The U.S. Department of Labor announced the incremental award of $3,750,000 in funding to support continued disaster-relief employment and workforce training for eligible residents in Florida as the state continues to recover following Hurricane Ian. 

On Oct. 17, 2022, the department announced the award of a National Dislocated Worker Grant – with an initial award of $15 million – and followed with the announcement of an incremental award of $7.5 million on Oct. 2, 2023, to the Florida Department of Commerce to provide people with temporary jobs for debris removal, humanitarian assistance and clean-up work. Funding also supports career and training services for area workers. 

In September 2022, Hurricane Ian made landfall as a Category 4 hurricane along Florida’s southwest coast, bringing high winds, storm surges and massive flooding. The Federal Emergency Management Agency issued a major disaster declaration on Sept. 29, 2022, enabling the state to request federal assistance for recovery efforts.