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Archived News Release--Caution:
information may be out of date.
For more information call: (202) 219-6871.
A federal study highlighting the success of self-employment
programs for laid-off workers will be discussed today during a conference of
employment experts.
The report, "Self-Employment Programs: A New Reemployment
Strategy," showcases the results of two pilot projects in which unemployment
insurance benefit recipients in Massachusetts and Washington state created
their own jobs by starting small businesses. These results demonstrate that
self-employment assistance is a viable, cost-effective approach for getting
permanently laid-off workers back to work.
The report will be discussed at a conference today that
will bring together labor leaders from the U.S. and other countries with
self-employment systems.
Temporary self-employment program legislation was enacted
in 1993 as part of North American Free Trade Agreement for a five-year period
based on early results from the Massachusetts and Washington
demonstrations.
Eight states have enacted their own self-employment laws
based on the federal law -- California, Connecticut, Maine, Maryland,
Minnesota, New York, Rhode Island and Oregon. New York was the first state to
implement the program.
The one-day conference is scheduled to begin at 8:55 a.m.
today at the Postal Square Building, One Massachusetts Ave., N.E. For more
information or copies of the report, contact Jon Messenger, Unemployment
Insurance Service, U.S. Department of Labor, 200 Constitution Ave., N.W.,
Wash., D.C. 20210, telephone: (202) 219-5608.
Archived News Release--Caution:
information may be out of date.
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