WASHINGTON, DC - In an effort to improve the prospects of unemployed Rhode Islanders in finding work, U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) today announced that the state will receive $701,363 from the U.S. Department of Labor to provide re-employment and eligibility assessments to beneficiaries of unemployment insurance. 

The funds will be used to expand the unemployment services currently offered, allowing the state to conduct in-person assessments that will help individuals identify their strengths and opportunities in the workforce, and provide them with referrals for job training and other re-employment services.  The personalized reviews also enhance the integrity of unemployment insurance payments, ensuring that only those who are eligible receive assistance.

“This federal funding will help more people find work and reduce the amount of time it takes Rhode Islanders who’ve been laid off to find a new job,” said Reed, who, along with Senator Dean Heller (R-NV) is leading the fight to restore unemployment insurance to help job seekers.  “Congress needs to do everything it can to work together and help create jobs and get our nation back to full employment.  These federal workforce development funds will ensure job seekers can get personalized employment and training services through their local career center.  We need to improve collaboration between our schools, businesses, and job training centers so these programs are aligned with current job market conditions and we can better prepare more workers for in-demand jobs.”

The assessments consist of an eligibility review, a provision of labor market information, the development of a re-employment plan for beneficiaries and referral to re-employment services or training.  The in-person assessments will be offered at One-Stop Career Centers throughout the state.

The new Reed-Heller unemployment insurance (UI) proposal also includes language to strengthen reemployment and eligibility assessment (REA) and ReEmployment Services (RES) programs.  In an effort to help get job seekers back into the workforce, individuals receiving emergency unemployment compensation will be eligible for enhanced, personalized assessments  and referrals to reemployment services when they begin their 27th week of UI (Tier I) and 55th week of UI (Tier III).

In December 2013, Congress failed to reauthorize the Emergency Unemployment Compensation program, which forced 1.3 million Americans to lose access to their federal unemployment insurance.  Since that time, the number of American job seekers who have exhausted their benefits and had this critical emergency UI safety net cut has reached more than 3.1 million. 

Earlier this year, Senators Reed and Heller helped pass a bipartisan bill to restore UI benefits for job seekers through the full U.S. Senate.  The U.S. House of Representatives never voted on that plan.

For more information on the range of U.S. Department of Labor employment and training programs, visit http://www.doleta.gov. 

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