The U.S. Department of Labor today announced that approximately 5,500 workers from companies in 16 states — Alabama, California, Connecticut, Georgia, Illinois, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, New York, Ohio, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, Virginia and Wisconsin — are eligible to apply for Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA).

"The U.S. Department of Labor is committed to supporting all of the nation's workers — including those who lose their jobs because their companies relocate abroad," said Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis. "Through the Trade Adjustment Assistance program, we are leveraging opportunities for displaced workers to acquire new occupational skills, which will help them secure good jobs in emerging areas of their local economies."

Workers covered by these latest TAA certifications will be contacted by their respective states with instructions on how to apply for individual benefits and services. Those who apply may receive case management and re-employment services, training in new occupational skills and trade readjustment allowances that provide income support for workers enrolled in training. Some workers may also receive job search and relocation allowances, and the Health Coverage Tax Credit (HCTC).

Workers 50 years of age and older may elect to receive Re-employment Trade Adjustment Assistance (RTAA). If a worker obtains new employment at wages less than $55,000 and less than those earned in adversely affected employment, the RTAA program will pay 50 percent of the difference between the old wage and the new wage, up to $12,000 over a two-year period. RTAA participants may also be eligible for retraining and the HCTC.

The chart below reflects the companies covered by the Trade Adjustment Assistance:

NOTE: Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) is a program of the United States Department of Labor that provides a variety of reemployment services and benefits to workers who have lost their jobs or suffered a reduction of hours and wages as a result of increased imports or shifts in production outside the United States. The TAA program aims to help program participants obtain new jobs, ensuring they retain employment and earn wages comparable to their prior employment.