The Economic Dislocation and Worker Adjustment Assistance Act (EDWAA) amended
Title III of the Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA), and provides funds to States and local
substate grantees so they can help dislocated workers find and qualify for new jobs. It is
part of a comprehensive approach to aiding workers who have lost their jobs that also
includes provisions of the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act and
the Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) program.
ELIGIBILITY
Workers who have lost their jobs and are unlikely to return to their previous industries or
occupations are eligible for the program. This includes workers who lose their jobs
because of plant closures or mass layoffs; long-term unemployed persons with limited job
opportunities in their fields; and farmers, ranchers and other self-employed persons who
become unemployed due to general economic conditions. Under certain circumstances,
States may also authorize service for displaced homemakers.
SERVICE DELIVERY STRUCTURE
Each State is divided into substate areas. The programs are designed and operated at the
local level, where the decisions about who can be served and which services will be offered
are made based on local labor market needs and opportunities, and available resources.
The Governor of each State designates a Dislocated Worker Unit which has the primary
responsibility for overall administration and management of the program, including the
establishment of a system to respond rapidly to major worker dislocations. Funds are made
available to the States each year using a distribution formula based on unemployment in
each State.
SERVICES AVAILABLE
EDWAA authorizes an array of comprehensive and timely retraining and readjustment
services. States and local substate grantees can tailor the services to meet participants'
individual needs based on the funds available. These services include:
Rapid Response. Each State has a Dislocated Worker Unit (DWU) which receives
notices of plant closures and mass layoffs covered under the Worker Adjustment and
Retraining Notification Act (WARN). When a DWU obtains information about a major
layoff, it can respond with on-site services to assist workers facing job losses. The DWU
may also help to set up a labor-management committee at the worksite and/or assist in
efforts to avert worker dislocations
Retraining Services. Workers can receive classroom, occupational skills, and/or on-the-job training to qualify for jobs in demand. Basic and remedial education, entrepreneurial
training, and instruction in literacy or English-as-a-second-language may be provided.
Readjustment Services. These include: outreach and intake; testing and counseling;
development of individual service plans; labor market information; job development; job
search and placement; supportive services (including child care and transportation allowances); relocation assistance and pre-layoff assistance programs.
Needs Related Payments. Dislocated workers in training who have exhausted their
unemployment insurance (UI) benefits may receive needs-related payments while they
complete training.
Certificates of Continuing Eligibility. These certificates allow eligible dislocated
workers to defer the start of retraining, or to obtain their own retraining.
NATIONAL RESERVE ACCOUNT (NRA): States and substate areas may apply for NRA
grants from the Department of Labor's Employment and Training Administration (ETA) if
they need additional funds to administer and operate projects for eligible workers dislocated
due to mass layoffs, plant closures, disasters, and Federal government actions.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: Workers, employers, and anyone interested in learning
more about the EDWAA program and the services available should contact the appropriate
State Dislocated Worker Unit at the phone number listed on the back, or write: Office of
Worker Retraining and Adjustment Programs, U.S. Department of Labor, Room N-5426,
200 Constitution Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20210.
Dislocated Worker Units
STATE PHONE STATE PHONE
Alabama (334) 242-5893 Nebraska (402) 471-9903
Alaska (907) 269-4658 Nevada (702) 687-4310
Arizona (602) 542-2484 New Hampshire (603) 228-9500
Arkansas (501) 682-3137 New Jersey (800) 343-3919
California (916) 654-9212 New Mexico (505) 827-6846
Colorado (303) 758-5020 New York (518) 457-3101
Connecticut (203) 566-7550 North Carolina(919) 733-6383
Delaware (302) 368-6913 North Dakota (701) 328-2843
Dist.of Col. (202) 673-4434 Ohio (614) 466-3817
Florida (904) 488-9250 Oklahoma (405) 557-7294
Georgia (404) 656-6336 Oregon (503) 373-1995
Hawaii (808) 586-9067 Pennsylvania (717) 787-9282
Idaho (208) 334-6303 Puerto Rico (809) 754-5633
Illinois (217) 785-6006 Rhode Island (401) 277-3450
Indiana (317) 232-7461 South Carolina(803) 737-2601
Iowa (515) 281-9013 South Dakota (605) 773-5017
Kansas (913) 296-7876 Tennessee (615) 741-1031
Kentucky (502) 564-5630 Texas (512) 320-9834
Louisiana (504) 342-7664 Utah (801) 538-8757
Maine (207) 287-3377 Vermont (802) 828-4177
Maryland (410) 767-2832 Virginia (804) 786-3037
Massachusetts(617) 727-8158 Washington (206) 438-4611
Michigan (517) 335-0056 West Virginia (304) 558-1847
Minnesota (612) 296-7918 Wisconsin (608) 266-0745
Mississippi (601) 949-2234 Wyoming (307) 235-3601
Missouri (314) 751-7796
Montana (406) 444-4500
U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Worker Retraining
(202) 219-5577
This is one of a series of fact sheets highlighting U.S. Department of Labor programs. It is intended as a general
description only and does not carry the force of legal opinion.
