$25M in disaster recovery set in response to California wildfires

The U.S. Department of Labor announced Jan. 4 the award of a Disaster Recovery National Dislocated Worker Grant for up to $25,092,803 to the California Department of Employment Development to create jobs to address debris cleanup and the delivery of humanitarian assistance to those affected by the September 2020 wildfires.

Since Sept. 4, 2020, wildfires have ravaged California. The state’s Department of Forestry and Fire Protection reported that, as of Oct. 25, 2020, more than 8,600 fires have burned more than 4.1 million acres.

An initial award of $8,364,268 will create disaster-relief employment related to the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s major disaster declaration on Sept. 4, 2020, for 10 counties: Fresno, Los Angeles, Madera, Mendocino, Napa, San Bernardino, San Diego, Shasta, Siskiyou and Sonoma.

Supported by the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act of 2014, National Dislocated Worker Grants temporarily expand the service capacity of dislocated worker training and employment programs at the state and local levels by providing funding assistance in response to large, unexpected economic events that cause significant job losses.

The mission of the Department of Labor is to foster, promote and develop the welfare of the wage earners, job seekers and retirees of the United States; improve working conditions; advance opportunities for profitable employment; and assure work-related benefits and rights.