Trade Adjustment Assistance for employees

Help for workers affected by foreign trade

Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) and Alternative or Reemployment Trade Adjustment Assistance (ATAA/RTAA) programs help workers who are unemployed due to foreign trade.

The Employment Security Department (ESD) provides these services using federal grant funds issued by the U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL). Eligible TAA program participants receive employment and case management services. Participants may also be able to get help with the services outlined on this page.

Who is eligible?

You may be eligible for TAA if the USDOL determines your job was lost or threatened due to foreign trade. Examples of foreign trade related impacts may include:

Increased imports.
A shift in operations to certain countries.
A company that supplies products or services to a certified company or meets the definition of a downstream producer. A downstream producer is defined as a company that performs additional, value-added production processes or services directly for another company with a certified worker group.

If you have been laid off for one of these reasons, contact the TAA Program Operations team at wataa@esd.wa.gov to begin the eligibility process. The first step will be to file a petition with the Department of Labor. Petitions may be filed by:

The TAA Program Operator, one-stop operators or partners, including state workforce agencies, such as ESD; or the state dislocated-worker unit.
A group of two or more petitioning workers.
A union official or representative. You can request technical assistance from the Washington State Labor Council.
A company official, such as the human resource manager.

Find the latest information about TAA eligibility at www.doleta.gov/tradeact.

Steps to become eligible

Step 1: Group certification

A group of workers needs to first submit a petition to USDOL showing that they were adversely affected by foreign trade. A single petition form covers requests for both TAA and ATAA/RTAA. USDOL will issue a certification if the group is eligible. The certification will identify if the group will be certified for ATAA/RTAA.

Download a blank petition. For help completing the petition, contact the TAA Program Operations team. Send the completed petition to the Washington State TAA Program Operator, who will file it with the USDOL for a determination. Send the petition by:

Email: WATAA@esd.wa.gov

Fax: 360-902-9662 (please send to the attention of the Washington State TAA Program Operator)

Mail: TAA Petition
Employment Connections Division (EC)
Employment Security Department
PO Box 9046
Olympia, WA 98507-9046

If USDOL certifies the petition, you can later request an amendment from USDOL to include additional workers from businesses or suppliers.

Find answers to frequently asked questions about TAA petitions online at Department of Labor - Employment and Training Administration .

Step 2: Individual certification

After a group is certified, each worker may then individually apply for services and benefits. ESD will mail you details about how to get scheduled for an upcoming TAA orientation. During the TAA orientation, workers will get a complete overview of the program, descriptions of the services available and answers to any questions.

Petition determinations

Once a petition is filed, the Office of Trade Adjustment Assistance (OTAA) investigates whether the company or a group of workers meets the eligibility requirements. USDOL will issue a determination certifying or denying that the workers are eligible to apply for TAA benefits. Find current information about petition status at Department of Labor - Employment and Training Administration.

USDOL will make a final determination and then notify the petitioner, the company and the state agency of its final decision.

How to appeal a determination

Appeal requests to USDOL must:

Be in writing.
Include the TAA investigation number.
Describe the job responsibilities affected for the group of workers included in the petition.
Cite reasons why the workers consider the denial erroneous according to the facts, the interpretation of the facts, or the law itself.
Be mailed within 30 days of a determination being published in the Federal Register.

Mail to:

TAA Petition Appeal
Employment Connections Division
Employment Security Department
PO Box 9046
Olympia, WA 98507-9046

Occupational skills training

The TAA can help you with occupational skills training if:

There is no suitable employment for you in your local labor market. Suitable employment means work of a substantially equal or higher skill level than your occupation of dislocation and wages for that type of work that are not less than 80 percent of your previous average weekly wage.
You would benefit from appropriate training.
There is a reasonable expectation you will get a job after the training.
The training must be reasonably available to you,
The training is suitable and available at a reasonable cost, and
You are qualified to attend training, including having enough financial resources to complete the training if you run out of money.

ESD approved TAA training plans

We can approve plans for different types of training:

Classroom: Normally conducted in a setting where students can interact with an instructor. Online coursework is also considered a form of classroom training. Classroom training must result in a final certificate, degree or other recognized training credential when you successfully complete the training.

Apprenticeship: Includes registered apprenticeships and other programs that include a paid work-based learning component and required educational component. Apprenticeships must result in a recognized credential when you successfully complete the training.

On-the-job: Provided by an employer to an employee. The employer will receive a wage reimbursement up to 50% for a set period of time. That time is determined by your petition number and the extent of training required.

Customized: Designed to meet special requirements of an employer or group of employers. The employer or group of employers must commit to employing those who successfully complete the training. The employer pays at least 50% of the cost of training.

The TAA program may pay for approved training programs. Covered costs include:

Tuition, required books, tools, equipment and fees.
Remedial and prerequisite training may be included as part of your approved TAA training plan.
Allowances to offset the cost of a second household while attending out-of-area training.
Allowances to offset the expense of traveling to training outside the defined commutable area.

Job search allowance

You may receive a job search allowance if you can’t find suitable work within your local commuting area.

Important - You must submit requests for job search allowances:

Before you begin your job search. Contact your TAA case manager for more information.
Before the 365th day after the layoff or certification, or 182 days after training ends, whichever is later.

The reimbursement covers the lesser of:

A percentage of the allowable travel and subsistence costs.

A percentage of the federal per-diem rate for the area where you are job searching.

Your case manager can give you exact amounts.

Relocation allowance

You may be eligible for financial help to relocate to a new area if you accept a suitable job there.

Important: You must submit requests for relocation allowances before the relocation begins. Contact your TAA case manager for more information.

You may be reimbursed up to 90% of the reasonable and necessary costs of relocating you, your family and your household to the new location. The amount may be reduced if you receive reimbursement from other sources.

To help you relocate, you may also be eligible for a lump-sum payment equal to three times your average weekly wage, up to $1,250.

Trade Readjustment Allowances (TRA)

Trade Readjustment Allowances (TRA) is income support that may be available after you have used up your unemployment benefits.

Unemployment benefits pay up to 26 times your weekly benefit amount (WBA). You may only receive these benefits during your 52-week benefit year.

TRA benefits come in three forms:

Basic TRA

May be available once you run out of your unemployment benefits. These benefits equal 52 times your WBA, minus any federally funded unemployment benefits you are eligible to receive. You may only get these benefits during your 104-week Basic TRA eligibility period if you are:

Enrolled in or participating in TAA-approved training.

Looking for a job

Before the training enrollment deadline.

After completing TAA-approved training.

After the training enrollment deadline, if the training requirement was waived prior to the deadline.

Additional TRA

May be available after you run out of Basic TRA benefits and only while you are attending TAA-approved training. The benefits you may receive are based on your petition number and may be up to:

52 weeks of benefits for petitions numbered 69,999 and below. To be eligible for Additional TRA under these petition numbers, you must make a bona fide request for training within 210 days of your separation from the trade-affected employer.

78 weeks of benefits payable over 91 weeks for petitions numbered 70,000 – 79,999.
65 weeks of benefits payable over 78 weeks for petitions numbered 80,000 – 97,999.
65 weeks of benefits payable over 78 weeks for petitions numbered 98,000 and above.

Completion TRA

May be available after you have run out of Additional TRA and only while you are attending TAA-approved training. You may receive up to 13 weeks of benefits, payable during the final 20 weeks of training. You must make satisfactory progress throughout training.

To qualify for TRA income support, you must also:

Be TAA certified.
Be laid off

By a TAA-certified employer due to lack of work.
On or after the impact date identified by USDOL.

and

Before the expiration date of the certification and before the expiration date of the program on July 1, 2022

Have worked with the TAA-certified firm or subdivision for at least 26 weeks when you earned wages of at least $30. These 26 weeks must have been during 52 consecutive weeks immediately before and including the week of your separation.
Be eligible for and used up any other federal unemployment benefits.
Be enrolled in or completed TAA-approved training or have received a written waiver before the training enrollment deadline.

Training enrollment deadline and waiver requirements

You may be able to receive Basic TRA if you are looking for work or are unable to begin training before your training enrollment deadline. To continue receiving TRA beyond your training enrollment deadline, you must be enrolled in approved training or have the training requirement waived by the training enrollment deadline date.

Training enrollment deadlines:

For petitions numbered 50,000-69,999 and 98,000 and above: You must be enrolled in approved training. If you’re not, you must have the training requirement waived within 8 weeks of the petition certification date or 16 weeks from your most recent qualifying separation, whichever is later.
For petitions numbered 70,000-97,999: You must be enrolled in approved training. If you’re not, you must have the training requirement waived within 26 weeks of the petition certification date or 26 weeks from your most recent qualifying separation, whichever is later.

Waiver conditions:

Training waivers are available prior to the training enrollment deadline. To receive Additional or Completion TRA, you must be in training.

Schedule an appointment with your TAA case manager by contacting your local WorkSource office to find out if you’re eligible to receive a training waiver.

Waiver it in 90 days and every 30 days afterward to confirm that the waiver condition is still valid. You and your TAA case manager are both responsible for ensuring that you meet with a TAA case manager to review an active waiver.

Alternative and Reemployment Trade Adjustment Assistance (ATAA/RTAA)

Alternative Trade Adjustment Assistance (ATAA)

ATAA provides a wage subsidy for older TAA-certified workers. This income is designed to bridge the gap between your wage at separation and your new wage. The certification must include ATAA. It’s effective for petitions numbered 50,000-69,999 and 98,000 and above.

To be eligible for ATAA, you must:

Be determined eligible for TAA and receiving TAA case management services.
Be at least 50 years old at time of re-employment or reach the age of 50 while during re-employment.
Get a new job by the last day of the 26th week after your qualifying separation from TAA/ATAA-certified employment.
Not be expected to earn from your new job more than $50,000 annually in gross wages (excluding overtime pay).
Be reemployed full time, as defined by law in the state where you’re employed.
Not return to work for the trade-affected employer from which you were separated.

When applying for ATAA:

An ATAA application must be filed within two years of the first day of qualifying reemployment.
You must choose to request ATAA instead of other TAA allowances.
You can’t switch to TAA once you begin receiving ATAA.
You void your rights to retraining, allowances and Trade Readjustment Assistance once you receive an ATAA payment.

Reemployment Trade Adjustment Assistance (RTAA)

RTAA provides a wage subsidy for older TAA-certified workers, but without a deadline for when they get a new job. Like ATAA, RTAA bridges the gap between your wage at separation and your new wage. Workers may receive RTAA for part-time jobs if enrolled in TAA-approved training. RTAA applies to workers under petitions numbered 70,000-97,999.

To be eligible for RTAA, you must:

Be determined eligible for TAA and receiving TAA case management services.
Be at least age 50 at time of re-employment or reach the age of 50 while during re-employment.
Not be expected to earn from your new job an annual gross wage (excluding overtime pay) greater than:

$55,000 for petitions numbered 70,000 to 79,999, or
$50,000 annually in gross wages for petitions numbered 81,000 and above.

Be reemployed full-time, as defined by law in the state where you’re employed.

Alternatively, for petitions numbered 70,000 to 79,999 and 81,000 and above, you can be employed part time (at least 20 hours per week) and attending TAA-approved training full or part time.

Not return to work for the trade-affected employer from which you were separated.

When applying for RTAA:

An RTAA application must be filed within two years of:

Your new qualifying job’s start date.

The date you ran out of unemployment benefits that you received due to your trade-affected separation, whichever is earlier.

Other programs

If you don’t qualify for Trade Adjustment Assistance re-employment services and benefits, you may be eligible for the Workforce Investment Act Dislocated Worker Program or other programs through a local WorkSource office.

Find the WorkSource closest to you:

WorkSource locator at WorkSourceWA.com.
Call toll-free 877-872-5627.
Applicants who are deaf or hard of hearing may call the Washington Relay Service by dialing 711.

Contact information

ESD TAA Program Operations Team:

Email: wataa@esd.wa.gov

Washington State Labor Council AFL-CIO:

wslc.org

Important Updates and Alerts (2)