Tallahassee, Fla. – Today, Governor Ron DeSantis announced that Florida has been awarded an additional $5.8 million in federal funding through the National Dislocated Worker Grant to provide temporary employment to Floridians affected by Hurricane Michael. The federal National Dislocated Worker Grant, administered by the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO), provides disaster relief employment in the form of temporary jobs that support clean-up and recovery efforts in a declared disaster area.

“I’m pleased to announce Florida has been awarded $5.8 million in federal funds to provide employment opportunities for the resilient men and women of Northwest Florida,” said Governor DeSantis. “The communities and businesses devastated by Hurricane Michael are home to some of the strongest and hardest working people I’ve ever met. We will continue to fight for Northwest Florida as they work to rebuild their communities and reemerge even stronger than before.”

Disaster relief employment includes humanitarian assistance for disaster victims and temporary jobs that may involve demolition, clean-up, repair, renovation and reconstruction of damaged structures and facilities. Individuals who qualify for disaster relief employment are people who are temporarily or permanently laid off as a result of a disaster, dislocated workers including the self-employed who have lost work due to the hurricane and individuals who have been unemployed long-term.

“Under Governor DeSantis’ leadership, our agency has worked with our federal partners to secure additional funding to connect Floridians impacted by Hurricane Michael with ongoing disaster recovery employment,” said Ken Lawson, Executive Director of the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity. “Communities across the Florida Panhandle are still experiencing the impacts of this storm, including the need to remove debris and repair infrastructure.  This grant will allow Floridians to not only find meaningful employment, but rebuild their communities at the same time.”

"Thousands of Floridians are still struggling to make ends meet after Hurricane Michael damaged and destroyed businesses across Northwest Florida six months ago," said Michelle Dennard, CEO and President of CareerSource Florida. "We are grateful to Governor DeSantis for his dedication to ensuring the needs of our residents are met and securing additional grants to help families get back on their feet." 

To look for employment opportunities to help rebuild Florida’s communities after a disaster or to post disaster-related jobs where a labor force is needed, visit Florida’s Disaster Recovery Jobs Portal at https://disasterrecovery.employflorida.com.

For information regarding National Dislocated Worker Grants, Floridians should visit their local career center. To find a local career center, visit http://www.careersourceflorida.com/your-local-team.

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