Worker Adjustment Assistance A new law provides special income protection for workers who lose their jobs or whose hours of work and wages are reduced as a result of trade with other countries. Under the Trade Act of 1974, workers whose employment is adversely affected by increased imports may apply for Worker Adjustment Assistance. This includes trade readjustment allowances that provide weekly income for them to live on while they are unemployed or on reduced schedules and a variety of help in preparing for and obtaining new employment. They may be eligible for training, job search, and relocation allowances. The Federal program is administered by the Bureau of International Labor Affairs and the Manpower Administration of the U.S. Department of Labor through State employment security agencies. It became effective on April 3, 1975. If you are unemployed or on a short workweek, you may qualify for the benefits the new program provides. How do you go about getting them? meet the qualifying requirements, your claim will receive UI or a training allowance equal to or be approved. more than your regular trade readjustment allowance. While receiving benefits, you are subject to the same requirements as workers getting regular Would training improve your job prospects? unemployment insurance benefits under your State law. You must be registered for work, report If there are no suitable jobs to be found in your as requested, and be available for a suitable job. area and you think training would improve your You also have the same appeal rights provided by chances of getting a job, discuss your needs and your State unemployment insurance law. aims with the staff of your local employment service office. They can advise you on the How much will you receive? employment outlook for workers with different job The regular trade readjustment allowance is 70 skills, help you decide what kind of work is best percent of your average weekly wage but not suited to your aptitudes and interests, and tell you more than the national average weekly manufac- about any training opportunities that may be availturing wage. However, other benefits and earn able at no cost to you. Your plans may include ings affect the amount you get. Your weekly pay- vocational, on-the-job, technical, or professional ment will be reduced by: (1) 50 percent of the training. amount you earn during the week; (2) the amount of any unemployment insurance (UI) you are eligible to draw for the week; (3) the amount by which the UI, training allowance, and readjustment allowance payable to you for that week exceed 80 percent of your average weekly wage or 130 percent of the national average weekly manufacturing wage, if less. How long will you be paid? Ordinarily, you may be paid for not more than 52 weeks in a 2-year benefit period. But there are exceptions. You may be paid for up to 26 additional weeks in a 3-year benefit period if • You are completing training you started before the end of the 2-year period. To You receive your trade readjustment allowance allowed: within 6 months of either the while you train-unless, without good cause, you week for which you first received a re refuse suitable training or do not try to make satadjustment allowance payment or the isfactory progress. Of course, you must also stay date when the affected workers in your within the time limits allowed for payments while group were certified as eligible to apply, you finish training. whichever is later. In addition, you may be eligible for payments to • You were 60 or older when you were help cover the personal expense of taking trainlaid off. ing. If the training facility is beyond the normal The number of weeks for which you may be paid is commuting distance from your home, you may be reduced by any weeks for which you receive a paid your transportation costs (not exceeding 12 trade readjustment payment, regardless of the cents a mile) and living expenses (up to $15 amount, and also by any weeks for which you a day). How can you get help to extend your job VAN and living expenses (up to a maximum of $500) while you look for work. There are some time limits. You must apply for a job search allowance no later than 1 year after you lost your adversely affected job or within 6 months after you completed training. And there are some requirements, designed to assure that an extended search is warranted and has a good that you: chance of being successful. To receive a job Have obtained suitable work of long-term search allowance, you must be unemployed (not duration or a bona fide offer of such work on a reduced schedule) and registered with your in the area to which you will move. local employment service office; and your local Are entitled to a trade readjustment office must have determined that no suitable work allowance for the week in which you is available within commuting distance of your applied for the allowance. home and that you have received a bona fide job Have not previously received a relocation offer elsewhere in the country or have a reason allowance in your benefit period. able expectation of finding work in the area where you will look. Only travel within the United States You must relocate within 6 months after you apply will be approved. for a relocation allowance (or within 6 months after you complete training). This period may be Do you quality for a relocation allowance? extended for not more than 6 additional months, thereby allowing you up to a year to complete your To obtain a new job, you may have to move to a new location. If you do, you may need another good cause for the extension. move, but only if it is determined that there is type of help the program offers—financial assistance to relocate your household to your new area of employment STATE EMPLOYMENT SECURITY AGENCIES A relocation allowance pays 80 percent of the Department of Industrial Relations, inreasonable and necessary expenses of moving dustrial Relations Building, Montyou, your family, and your household goods to the gomery 36104 ALASKA.. Employment Security Division, Departnew location. Besides, you receive a lump sum ment of Labor, P.O. Box 3-7000. payment equal to three times your former average ARIZONA Department of Economic Security, weekly wage (up to a maximum of $500) to help P.O. Box 6123, 1717 West Jefferson you get settled. Street, Phoenix 85007 ARKANSAS Employment Security Division, DepartTo apply for a relocation allowance, go to your ment of Labor, Employment Seculocal employment service office. Your application rity-Welfare Building, Box 2981, must be filed before your move is completed. CALIFORNIA .... Employment Development Department, Your application will be approved if it is deter 800 Capitol Mall, Sacramento mined that you are unemployed and no suitable COLORADO Division of Employment, 1210 Sherwork is available in your home area and man Street, Denver 80203 CONNECTICUT Employment Security Division, Hartford 06115 DELAWARE Department of Labor, 801 West Street, Wilmington 19899 istration, Employment Securtiy Build- nue NW., Washington 20001 FLORIDA Department of Commerce, Collins Building. Tallahassee 32304 GEORGIA .......... Employment Security Agency. State Labor Building. Atlanta 3033 GUAM .. Department of Labor, Government of Guam, Agana 96910 HAWAII.. Department of Labor and Industrial Relations, 825 Mililani Street, Hono lulu 96813 IDAHO.. Department of Employment, PO Box 35, 317 Main Street, Boise 83707 ILLINOIS......... Employment Security Administration, Department of Labor, 165 Nort Canal Street, Chicago 60606 INDIANA Employment Security Division, 10 N. Senate Ave., Indianapolis 46204 IOWA ......... Employment Security Commission, 1000 E. Grand Ave., Des Moines 50319 KANSAS Employment Security Division, State Labor Department. 401 Topeka Boulevard, Topeka 66603 KENTUCKY. Department of Human Resources, New Capitol Annex Building. Frank fort 40601 LOUISIANA Department of Employment Security 1001 N. 230 St., P.O. Box 44094 Capitol Station, Baton Rouge 70804 MAINE...... Employment Security Commission, 20 Union Street, Augusta 04330 MARYLAND Department of Employment and Social Services, State Office Building, 1100 North Eutaw Street, Baltimore 21201 MASSACHUSETTS .... Division of Employment Security, Charles F. Hurley Building. Govern ment Center, Boston 02114 MICHIGAN ..... Employment Security Commission, Department of Labor, 510 Boulevard Detroit 48202 390 N. Robert St. St. Paul 55101 MISSISSIPPI Employment Security Commission, P.O. Box 1699, 1520 West Capitol Street, Jackson 39205 MISSOURI Division of Employment Security. Department of Labor and Industrial Jefferson City 65101 Box 1728, Lockey and Roberts Streets, Helena 59601 NEBRASKA Division of Employment, Department of Labor, P.O. Box 4600, State House Lincoln 68509 .. Employment Security Department, 500 East Third Street, Carson City 89701 NEW HAMPSHIRE Department of Employment Security 32 South Main Street, Concord 03301 John Fitch Plaza, P.O. Box V. Trenton 08625 NEW MEXICO Employment Security Commission. The National Building, P.O. Box 1928, 505 Marquette NW., Albuquerque 87103 NEW YORK.... Department of Labor, State Office Building Campus, Albany 12201 NORTH CAROLINA ... Employment Security Commission, P.O. Box 25, 903 Jones and North McDowell Streets, Raleigh 27611 NORTH DAKOTA ..... Employment Security Bureau, 201 East Broadway, P. O. Box 1537. Bismark 58501 OHIO.. Bureau of Employment Services, P.O. Box 1618. 145 South Front Street, Columbus 43216 OKLAHOMA... Employment Security Commission, Will Rogers Memorial Office Building, Oklahoma City 73105 OREGON ......... Employment Division, 874 Union Street, NE.. Salem 97310 Department of Labor and Industry Streets, Harrisburg 17121 Barbosa Avenue, Hato Rey 00917 RHODE ISLAND....... Department of Employment Security, 24 Mason Street, Providence 02903 SOUTH CAROLINA .... Employment Security Commission, 1225 Laurel Street, P. O. Box 995, Columbia 29202 SOUTH DAKOTA...... Employment Security Department, 607 North Fourth Street, Aberdeen 57401 TENNESSEE .......... Department of Employment Security, Cordell Hull State Office Building, Nashville 37219 TEXAS Employment Commission, TEC Build ing, Austin 78778 UTAH.. Department of Employment Security, Industrial Commission, 174 Social Lake City 84111 P.O. Box 488. Green Mountain Drive, Montpelier 05602 VIRGINIA Employment Commission, 703 East Main Street, P.O. Box 1358, Rich mond 23211 VIRGIN ISLANDS ..... Employment Security Agency, P.O. Box 1092, Charlotte Amalie, St Thomas 00801 WASHINGTON Employment Security Department, Em ployment Security Building, P.O. Box 367, Olympia 98501 WEST VIRGINIA....... Department of Employment Security. California and Washington Streets, Charleston 25305 WISCONSIN Employment Security Division, 201 East Washington Avenue, P.O. Box 1607, Madison 53701 WYOMING Employment Security Commission, ESC Building. P.O. Box 2760 88-681 O -77 - 5 |