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Archived News Release--Caution:
information may be out of date.
For more information call: (202) 219-8211
The U.S. Department of Labor is providing an emergency
grant for up to $29.5 million to the Guam Agency for Human Resource Development
for a project to assist as many as 3,000 workers affected by last week's
Typhoon Paka, President Clinton announced today.
"We want to ensure a speedy recovery for the communities of
Guam that were affected by this terrible disaster, especially devastating for
the families of Guam as we head into the holiday season," President Clinton
said.
The award is authorized under emergency provisions of
Title III of the Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA) to fund special temporary
jobs to help dislocated workers resume regular employment and provide disaster
relief. The program will assist workers in areas that have been declared
eligible for Public Assistance by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
"I am deeply concerned about the people of Guam at this
difficult time," Secretary of Labor Alexis M. Herman said. "This assistance
will help the island rebuild, and allow workers to regain their livelihoods as
soon as possible. Not only will the grant assist workers who lost their jobs,
it will also allow local governments to hire workers to restore and repair
public property damaged by the typhoon."
Workers helped by the Department of Labor assistance will
be able to work for up to six months with public or private non-profit agencies
to help with clean-up of debris, eliminating health and safety threats,
providing emergency services and shelters, and long-term repair and
restoration.
The dislocated worker program is a comprehensive
retraining approach to assist workers who have been, or are about to be, laid
off for reasons such as natural disasters, technological change, foreign
competition or government actions. The program funds efforts to help these
workers when they are unlikely to return to their previous industry or
occupation.
Additionally, workers who have lost their jobs due to the
typhoon are eligible for Disaster Unemployment Insurance(DUA), which covers
workers who have lost their jobs as a direct result of the disaster and who are
not eligible for other state or federal unemployment insurance. DUA provides up
to 26 weeks of income replacement. The maximum weekly benefit on Guam is $191.
The DUA payments will be administered by the Guam Department of Labor, which
estimates that approximately 2,950 workers may be eligible for these
benefits.
Archived News Release--Caution:
information may be out of date.
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