Disaster Recovery Dislocated Worker Grants

Qualifying Event

Disaster Recovery DWGs help address employment and economic recovery from the impact of disasters and emergencies in disaster-declared areas.

The following events are eligible for Disaster Recovery DWGs: 

1. Emergencies and major disasters, as defined under Section 102 of the Stafford Act (42 U.S.C. 5122), declared by FEMA as eligible for Public Assistance. 

2. Emergencies or disaster situations of national significance, natural or man-made, that could result in a potentially large loss of employment, as declared or otherwise recognized and issued in writing by the chief official of a Federal agency with jurisdiction over the Federal response to the disaster or emergency. Federal agency declarations might be made by the Department of Health and Human Services, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Small Business Administration, Economic Development Administration, or others. In some cases these declarations, such as the public health emergency declarations for COVID-19 or the opioid epidemic, established a new qualifying event that remains in effect until the qualifying declaration is rescinded or expires. Not every Federal emergency or disaster declaration will automatically meet the standard for “national significance” as required by WIOA. Applicants requesting a Disaster Recovery DWG for an emergency or disaster of national significance must demonstrate that a potentially large loss of employment could result from a disaster or emergency. ETA defines “potentially large” in this context as the potential loss of at least 50 jobs within the disaster area covered by the relevant declaration within the jurisdiction of the applicant.

3. Relocation of a substantial number of individuals from a state, tribal area, or outlying area affected by a disaster or emergency to other states, tribal areas, or outlying areas outside the disaster or emergency area. ETA will determine whether a relocation is “substantial” based on the information provided in the DWG application.

Eligible Applicants

Eligible applicants for Disaster Recovery DWGs are the state, outlying area, or Indian tribal governments as defined by the Stafford Act, 42 U.S.C. 5122(6)

Eligible Participants

The following are eligible to receive services provided through a Disaster Recovery DWG, per 20 CFR 687.170(b): 

1. Individuals temporarily or permanently laid off as a consequence of the emergency or disaster;

2. Dislocated workers as defined in WIOA Section 3(15), including displaced homemakers as defined in WIOA Section 3(16); see TEGL 19-16 for more specific information on the flexibilities that WIOA provides to Governors concerning establishing procedures for interpreting and applying the definition of dislocated worker to individuals; 

3. Long-term unemployed individuals, as defined by the state or other eligible entity; or 

4. Self-employed individuals who became unemployed or significantly underemployed as a result of the emergency or disaster.

Active Grants