TAA test

The Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) Program assists workers who have been laid off or whose jobs have been threatened because of foreign trade or competition.  Trade-affected workers who are covered under a certified Trade Act Petition may be eligible to receive an array of services and benefits including:

• Training
• Reemployment services
• Trade Readjustment Allowances
• Job Search Allowances
• Relocation Allowances
• Wage supplements for workers age 50 and older
• Health Coverage Tax Credit

Read the Trade Adjustment Assistance Program Fact Sheet.

Trade Act Certifications

A petition must be filed with the US Department of Labor by or on behalf of a group of trade-affected workers. After the US Department of Labor investigates the facts behind the petition filing, it determines whether statutory criteria has been met. If the Department of Labor grants the petition to certify the worker group, individual workers may apply for TAA services and benefits through the appropriate career center after receiving an official notification from the Department of Economic Opportunity Trade Program Unit.

• View Trade Act Certifications

Trade Readjustment Allowances

Trade-affected workers covered under a certified Trade Act petition who have been totally or partially separated from their jobs because of an increase in imports or a shift in production may be eligible to receive Trade Readjustment Allowances. Trade Readjustment Allowances provide assistance to workers who are looking for work (up to their deadline to enroll in training), on a waiver of training requirements or who are enrolled in an approved training program. This allowance is an extension of regular Reemployment Assistance benefits payable at the same weekly benefit amount.

Contacts

• Local CareerSource Florida center
• Local Trade Adjustment Assistance Representative

Forms

• Trade Adjustment Petition Forms

State Resources

• Policy and Guidance
• Fact Sheet
• TAA Frequently Asked Questions

Program History

On August 6, 2002, President George W. Bush signed into law H.R. 3009, the Trade Adjustment Assistance Reform Act of 2002 (Public Law 107-210). The Act makes several amendments to the Trade Act of 1974.  The Act also repeals subchapter D of chapter 2 of Title II of the Trade Act of 1974, as amended (the North American Free Trade Agreement-Transitional Adjustment Assistance (NAFTA-TAA) program).

In addition to repealing NAFTA-TAA and consolidating this program into the Trade Adjustment Assistance, these changes expand eligibility to more worker groups, increases benefits, provides tax credits for health insurance coverage assistance, increases timeliness for benefit receipt, training and rapid response assistance, legislates a specific waiver provisions and establishes other Trade Adjustment Assistance programs.

The Trade Adjustment Assistance Reform Act generally did not amend the job retraining provisions of the 1974 Act, except that customized training may now be approved for import-impacted workers.

Under the Trade Act of 1974, workers who are totally or partially separated or may become separated from employment as a result of imports being a substantial cause of the worker’s actual or threatened separation, may be certified by the secretary of the U.S. Department of Labor as being eligible to apply for the adjustment assistance provided by the Act (also see section 112 of Trade Adjustment Assistance Reform Act). 

The program’s benefits for workers include weekly trade readjustment allowances, training, job search, relocation allowances and health insurance.  In addition, eligible individuals may receive the full range of employability services such as counseling, testing, job referral, etc., which are available to all customers.