OLYMPIA – The Employment Security Department was awarded a $1 million disaster recovery grant from the U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL) to help workers living in Washington who were affected by December’s severe weather and record flooding. Employment Security will submit a full application to USDOL within 60 business days for additional disaster recovery funds for a total of up to $10 million.
The $1 million grant is for assistance in the counties of Benton, Chelan, Clallam, Grays Harbor, Jefferson, King, Kittitas, Lewis, Mason, Pierce, Skagit, Snohomish, Thurston, Wahkiakum, Whatcom and Yakima; all Tribal nations in those counties; and the Samish Indian Nation.
“Federal assistance is essential to help Washingtonians recover from these historic floods,” Gov. Bob Ferguson said. “This funding will help our workers and employers get back on their feet. We will continue to work with federal partners to get relief for Washingtonians.”
Four local workforce development boards that support those counties and Tribal jurisdictions will receive the majority of the emergency funding: Pacific Mountain, Northwest, Snohomish and Seattle-King County. South Central will be added to the full grant application of up to $10 million.
“These emergency funds will allow the severely affected areas in our state a chance to start the recovery process for workers and employers,” Employment Security Commissioner Cami Feek said. “The widespread flooding and landslides far exceed the response capacity of the local workforce boards. We’re thankful for this initial emergency funding.”
The emergency funds for eligible dislocated workers will be used to:
- Fund temporary jobs to support community preparedness and recovery.
- Provide reemployment services.
- Deliver training and support services to help workers find meaningful employment opportunities.
These funds are in addition to the $21.3 million in federal major disaster assistance requested by Gov. Ferguson last week. Read the press release on Gov. Ferguson’s website.
Source: Employment Security Department
Author: Lynnwood Times Staff
