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State and local workforce agencies outline grants, temporary jobs and small-business relief after LA fires
Summary
State and local workforce agencies described unemployment, disaster-unemployment assistance, temporary subsidized jobs and small-business grants aimed at stabilizing households and reconnecting workers to employment after the Los Angeles wildfires.
State and local workforce and economic agencies described a range of short-term benefits and grants for workers and small businesses affected by the Los Angeles wildfires, and said they are coordinating training and temporary employment programs tied to cleanup and humanitarian work.
The Employment Development Department said it has processed more than 7,000 regular unemployment claims and about 4,500 federal Disaster Unemployment Assistance claims for survivors, and that FEMA extended the DUA application window through March 31. "We will continue to pay benefits and, to all eligible survivors until the program ends on July 12," an EDD official said.
Why it matters: Displaced workers — including domestic workers, day laborers and retail and hospitality employees — may lack access to standard benefits. Panelists described complementary grants, temporary subsidized jobs and targeted small-business cash support intended to help people return to work and stabilize incomes as rebuilding proceeds.
Programs and commitments described at the hearing - Federal workforce grants: EDD and county officials described two federal grants: a National Dislocated Worker Grant (NDWG) to fund temporary cleanup and humanitarian positions and an "additional assistance" (AA) grant to support transitional and supportive services. County and city offices will administer grants to hire and train workers for 3–5 month temporary positions such as crew supervisors, intake specialists and community health workers. - Local relief fund and small-business support: Los Angeles County said it had launched a small-business and worker relief fund offering $2,000 cash grants for workers and up to $25,000 for eligible small businesses; the county reported several thousand applications and first awards planned in the coming weeks. The state also committed $10 million to the small-business fund and earlier announced $3 million for data-driven recovery planning. - Job-center and on-site services: County and city workforce centers have been present at disaster recovery centers and are offering one-on-one job counseling, help filing UI and DUA claims, and enrollment in training programs. County officials reported dozens of in-person events, multilingual outreach materials, and pop-up centers to assist applicants.
Ending: Workforce officials said the immediate focus is income stabilization and rapid reemployment via temporary grants and jobs, but they emphasized the longer recovery will require ongoing training, upskilling and continued coordination between state, city and county workforce systems.
