The U.S. Department of Labor has announced a supplemental award of $793,000 to Tennessee. This funding aims to continue providing disaster unemployment assistance for residents whose livelihoods were affected by Tropical Storm Helene in September 2024.
"Many workers had their lives completely upended when Tropical Storm Helene swept across Tennessee. As communities continue working to rebuild, I’m pleased to approve additional unemployment assistance for hardworking Tennesseans who were impacted by this disaster," stated Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer.
The grant was awarded to the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development by the department's Employment and Training Administration. It will enable the state to deliver benefit payments to eligible Disaster Unemployment Assistance claimants and cover administrative costs associated with the program. This funding is specifically for individuals who lost their jobs or had their employment interrupted due to the storm and are not eligible for regular unemployment benefits.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) issued a major disaster declaration on October 2, 2024, allowing Tennessee to request federal assistance. In response, FEMA initially authorized $938,400 in October 2024 for implementing disaster unemployment assistance related to Tropical Storm Helene.
This initiative is supported by the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act and is administered by the Employment and Training Administration in coordination with FEMA. The Disaster Unemployment Assistance program provides funds to state unemployment insurance agencies under agreements with the Secretary of Labor.
