The U.S. Department of Labor announced in a press release that approximately 8,600 workers from companies in 17 states — Arizona, Arkansas, California, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin — are eligible to apply for Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA).

"Workers facing layoffs or reduced hours due to direct foreign competition deserve our support," said Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis. "Helping prepare displaced workers for new opportunities in emerging sectors is good for the economy, and is simply the right thing to do."

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.

For more information on Trade Adjustment Assistance and the range of Department of Labor employment and training services, visit http://www.doleta.gov.