McDermott Fights to Protect Services
for the Unemployed
For Immediate Release - May 16, 2003

Washington, DC - Today U.S. Representative Jim McDermott wrote to Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao urging her to reconsider the Department of Labor's plan to close four of the nation's ten regional Employment and Training Administration (ETA) offices. Representatives from the affected states signed McDermott's letter.

ETA offices support communities and their workers by providing a direct link between federal and state workforce programs, including the unemployment insurance program and Job Corps. The Department of Labor contends that the proposed reorganization would improve the program's management and oversight.

McDermott and his colleagues believe that the closures will reduce the quality of services that unemployed Americans and local economies depend on. They state that the effectiveness of the remaining regional offices will be diminished, and that an overly centralized ETA system fails to recognize the uniqueness of individual economic regions in our country.

McDermott said, "I am concerned that this move ignores the needs of people who are struggling to find work during the current job recession. Many states that would be affected by these closures are experiencing the highest unemployment rates in the country. If the labor department proceeds with its plan, we'll lose vital services, undermining the efforts of these communities to get Americans back to work."

The regional offices slated for closure include Denver, Kansas City, New York City, and Seattle. These offices provide services to 16 states: Alaska, Colorado, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Utah, South Dakota, Washington, and Wyoming.

McDermott received broad support from his colleagues in the U.S. House of Representatives, representing 15 districts.