The U.S. Department of Labor has announced an incremental award of $3,750,000 to support disaster-relief employment and workforce training for eligible residents in Florida as the state continues its recovery from Hurricane Ian.
On October 17, 2022, the department initially awarded a National Dislocated Worker Grant with an initial amount of $15 million. This was followed by an additional incremental award of $7.5 million on October 2, 2023, to the Florida Department of Commerce. The funding aims to provide temporary jobs for debris removal, humanitarian assistance, and clean-up work. It also supports career and training services for local workers.
In September 2022, Hurricane Ian made landfall as a Category 4 hurricane along Florida’s southwest coast, causing high winds, storm surges, and significant flooding. The Federal Emergency Management Agency issued a major disaster declaration on September 29, 2022, enabling the state to request federal assistance for recovery efforts.
Administered by the department’s Employment and Training Administration and supported by the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act of 2014, National Dislocated Worker Grants provide funding assistance to temporarily expand the service capacity of dislocated worker programs at both state and local levels when large economic events cause significant job losses.
