Most Workers at Five Sites Received Some Reemployment Assistance, but Generally Less Than a Third Entered Training

At all five sites, the majority of affected workers visited a one-stop center  and received some services, but at four of five sites only about a third or  less received training and long-term income support. In four of the  five sites we studied, workers who did not go to a one-stop center most  commonly reported that they needed to find a job right away and did not  think they had time to visit a one-stop center, or did not need help finding  a job. Most Workers at Each Site Visited a One-Stop Center and Received One-on-One Assistance

Over 70 percent of workers at each site visited a one-stop center,  according to our survey (see fig. States used a variety of federal funds to provide reemployment services to  trade-affected workers. Workers’ Characteristics

Older workers were less likely than younger workers to enter training. Most Workers at Four of Five Sites Were Reemployed or Retired after Being Laid Off

The majority of workers at four of the five sites had either found a job or  decided to retire at the time of our survey. At three of the sites, 60 percent  or more of the workers had found jobs (see fig. The Majority of Workers in Most Sites Earned Less in Their New Jobs, Replacing about 80 Percent or More of Their Pre-Layoff Wages

The majority of reemployed workers in four sites earned less in their new  jobs than prior to being laid off, but at the fifth site—Weyerhaeuser in  Washington—slightly more than half the reemployed workers earned the  same or more than their prior wage. 12). A Small Proportion of Workers in the Five Sites Received Health Insurance or Wage Insurance Benefits, but Many Workers Were Unaware of These Benefits

A small proportion of workers in the five sites received the health  insurance benefit (HCTC) or the wage insurance benefit (ATAA), but many  workers told us they were unaware of these benefits. Of the workers  who were aware of the benefit but did not use it, about half or more at  each site said they did not need it because they had other health  insurance, or it was too expensive. Likewise, few older workers received  the ATAA benefit. Appendix I: Objectives, Scope, and Methodology

We examined (1) the extent to which workers accessed federally funded  reemployment services and the mix of services received, (2) the  employment outcomes these workers achieved, and (3) the extent to  which workers used the new health insurance and wage insurance  benefits under the Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) program, and the  factors affecting their participation. Workers over age 55 were less than  half as likely to receive training as workers under age 40.
Why GAO Did This Study

Little is known nationally about the extent to which workers laid off as a result of international trade use the variety of federally funded reemployment services available to them. GAO was asked to study the experiences of workers affected by a small number of trade-related layoffs. GAO examined (1) the extent to which workers accessed federally funded reemployment services and the mix of services received, (2) the employment outcomes these workers achieved, and (3) the extent to which workers used the new health insurance and wage insurance benefits under the Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) program, and the factors affecting their participation.

What GAO Found

At all five trade-related plant closures that GAO studied, about three-quarters or more of the workers received reemployment assistance through a one-stop center, and they most often received one-on-one services such as job search assistance, according to our survey estimates. About a third or less of the workers at most sites received training and long-term income support, with workers over age 55 less likely to enter training than younger workers. Workers who did not visit a center most often said they needed to find a job right away and did not think they had time to visit a center, or did not think they needed help finding a new job. At the time GAO conducted its survey, most of the workers had either found a new job or retired. At three sites, over 60 percent of the workers were reemployed. At another site, only about 40 percent were reemployed, but another third had retired. And at the final site, about a third were reemployed, but this site had the highest proportion of workers who entered training and most of them were likely still in training. The majority of reemployed workers at four of five sites earned less than they had previously--replacing about 80 percent or more of their prior wages--but at one site over half the reemployed workers matched their prior wages. Few workers at each site received either the health insurance benefit or the wage insurance benefit available to some older workers. No more than 12 percent of workers at each site received the health insurance benefit, and at four of five sites, fewer than half the workers who visited a one-stop center were aware of it. Many workers did not use it because they had other coverage or because the cost of available health insurance was too high. No more than one in five of the older workers at each site received the wage insurance benefit, and at two sites, fewer than half the older workers who visited a center were aware of it.