- People who have lost jobs because of industry closings or mass layoffs
- Longterm unemployed people who have limited opportunity for jobs in their field
- Selfemployed individuals whose lack of employment is due to general economic conditions or natural disasters
The Economic Dislocation and Worker Adjustment Assistance Act authorizes employment and training help for dislocated workers, including early intervention programs, occupational skill training, job search assistance, support services, and relocation assistance.
In August 1988, Congress passed the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act (WARN), which requires advance notice of plant closing or mass layoffs. It allows affected workers, their unions, the District government, and the Department's dislocated worker offices to begin the process of providing timely training to these workers. The District of Columbia Department of Employment Services (DOES) offers an array of individually tailored services designed to assist the dislocated worker in reentering the workforce in the shortest possible period of time.
