Trade Adjustment Assistance for Workers — Cash Benefits, Retraining, and Relocation Aid for Workers Displaced by Imports

Legal Authority

• 19 U.S.C. § 2272 (Trade Act of 1974, § 222) — Defines eligibility criteria for worker group certification; establishes the "increased imports" test (imports contributed importantly to layoffs) and "shift in production" test (production shifted to a foreign country)
• 19 U.S.C. § 2291 (Trade Act § 231) — Establishes Trade Readjustment Allowance (TRA) income support, eligibility conditions, and training enrollment requirement
• 19 U.S.C. § 2320 (Trade Act § 260) — DOL Secretary's general regulatory authority to implement the TAA Workers program
• 20 CFR Part 618 — DOL implementing regulations; governs petitions, certifications, case management services, training approval, TRA calculation, and waiver procedures; comprehensive final rule effective August 21, 2020 (85 FR 13662)

Key Mechanics

Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) is a federal program providing income support, retraining, job search assistance, and relocation aid to workers laid off or reduced in hours due to increased imports or offshoring — a recognition that trade liberalization creates displaced workers who deserve transitional support. The program operates in two steps: (1) Group certification: a petition is filed by workers, their union, the employer, or a state workforce agency with DOL's Office of Trade Adjustment Assistance (OTAA); DOL investigates within 40 days to determine whether the statutory "increased imports" or "shift in production" criteria are met; if certified, all workers in the affected group become individually eligible to apply; (2) Individual eligibility: certified workers apply to their state workforce agency within 2 years of the certification; states deliver case management, reemployment services, and approve training programs. Trade Readjustment Allowances (TRA) provide income support after UI benefits are exhausted: Basic TRA (up to 52 weeks) for workers enrolled in approved training or holding a training waiver; Additional TRA (up to 52 more weeks) for workers needing more time to complete full-time training; Completion TRA (up to 13 weeks) for workers near the end of their program. Workers must enroll in approved training within 16 weeks of layoff or certification (whichever is later) or 8 weeks of case manager referral — missing the deadline without good cause disqualifies the worker from Basic TRA. Training waivers are available if the worker will return to work in the near term, training isn't suitable, or the worker is within 2 years of retirement; waivers are reviewed every 30 days. Program status (2026): Congress did not reauthorize TAA when it expired in 2022; the program operated on holdover authority with curtailed benefits through 2023; further legislative action is needed to fully restore TAA funding and eligibility.

Current Rule (2026)

What This Rule Does

When imports from a foreign country — or the shift of production to a foreign country — cause workers at a U.S. company to be laid off or have their hours reduced, those workers may qualify for Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA), a federal program administered by the Department of Labor that provides extended income support, retraining, job search assistance, and relocation aid. TAA is the primary federal remedy for trade-displaced workers — a recognition, embedded in the Trade Act of 1974, that trade liberalization agreements create winners and losers, and that the losers deserve transitional support. 20 CFR Part 618 is DOL's comprehensive implementing regulation for the TAA Workers program: who qualifies, how groups are certified, what benefits are available, what training must be completed, and how states administer the program.

TAA operates through a two-step process. First, DOL certifies an affected group of workers — typically a workplace, plant, or company where imports or offshoring caused a significant number of layoffs. Once a group is certified, individual workers in that group may apply to their state agency for the specific benefits. States administer TAA using a combination of federal funds and state workforce agency infrastructure; the state agency determines each individual worker's eligibility, enrolls them in approved training, and pays Trade Readjustment Allowances (TRA) as income support.

Key Provisions

Certification of a Worker Group (Subpart B)

• § 618.205 — Who may file a petition: a petition for TAA certification may be filed by the affected workers themselves, by their authorized representative (union), by the employer, by a state workforce agency, or by a One-Stop operator; petitions are filed with DOL's Office of Trade Adjustment Assistance (OTAA) and may be submitted online

• § 618.210 — Investigation: DOL initiates an investigation after a petition is filed and deemed valid; the investigation period is 40 days; DOL may subpoena witnesses and records; the investigation focuses on whether there is a causal link between increased imports (or a shift of production to a foreign country) and the workers' separation or reduction in hours

• § 618.225 — Criteria for certification: DOL will certify a worker group if the investigation shows — for "increased imports" certification: (1) a significant number of workers at the firm have become totally or partially separated; (2) the firm's sales or production have decreased absolutely or relatively; and (3) imports of the article produced or like articles have increased and contributed importantly to the workers' separation; for "shift in production" certification: production of the article has been shifted to a foreign country with which the U.S. has or is negotiating a trade agreement, or where imports from that country have increased

• § 618.230 — Evidence standard: DOL uses data from the firm, from federal statistical agencies, and from the petitioners; the investigation is fact-based and not adversarial — DOL is not adjudicating between the company and workers, it is determining whether the statutory conditions are met

Employment and Case Management Services (Subpart C)

Once a worker group is certified, individual workers must apply to the state workforce agency within the applicable deadline (generally within 2 years of the certification). State agencies provide:

• Case management: an individual assessment of each worker's skills, work history, and reemployment barriers; development of a Reemployment Plan
• Employment services: job search assistance, resume writing, interview preparation, labor market information
• Referral to approved training: TAA-funded training must lead to employment in a high-demand occupation; states approve training programs (community college degrees, apprenticeships, vocational programs) that meet TAA standards

Trade Readjustment Allowances — Income Support (Subpart G)

• § 618.710 — Three types of TRA:

  • Basic TRA: income support for certified workers who are enrolled in (or have a waiver from) approved TAA training; available for up to 52 weeks; payable after UI benefits are exhausted; the weekly amount generally equals the worker's prior average weekly UI benefit
  • Additional TRA: available for up to 52 additional weeks for workers who need more time to complete approved full-time training (total combined Basic + Additional cannot exceed 104 weeks of training completion)
  • Completion TRA: up to 13 additional weeks for workers who need a brief additional period to complete a training program they are close to finishing

• § 618.720 — Qualifying for Basic TRA: to receive Basic TRA for any week, the worker must: (1) be in the certified group; (2) have received UI for at least one week in the "break-in" period; (3) be enrolled in approved training or have a training waiver; (4) have had at least 26 weeks of qualifying employment; (5) not have exhausted TRA eligibility

• § 618.725 — Training enrollment deadline: workers must enroll in approved TAA training within specified deadlines — generally within 16 weeks of the later of layoff or group certification, or within 8 weeks of receiving a case manager referral to training; missing the enrollment deadline without good cause disqualifies the worker from receiving Basic TRA during that period

• § 618.735 — Training waivers: a state may waive the training enrollment requirement if the worker is likely to return to work in the near term, if approved training is not available within the commuting area, if training is not suitable for the worker's circumstances, if the worker will complete equivalent training without TAA funding, or if the worker is within 2 years of retirement; a waiver allows receipt of Basic TRA without training enrollment, but the state must review and reissue the waiver every 30 days

• § 618.745 — TRA weekly amounts: Basic TRA is generally equal to the most recent UI benefit rate for the worker; if the worker received partial UI for partial unemployment, TRA is calculated based on the formula in the statute; the TRA amount does not increase over time (unlike some UI extensions that phase down)

Training Services (Subpart F)

• Training must be approved by the state; it must be reasonably available, lead to employment in an occupation in demand in the area, and be suitable for the worker's skills and capabilities
• Permissible training types: on-the-job training, classroom training at community colleges or vocational schools, apprenticeship programs, prerequisite coursework, and — under the Trade Act's "remedial education" provision — basic literacy and language instruction necessary to participate in approved training
• The state pays training costs with TAA federal funds; there is no cap specified in the regulation, but states manage training costs and generally prioritize community college programs and established vocational training over four-year degrees

Job Search and Relocation Allowances (Subpart D)

• Job search allowances: a certified worker may receive up to $1,250 in reimbursement for job search expenses (travel, lodging, meals) when searching for work outside their local commuting area
• Relocation allowances: if a certified worker accepts a job outside the local area, they may receive a lump-sum relocation allowance equal to 90% of reasonable moving expenses, up to a maximum; the worker must have a bona fide job offer before requesting the allowance; the job must be in an occupation for which the worker is qualified

How It Affects You

Workers laid off due to imports or offshoring: TAA starts with a petition — you, your union, your employer, or your state workforce agency must file a group petition with DOL. Check DOL's Trade Certification Lookup (dol.gov/agencies/eta/tradeact) to see if your workplace or company has already been certified; if so, you may be able to file an individual application without waiting for a new petition. If your workplace has not been certified, gather documentation showing that imports caused the layoffs (company announcements, industry data, news reports) and work with your union or state agency to prepare the petition. DOL aims to complete investigations within 40 days.

Certified workers deciding whether to enroll in training: The Basic TRA training requirement is real — without enrollment in approved training (or a state-approved waiver), you will not receive TRA after UI benefits run out. The training must lead to a high-demand occupation; work with your state case manager to identify programs that fit your skills and local labor market. Two-year community college programs in healthcare, skilled trades, or technology are the most common TAA-funded training paths. If you believe reemployment in your field is likely within a few months, ask your case manager about a training waiver — but review whether a waiver makes sense; workers who take waivers and then can't find work may find their TRA eligibility has been reduced.

State workforce agencies administering TAA: Part 618 replaced an earlier DOL guidance structure with formal regulation — the 2020 final rule consolidated and clarified decades of sub-regulatory guidance. States must follow Part 618's definitions, eligibility rules, and benefit calculations precisely; deviation creates federal audit findings and repayment obligations. The training waiver review requirement (every 30 days) is an administrative burden but is a real compliance requirement. Case managers should document each waiver renewal with updated information on the worker's job search activities and prospects.

Trade policy advocates and labor economists: TAA is the safety valve written into U.S. trade policy — Congress created and reauthorized it alongside trade agreements like NAFTA, the Korea FTA, and the Trans-Pacific Partnership framework. The program has faced biennial reauthorization cycles, and its scope has varied significantly depending on political winds. The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 extended TAA through June 30, 2022; TAA authority lapsed on July 1, 2022 and as of 2026 has not been reauthorized — new worker group petitions can no longer be certified, though workers in groups certified before the lapse can continue to receive benefits. The program's effectiveness has been studied extensively — critics argue the retraining outcomes don't consistently produce wages matching displaced workers' prior earnings; defenders argue it remains the best available transitional support for a specific, identifiable group of trade-displaced workers.

Statutory Authority

This rule implements:

• 19 U.S.C. § 2272 — Trade Act of 1974 § 222; defines the eligibility criteria for certification of a group of workers; establishes the "increased imports" and "shift in production" tests
• 19 U.S.C. § 2291 — Trade Act § 231; establishes the Basic TRA benefit, eligibility requirements, and training enrollment condition
• 19 U.S.C. § 2320 — Trade Act § 260; general regulatory authority for the DOL Secretary to prescribe rules implementing the TAA Workers program

Recent Rulemakings

• 2020 (85 FR 13662): Comprehensive final rule replacing scattered sub-regulatory guidance with formal regulation; implemented changes required by the Trade Act reauthorization; clarified state agency obligations for case management, training approval standards, TRA calculation, and waiver procedures; effective August 21, 2020
• The program's reauthorization status has changed multiple times since 2020; DOL has issued guidance on transitional provisions for workers whose certifications span reauthorization gaps

Pending Action