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Federal recovery funding

Worker training, summer jobs and dislocated workers
Employment Security has received nearly $55.3 million in Workforce Investment Act funds for worker training, summer jobs for youths and young adults, dislocated-worker services, and other employment-readiness services, for eligible Washingtonians. These include low-income adults, military veterans, at-risk youths and dislocated workers).
 
Most of the money has been distributed as grants to the state’s 12 workforce development councils, which coordinate these programs in local communities. The funds had to be available by mid-April 2009 and must be spent by June 30, 2010.

The majority of the funding will be distributed based on a federally required formula linked to poverty and unemployment rates. Under federal law, 5 percent of the funds may be used for administrative costs, and 10 percent is reserved for the governor to distribute.
 
Employment services
Employment Security received more than $8.2 million in federal recovery funds in mid-March 2009 to bolster its efforts to help people find jobs. The money must be spent by the end of June 2011.

Employment Security will use these funds primarily to:

  • Hire additional staff in WorkSource centers to provide reemployment services to unemployed workers. These services include assessing job-seekers’ work skills, helping them develop employment plans and find suitable job openings, and referring them to job training if needed.
  • Upgrade the skill-assessment tools used in WorkSource offices to improve our ability to quickly refer job seekers for additional training, if needed, and to better match them with appropriate job openings.
  • Expand WorkSource hours to be more available for job seekers and employers.
  • Increase services to employers across Washington to meet their needs for qualified workers.

Unemployment benefits
Unemployment benefits were temporarily increased by $25 a week for all existing or new unemployment claims filed on or after February 22, 2009. The money began showing up in benefit payments in mid-May, after the computer system was reprogrammed; eligible claims filed from Feb. 22 to early May received a retroactive lump-sum payment.

The temporary increase applies only to claims opened on or before December 26, 2009.  Eligible claimants will receive the additional $25 for all weeks claimed up through July 3, 2010.
 
The $25 increase does not apply to state “training benefit” payments. 

Click here for more information about unemployment benefits.

Volunteer programs
Employment Security has received a federal recovery grant of $1.6 million to expand the Washington Service Corps by another 130 members during the September 2009 through August 2010 service year. This is on top of the base funding that supports 630 Corps members. The additional Service Corps members will focus on informing low-income families about free home weatherization as well as free and low-cost health care and education - with the goal of increasing participation in these services.

Employment Security has received a federal recovery grant of $600,000 to expand Washington's VISTA (Volunteers in Service to America) program by another 45 members during the 2009-10 service year. This is on top of base funding that supports about 100 VISTA members. The additional members will provide increased capacity to recruit, train and manage volunteers to increase help at schools as well as non-profit and community-based organization to serve people in poverty.

The Washington Reading Corps received a federal recovery grant, of $392,000, to replace state funding that was lost due to budget cuts.