department’s Employment and Training Administration, ARPA Unemployment Insurance Navigator grants will allow community partners in each state to conduct outreach and provide resources and training to marginalized communities, with an emphasis on the following groups who have experienced disparate access to benefits and services:
- Women
- Racial and ethnic minorities, including Blacks, Hispanics, American Indian and Native Americans, Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, Pacific Islanders and Indigenous Persons.
- Individuals with disabilities, those with limited English proficiency, formerly incarcerated individuals, low-wage earners, and individuals living in rural areas.
- Members of religious minorities.
- LGTBQI+ individuals.
A list of the UI Navigator Program Grant recipients and funding amounts follows:
| Recipient | Amount |
| Maine Department of Labor | $2,997,237 |
| New Mexico Department of Workforce Solutions | $2,801,230 |
| Oklahoma Employment Security Commission | $227,038 |
| Oregon Employment Department | $3,000,000 |
| Pennsylvania Department of Labor | $3,000,000 |
| Washington Employment Security Department | $3,000,000 |
| Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development | $3,000,000 |
| Total | $18,025,505 |
