Trade Adjustment Assistance for Workers
Benjamin Collins
Analyst in Labor Policy
December 17, 2012
Congressional Research Service
7-5700
www.crs.gov
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Trade Adjustment Assistance for Workers

Summary
Trade Adjustment Assistance for Workers (TAA) provides federal assistance to workers who have
been adversely affected by foreign trade. It was most recently authorized by the Trade Adjustment
Assistance Extension Act of 2011 (TAAEA; Title II of P.L. 112-40).
To be eligible for TAA, a group of workers must establish that they were separated from their
employment either because their jobs moved outside the United States or because of an increase
in directly competitive imports. Workers at firms that are suppliers to or downstream producers of
TAA-certified firms may also be eligible for TAA benefits. Under current law, both production
and service workers are eligible for TAA.
After the Department of Labor verifies the role of foreign trade in the group’s job losses, workers
may apply for individual benefits. These benefits are funded by the federal government and, with
limited exception, administered by the states.
• Reemployment services are available to assist trade-affected workers in planning
for and returning to employment. Training is the largest reemployment service
expense. Eligible training programs include a variety of public and private
options and may not exceed 104 weeks. In lieu of or in addition to training,
workers may receive employment services such as case management, skills
assessment, and job search assistance. Workers may also receive allowances for
job searches outside their local commuting area and relocation expenses once a
new job has been secured. Under current law, annual expenditures on
reemployment services are capped at $575 million.
• Trade Readjustment Allowance (TRA) is an income support for TAA-certified
workers who have exhausted their unemployment insurance (UI) and are enrolled
in an eligible training program. TRA payments are equal to the workers’ final UI
benefit. Workers may receive UI and TRA for a combined total of 117 weeks and
130 weeks under certain circumstances.
• Reemployment Trade Adjustment Assistance (RTAA) is available to TAA-
certified workers age 50 and over. This program supplements the wages of
eligible workers who secure new employment at a lower wage.
• A Health Coverage Tax Credit (HCTC) is also available to TAA-certified
workers. This program offers a refundable tax credit equal to 72.5% of
expenditures on a qualified health plan. Unlike other TAA benefits, the HCTC is
administered through the federal tax code and not by state agencies.
Eligibility and benefits for TAA are scheduled to be reduced beginning on January 1, 2014. The
program will operate under these reduced provisions for one year before authorization for
appropriations expires on December 31, 2014.
This report provides background on the TAA program. After a brief introduction, it discusses
TAA eligibility and benefits as set by TAAEA. It then describes how the program is funded and
administered. The report concludes by presenting data on recent application activity and benefit
usage.

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Contents
Introduction ...................................................................................................................................... 1
Eligibility and Application Process .................................................................................................. 1
TAA Group Eligibility Criteria .................................................................................................. 1
TAA Group Petition and Certification Process .......................................................................... 2
TAA Individual Eligibility ......................................................................................................... 3
RTAA Eligibility ........................................................................................................................ 3
Benefits ............................................................................................................................................ 6
Reemployment Services ............................................................................................................ 6
Case Management and Employment Services .................................................................... 6
Training Assistance ............................................................................................................. 6
Job Search and Relocation Allowances ............................................................................... 8
Trade Readjustment Allowance ................................................................................................. 8
Health Coverage Tax Credit ...................................................................................................... 9
Reemployment Trade Adjustment Assistance ......................................................................... 10
Financing and Administration ........................................................................................................ 12
Participation and Program Data ..................................................................................................... 13
Applications and Certification Activity ................................................................................... 13
Reemployment Services .......................................................................................................... 14
Training Assistance ........................................................................................................... 14
Case Management ............................................................................................................. 17
Job Search and Relocation Allowances ............................................................................. 17
Trade Readjustment Allowances ............................................................................................. 18
Health Coverage Tax Credit .................................................................................................... 19
Reemployment Trade Adjustment Assistance ......................................................................... 20
Post-TAA Performance Data for Program Exiters ................................................................... 21

Tables
Table 1. TAA Group Certification Requirements Under the Trade Adjustment Assistance
Extension Act of 2011................................................................................................................... 5
Table 2. TAA Benefits Under the Trade Adjustment Assistance Extension Act of 2011 ............... 11
Table 3. Petitions and Certifications, FY2003-FY2011 ................................................................. 14
Table 4. Training and Benefit Data for TAA-Certified Workers, FY2003-FY2011 ...................... 15
Table 5. Ten Largest Recipients of TAA Reemployment Services Funding, FY2011 ................... 16
Table 6. Job Search and Relocation Allowance Participation, FY2003-2011 ............................... 18
Table 7. Trade Readjustment Allowance Participation and Costs, FY2003-FY2011 .................... 19
Table 8. Reemployment Trade Adjustment Assistance, FY2003-FY2011 ..................................... 21
Table 9. Employment Outcomes for TAA Exiters ......................................................................... 21
Table B-1. Trade Adjustment Assistance, Petition Activity and Benefit Usage, FY2003-
FY2011 ....................................................................................................................................... 25

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Appendixes
Appendix A. Legislative History ................................................................................................... 23
Appendix B. Petition Activity and Benefit Usage, FY2003-FY2011 ............................................ 24

Contacts
Author Contact Information........................................................................................................... 26
Acknowledgments ......................................................................................................................... 26

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Introduction
Trade Adjustment Assistance for Workers (TAA) provides federally funded benefits to dislocated
workers who have lost their jobs due to foreign trade.1 The largest TAA benefits in terms of both
budget and participation are reemployment services and income support for workers who have
exhausted their unemployment insurance (UI). Other TAA benefits include a health coverage tax
credit (HCTC) and Reemployment Trade Adjustment Assistance (RTAA), a wage supplement for
workers age 50 and over who obtain reemployment at a lower wage. To be eligible for TAA
benefits, separated workers must petition the Department of Labor (DOL) to establish that foreign
trade contributed importantly to their job loss.
TAA for Workers is part of the Trade Act of 1974, as amended. It was last reauthorized by the
Trade Adjustment Assistance Extension Act of 2011 (TAAEA; Title II of P.L. 112-40) and is
authorized through December 31, 2014.2 TAA operates under its current provisions through
December 31, 2013, and then is set to operate under reduced eligibility and benefit levels for one
year before the authorization for appropriations expires.3
This report provides background information on TAA. It begins with a discussion of eligibility
requirements and the application process. Next, it describes the benefits that TAA-eligible
workers may receive. The report then describes how the program is funded and administered,
discussing the respective roles of the federal government and cooperating state agencies. The
final section provides data on program usage and performance.
Eligibility and Application Process
Obtaining TAA benefits is a two-stage process. First, a group of workers must petition DOL to
establish that foreign trade contributed importantly to their job losses and become TAA certified.
Once a group has been certified, individual workers covered by the group’s petition apply for
state-administered benefits at a local One-Stop Career Center. TAA is available to workers in the
50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.
TAA Group Eligibility Criteria
To be eligible for TAA group certification, a group of workers from a firm (or a subdivision of a
firm) must have become totally or partially separated from their employment.4 Under current law,
both production and service firms are eligible for TAA.

1 Other Trade Adjustment Assistance programs target different recipients: TAA for Firms (see CRS Report RS20210,
Trade Adjustment Assistance for Firms: Economic, Program, and Policy Issues, by J. F. Hornbeck) and TAA for
Farmers (see CRS Report R40206, Trade Adjustment Assistance for Farmers, by Remy Jurenas). TAA for Workers is
the largest TAA program. In some cases where TAA for Workers is discussed alongside these other programs, it is
referred to with the acronym TAAW.
2 Appendix A offers a brief legislative history on TAA. For a detailed legislative history, see CRS Report R41922,
Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) and Its Role in U.S. Trade Policy, by J. F. Hornbeck and Laine Elise Rover.
3 The changes in eligibility and benefits beginning in 2014 are presented in Table 1 and Table 2 later in this report.
4 Partial separation is defined as hours of work and wages being reduced to less than 80% of the worker’s weekly
average. See 20 C.F.R. 617.3(cc).
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The petitioning workers must establish that foreign trade contributed importantly to their
separation.5 The role of foreign trade can be established in one of several ways:
• An increase in competitive imports. The sales or production of the petitioning
firm have decreased and imports of articles or services like or directly
competitive with those produced by the petitioning firm have increased.
• A shift in production. The workers’ firm has moved production of the goods or
services that the petitioning workers produced to a foreign county. Separated
workers whose firms began acquiring goods or services from foreign countries
that are directly competitive with those produced by the separated workers are
also eligible under this criterion.
• Adversely affected secondary workers. The petitioning firm is a supplier or a
downstream producer6 to a TAA-certified firm and either (1) the sales or
production for the TAA-certified firm accounted for at least 20% of the sales or
production of the petitioning firm or (2) a loss of business with a TAA-certified
firm contributed importantly to the workers’ job losses.
Notwithstanding the criteria above, workers may also be certified if they are separated from a
firm that was publicly identified by the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) as a member
of a domestic industry that was injured by a market disruption. In both FY2010 and FY2011,
firms certified under this criterion accounted for less than 0.5% of total TAA certifications.
Beginning on January 1, 2014, TAA group eligibility requirements will revert to the more
restrictive criteria set by the Trade Act of 2002. These changes are outlined in Table 1. Under the
provisions that will take effect in 2014, workers from service firms will no longer be eligible for
certification; only workers from production firms will be eligible. Eligibility under the shift in
production criterion will also be limited to workers affected by shifts to countries with which the
United States has a free trade agreement or countries that are beneficiaries under certain trade
laws.7
TAA Group Petition and Certification Process
To establish TAA eligibility, a group of workers (or its union, firm, or state) must complete a two-
page petition and submit it, along with any supporting documentation, to DOL. An additional
copy of the TAA petition must also be filed with the governor of the state in which the affected
firm is located. After receiving the petition, DOL investigates to determine if the petition meets
any of the criteria outlined in the previous subsection of this report. Determinations of TAA
petitions are published in the Federal Register and on the DOL website.

5 The term “contributed importantly” means a cause that is important but not necessarily more important than any other
cause. See 19 U.S.C. 2272(c)(1).
6 19 U.S.C. 2272(c)(3) defines a downstream producer as “a firm that performs additional, value-added production
processes or services directly for another firm.”
7 The relevant laws are the Andean Trade Preference Act, P.L. 102-182, signed December 4, 1991; the African Growth
and Opportunity Act, P.L. 106-200, signed May 18, 2000; and the Caribbean Basin Economic Recovery Act, P.L. 98-
67, signed August 5, 1983.
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If a petition is certified, DOL will also determine an impact date on which trade-related layoffs
began or threatened to begin. This date can be as early as one year prior to the petition. A certified
petition will cover all workers laid off between the impact date and two years after the
certification of the petition. For example, if a petition was certified on June 1, 2010, and the
impact date was found to be March 1, 2010, all members of the certified group laid off between
March 1, 2010, and June 1, 2012, would be eligible for TAA benefits.
If a petition is denied, the group who was denied certification may request administrative
reconsideration by DOL. Reconsideration requests must be mailed within 30 days of the
publication of the initial denial in the Federal Register. Workers who are denied certification may
seek judicial review of DOL’s initial petition denial or denial following administrative
reconsideration. Appeals for judicial review must be filed with the U.S. Court of International
Trade within 60 days of Federal Register publication of the initial denial or the administrative
reconsideration denial.
TAA Individual Eligibility
After DOL certifies a group of workers as eligible, the individual workers then apply to their local
One-Stop Career Center for individual benefits. To be covered under a certified petition, a worker
must meet all of the following conditions: (1) separation from the firm on or after the impact date
specified in the certification but within two years of DOL certification, (2) employment with the
affected firm in at least 26 of the 52 weeks preceding layoff, (3) entitlement to state UI benefits,
and (4) no disqualification for extended unemployment benefits. Additionally, to receive the
Trade Readjustment Allowance (TRA) benefit, workers must also be enrolled in an approved
training program or have received a waiver from training.8
Group-certified workers who are denied individual benefits can appeal the decision. The
determination notice that individual workers receive after filing their applications for each benefit
explains their appeal rights and time limits for filing appeals.
RTAA Eligibility
RTAA is a wage supplement program for TAA-eligible workers age 50 and over who obtain new
employment.9 RTAA is designed as a program for older trade-affected workers who likely have
limited time remaining in the labor force and for whom comprehensive retraining may not be a
cost-effective option. To qualify for RTAA, a certified worker must either (1) secure full-time
employment at a new firm and not be enrolled in a TAA-sponsored training program or (2) secure
part-time employment at a new firm while concurrently being enrolled in an approved training
program. To be eligible for RTAA wage supplements, the worker’s new annual wage must be
lower than his or her certified job and less than $50,000.10

8 19 U.S.C. 2291(c) defines three waiver requirements: (1) a worker is unable to participate in training due to health
reasons, (2) suitable training is not available, or (3) enrollment in training is not available within 60 days.
9 Wage supplement programs like RTAA are often referred to as wage insurance. The TAA-related wage insurance
program for older workers was previously known as Alternative Trade Adjustment Assistance or ATAA. Past literature
likely uses the prior program name and acronym.
10 See 19 U.S.C. 2318.
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A petition for TAA group eligibility also functions as a petition for RTAA eligibility. If certified
for both programs, workers have the option of applying for TAA or RTAA benefits at their local
One-Stop Career Center.
At the beginning of 2014, several changes to the RTAA program are set to take place. Participants
would no longer be eligible to participate in TAA-sponsored training and only those reemployed
on a full-time basis would be eligible for wage insurance. RTAA participants would also be
required to begin reemployment within 26 weeks of separation; prior to 2014, there is no time
limit in which workers must begin reemployment.
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Table 1. TAA Group Certification Requirements Under the Trade Adjustment
Assistance Extension Act of 2011
Eligibility Requirements from October 21, 2011,
Changes to Eligibility Requirements Effective
to December 31, 2013
from January 1, 2014, to December 31, 2014
In All Cases

A significant number of workers (3 or more in a firm of
Only production workers are eligible; service workers
fewer than 50 workers or 5% of the workforce in a firm
are no longer eligible. The number of workers required
of 50 or more workers) at a production or service firm
to form a group does not change.
have become totally or partially separated.
Workers Who Become Unemployed Because of an Increase in Imports
The sales or production of the firm decreased; and
Only production workers are eligible; workers affected
by increased imports of services are no longer eligible.
There has been an increase in imports of either (1)
articles or services competitive with the firm’s articles or
services, or (2) articles that are competitive with articles
in which the firm’s products or services are component
parts; and
The increased imports have contributed importantly to
the decline in sales or production.
Workers Who Become Unemployed Because of a Shift in Production
The petitioning workers’ firm has either (1) shifted the
Only production workers are eligible; and
production of articles or services directly competitive
with those produced by the petitioning workers to a
Only workers affected by shifts in production to either
foreign country, or (2) has acquired the articles or
(1) countries with which the United States has a free
services directly competitive with those produced by the
trade agreement, or (2) a country that is a beneficiary
petitioning workers from a foreign country; and
country under the Andean Trade Preference Act (P.L.
102-182), the African Growth and Opportunity Act (P.L.
The shift in production or acquisition of foreign goods or 106-200), or the Caribbean Basin Economic Recovery
services contributed importantly to the workers’
Act (P.L. 98-67) are eligible.
separation.
Adversely Affected Secondary Workers
The workers’ firm is a supplier or downstream producer
Only production workers are eligible.
to a TAA-certified firm; and
Either (1) the sales or production to the TAA-certified
firm accounted for at least 20% of the sales or
production of the supplier firm, or (2) the loss of sales to
the TAA-certified firm contributed importantly to the
workers’ job losses.
Source: CRS analysis of P.L. 112-40 and P.L. 107-210.
Notes: Groups denied certification under the provisions effective between February 15, 2011, and October 20,
2011, are automatical y reconsidered under the new TAAEA provisions.
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Benefits
TAA benefits have several components: reemployment services such as case management and
subsidized training, income support for workers who have exhausted their UI benefits, and a
refundable tax credit for purchasing qualifying health insurance. Workers age 50 and over may
participate in the RTAA wage insurance program.
TAA benefits are funded by the federal government and, with the exception of the HCTC,
administered by cooperating state agencies.
Reemployment Services
TAA funds a number of services aimed at helping trade-affected workers transition to new
employment. Available services range from short-term advising to training programs that may last
up to two years. Workers typically obtain reemployment services at local One-Stops Career
Centers.11
In 2014, funding levels for reemployment services will be reduced and there will be several
administrative changes to how services are implemented. These changes are presented in Table 2
at the end of this section and discussed in the “Financing and Administration” section later in this
report.
Case Management and Employment Services
Current law defines a series of case management and employment services to which all TAA-
certified workers are entitled. These services include a comprehensive assessment of the worker’s
skills and needs, assistance in developing an individual employment objective and identifying the
training and services necessary to achieve that goal, and guidance on training and other services
that the worker may be eligible for.12 TAA case management and employment services are usually
provided to workers at One-Stop Centers.
Training Assistance
Training is the primary expenditure out of each state’s reemployment services allocation. Eligible
workers request training assistance through their local One-Stop Career Centers. Once approved,
training can be paid on the worker’s behalf directly to the service provider or through a voucher
system. To receive funding, the worker must be qualified to undertake the requested training, the
training must be available at a reasonable cost, and there must be a reasonable expectation of
employment following the completion of training.13

11 In addition to TAA, One-Stop Career Centers administer other employment-related programs. There are
approximately 3,000 One-Stop Centers nationwide. For more information on One-Stop Centers, see CRS Report
R41135, The Workforce Investment Act and the One-Stop Delivery System, by David H. Bradley.
12 Full requirements are outlined in 19 U.S.C. 2295.
13 “Reasonable cost” considers the cost of similar training from a different provider and the cost of training relative to
the expected employment outcome. See 19 U.S.C. 2296(a)(1) for legislative language and 20 CFR 617.22 for expanded
(continued...)
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The range of approved training includes a variety of governmental and private programs.14 The
maximum duration of training is 104 weeks.15 There is no federal limit on the amount of training
funding an individual can receive, though some states have a cap.
Due to the range of acceptable activities and the decentralized nature of job training, a concise
summation of TAA training programs is difficult. Data from DOL, however, offer some insight
into the nature and duration of programs. In FY2011, approximately 90% of TAA training
participants received what DOL describes as occupational skills training: training in a specific
occupation, typically provided in a classroom setting. The remainder of training was classified as
remedial, prerequisite, on-the-job, or other customized training. Among the 70% of training
participants who completed a program, the average duration of training was 427 days.16
DOL does not require the states to track the type of institutions that provide training to TAA
participants.17 Some data on this topic, however, are available from a 2006 report from the
Government Accountability Office (GAO). In this report, GAO closely examined five cases of
plant closures where a number of separated workers were TAA-eligible. The study found that in
three of the five cases, a majority or plurality of the TAA training participants enrolled in
programs at public institutions such as community colleges or public vocational schools. The
other two cases reported a majority of training participants enrolling in proprietary (i.e., for
profit) institutions. No case reported more than 8% of its participants enrolling in on-the-job
training and two cases reported no participants partaking in such programs. In all five cases, a
substantial majority (between 64% and 100%) of training participants enrolled in a program with
an anticipated cost of less than $10,000. GAO noted that while the five cases were geographically
diverse and included urban and rural firms, their data were not necessarily representative of
national trends.18
TAA does not require training programs to lead to a degree or other credential. In its FY2011
annual report, DOL reported that 45% of workers who completed training earned a credential,
though it suggested that credential receipt may be underreported.19

(...continued)
definitions of terms.
14 Eligible programs include (but are not limited to) employer-based training, any training program provided by a state
under Title I of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998, any program of remedial education, any program of
prerequisite education or coursework required to enroll in an approved training program, any training program or
coursework at an accredited institution of higher education, or any other training program approved by the Secretary of
Labor. See 19 U.S.C. 2296(a)(5) for legislative language.
15 See 20 C.F.R. 617.22(f)(2)
16 U.S. Department of Labor, “Trade Adjustment Assistance for Workers: Fiscal Year 2011 Report to the Committee on
Finance the of Senate and Committee on Ways and Means of the House of Representatives,” p. 22,
http://www.doleta.gov/tradeact/docs/AnnualReport11.pdf.
17 The 2009 Trade Activity Participant Report Handbook from DOL outlined reporting requirements for state agencies.
It requires data collection on the type, duration, and cost of training, as well as if participants earned a credential.
18 Government Accountability Office (GAO), “Trade Adjustment Assistance: Most Workers in Five Layoffs Received
Services, but Better Outreach Needed on New Benefits,” GAO-06-43, January 2006, Appendix II.
19 U.S. Department of Labor, “Trade Adjustment Assistance for Workers: Fiscal Year 2011 Report to the Committee on
Finance of the Senate and Committee on Ways and Means of the House of Representatives,” p. 24,
http://www.doleta.gov/tradeact/docs/AnnualReport11.pdf.
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Job Search and Relocation Allowances
States may use their reemployment services funds for job search and relocation allowances. This
program targets workers who are unable to obtain suitable employment within their commuting
areas. Certified workers can receive an allowance equal to 90% of each of their job search and
relocation expenses, up to a maximum of $1,250 for each benefit.20
• A Job Search Allowance may be available to subsidize transportation and
subsistence costs related to job search activities outside an eligible worker’s local
commuting area. Subsistence payments may not exceed 50% of the federal per
diem rate and travel payments may not exceed the prevailing mileage rate
authorized under federal travel regulations.
• A Relocation Allowance may be available to workers who have secured
permanent employment outside their local commuting area. The benefit covers
90% of the reasonable and necessary expenses of moving the workers, their
families, and their household items. Relocating workers may also be eligible for a
lump sum payment of up to three times their weekly wage, though the total
relocation benefit may not exceed $1,250.
Trade Readjustment Allowance
Trade Readjustment Allowance (TRA) is an entitlement that provides income support to certified
workers who are in approved training and whose UI benefits have been exhausted. It is funded by
the federal government and administered by the states through their unemployment insurance
systems. To qualify for TRA, a worker must be enrolled in a qualified training program within 26
weeks of separation or TAA certification, whichever is later.
TRA benefit levels are equal to the worker’s final UI benefit. In FY2010, the average weekly
TRA payment was $320. UI benefit levels are based on earnings during a base period of
employment (typically, the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters). UI benefits
typically replace 50% of a worker’s wages up to a statewide maximum. Since states each
administer their own UI programs, there may be some variation in these calculations. In January
2011, the highest maximum weekly UI benefit for a worker with no dependents was $625 in
Massachusetts and the lowest was $235 in Louisiana.21
There are two stages of TRA:
• Basic TRA. The weekly basic TRA payment begins the week after a worker’s UI
eligibility expires. To receive the basic TRA benefit, workers must be enrolled or
participating in TAA-approved training, have completed such training, or have
obtained a waiver from the training requirement.22 The total amount of basic

20 Job search and relocation allowance benefits are subject to certain time restrictions relative to workers’ certification
and separation. See 20 C.F.R. 617.31(c) and 20 C.F.R. 617.41(c) for details.
21 For a more detailed discussion of UI calculations and programs, see CRS Report RL33362, Unemployment
Insurance: Programs and Benefits, by Julie M. Whittaker and Katelin P. Isaacs.
22 Under TAAEA, a worker may obtain a training waiver if (1) a worker in unable to participate in training due to a
health condition, (2) enrollment in a training program is not available within 60 days, or (3) no suitable training is
available.
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TRA benefits available to a worker is equal to 52 times the weekly TRA benefit
minus the total amount of UI benefits. For example, assuming a constant benefit
level, a worker who received 39 weeks of UI benefits would be eligible for 13
weeks of basic TRA. In cases where a worker is entitled to UI for 52 or more
weeks, UI benefits may offset the entirety of basic TRA.
• Additional TRA. After basic TRA has been exhausted, workers who are enrolled
in a TAA-approved training program are eligible for an additional 65 weeks of
income support for a total of 117 weeks of benefits. As is the case with basic
TRA, UI benefits also offset additional TRA. As such, a worker who is eligible
for 78 weeks of UI would be eligible for a maximum of 39 weeks of additional
TRA. Additional TRA is limited to workers who are enrolled in a training
program; workers who have received a training waiver are not eligible for
additional TRA.
In cases where a worker has collected 117 weeks of combined TRA and UI and is still enrolled in
a training program that leads to a degree or industry-recognized credential, the worker may
collect TRA for up to 13 additional weeks (130 weeks total), if the worker will complete the
training program during that time.
TAA participants may only collect additional TRA as long as they remain enrolled in a qualified
training program. In cases where a worker’s training program is shorter than the maximum TRA
duration, the worker is not entitled to the maximum number of TRA weeks.
The maximum duration of TRA benefits will not change in 2014. The time period in which a
certified worker must enroll in training, however, is reduced. In order to be eligible for TRA in
2014, a worker must be enrolled in training within 16 weeks of separation or 8 weeks of
certification, whichever is later. Through 2013, a worker needs to be enrolled in training within
26 weeks of separation or certification, whichever is later.
Health Coverage Tax Credit23
The HCTC is available to workers who are collecting TRA, UI in lieu of TRA, or RTAA. The
HCTC covers 72.5% of the premium for qualified health insurance purchased by an eligible
taxpayer (the individual taxpayer is responsible for the other 27.5%). It can be applied towards a
plan that covers only the TAA-eligible worker or a plan that also covers an eligible spouse and
dependents. The HCTC is refundable, so workers may claim the full credit even if they have little
or no federal income tax liability. The credit may also be advanced, so taxpayers have the option
of using the credit on a monthly basis when premiums are due rather than waiting until the end of
the year. Individuals may receive the HCTC for one month longer than they are eligible for TRA.
RTAA recipients that receive the HCTC are eligible for two years’ worth of credits.
Unlike some other provisions of TAA, which are set to revert to pre-expansion levels in 2014, the
HCTC is set to expire completely on January 1, 2014. This expiration would coincide with the
availability of new federal tax credits for health coverage under the Patient Protection and
Affordable Care Act (P.L. 111-148).

23 For more details on the HCTC, including a discussion of eligible plans, see CRS Report RL32620, Health Coverage
Tax Credit, by Bernadette Fernandez.
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Reemployment Trade Adjustment Assistance
RTAA is an entitlement that provides a wage supplement for workers age 50 and over who are
adversely affected by foreign trade and pursue reemployment at a lower wage. The program pays
workers who secure new employment half the difference between the old and new wage. The
maximum benefit is $10,000 over a two-year period. Although workers are ineligible if their new
annual wage is more than $50,000, their combined wages and RTAA payments can exceed
$50,000 a year. For example, a worker who earned $58,000 at a previous job and earns $48,000 at
a new job would be eligible for a benefit of $5,000 per year for two years.
RTAA participants are not eligible for TRA or job search and relocation allowances. Through
2013, certified workers may collect RTAA if they are reemployed part-time and enrolled in a
TAA-sponsored training program. This option is set to expire at the end of 2013.
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Table 2. TAA Benefits Under the Trade Adjustment Assistance Extension Act of 2011
Benefits for Workers Certified
Changes to Benefits for Workers Certified
between October 21, 2011,
between January 1, 2014,
and December 31, 2013
and December 31, 2014
Training Assistance, Case Management, and Employment Services
Funding for all reemployment services, including
Training is funded discretely from other reemployment
administration, is capped at $575 million per year. States
services and capped at $220 million. States receive
must allot at least 5% of their reemployment services
additional funds for administration and other
funding to case management and no more than 10% to
reemployment services equal to 15% of their training
administration.
allocations.
Training may be approved on a ful -time or part-time
Training may only be approved on a ful -time basis.
basis, although full-time training is required for TRA
eligibility.
Job Search and Relocation Allowances

For each benefit, states may provide a cash payment
Benefit provisions do not change.
equal to 90% of al owable costs, up to a maximum

benefit of $1,250.

Trade Readjustment Allowance

Up to 117 weeks of cash payments for all workers
No change in duration provisions.
concurrently enrol ed in full-time training; it can be
extended to a total of 130 weeks under certain

circumstances.


Worker must be enrol ed in training 26 weeks after
Worker must be enrol ed in training 8 weeks after
certification or layoff, whichever is later, to receive TRA.
certification or 16 weeks after layoff, whichever is later,
to receive TRA.
Health Coverage Tax Credit (HCTC)

Refundable tax credit equal to 72.5% of al owable health
Program expires and other tax credits related to health
insurance premiums.
coverage become available.
Reemployment Trade Adjustment Assistance

Available to workers age 50 or older and earning less
No change in income ceiling, benefit formula, or
than $50,000 per year in reemployment.
maximum benefit level.
Provides a wage supplement equal to 50% of the

difference between a worker’s reemployment wage and
wage at the worker’s certified job with a maximum

benefit of $10,000 over a period of up to two years.

No time limit on reemployment.
Workers must be reemployed within 26 weeks.


Eligible workers who are reemployed on a part-time
RTAA participants are no longer eligible for TAA-
basis may collect RTAA if they are concurrently enrolled
sponsored training. The option of combining part-time,
in a TAA-sponsored training program.
RTAA-supplemented reemployment and TAA-sponsored
training is no longer available.
Source: CRS analysis of P.L. 112-40 and P.L. 107-210.
Notes: Workers from groups certified between February 15, 2011, and October 20, 2011, have the option of
receiving benefits established under TAAEA.
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Financing and Administration
TAA for Workers is funded by the federal government and administered jointly by the federal
government and the states. Eligibility is determined by DOL. Except for the HCTC, which is
administered by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), all individual benefits are administered by
cooperating state agencies (CSAs).
Reemployment services (e.g., training and case management) are a capped entitlement with
annual funding levels determined by statute. Under current law, the annual cap is $575 million,
including administrative costs. Statute specifies that states must allot at least 5% of their
reemployment services grant to case management services and may spend no more than 10% of
their grant on administrative costs.24 Funds for reemployment services that CSAs have obligated
to individuals can be expended in the current or either of the two succeeding fiscal years.25
The current funding levels will continue through the end of calendar year 2013. For the first
quarter of FY2014 (i.e., the last quarter of calendar year 2013), funding will be prorated. From
January 1, 2014, to December 31, 2014, annual funding levels will revert to those set by the Trade
Act of 2002: $220 million for state grants plus administrative allotments equal to 15% of each
state’s grant.
Reemployment services funds are distributed to the states by formula. The formula considers26
• the weighted average of certified workers in the state during the past four
quarters, with the greatest weight on the most recent quarter;
• the weighted average of workers participating in training during the previous four
quarters, with the greatest weight on the most recent quarter;
• the number of workers estimated to be participating in training during the
forthcoming fiscal year as determined by the previous factor and DOL estimates;
and
• the amount of funding estimated to be necessary to provide approved training as
determined by per-trainee expenditures in the past four quarters.
At the beginning of the fiscal year, 65% of the year’s reemployment service funds are distributed
to the states using the formula. The remaining 35% is held in a reserve fund. States with
emergencies or unforeseen training burdens may apply for these reserve funds. Any reserve funds
that are not allocated through the emergency funding process are allocated to the states using the
original formula throughout the fiscal year.27 Regulations specify that no state’s initial allocation
may be less than 25% of its allocation in the preceding fiscal year.28

24 See 19 U.S.C. 2295a.
25 See 19 U.S.C. 2317. TAAEA created a new provision in which states’ allotments that remain unobligated after two
years may be reallotted to other states.
26 This is the formula process as specified in 19 U.S.C. 2296(a)(C)(ii) and subsequently clarified in Training and
Employment Guidance Letter (TEGL) 13-11, available online at http://wdr.doleta.gov/directives/.
27 See 20 C.F.R. 618.910-930. At least 90% of the funds must be distributed by July 15. The remaining 10% can be
distributed at any point during the remainder of the fiscal year.
28 See 20 C.F.R. 618.910(c).
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The TRA income support and Reemployment Trade Adjustment Assistance (RTAA) wage
insurance program are uncapped entitlements that are funded by the federal government and
administered by state unemployment offices. Annual congressional appropriations for these
programs typically reflect the request in the President’s budget. Any funds from these allocations
that are unobligated at the end of the fiscal year expire and are returned to the Treasury.
The HCTC is administered through the tax system and funded out of general revenue. It is not
part of the appropriations process.
Participation and Program Data
Program data are provided by CSAs to DOL. This section presents program data beginning in
FY2003 to correspond with the changes made to TAA by the Trade Act of 2002.29 Data are
presented by program component. A summary table with data from each program component is
presented in Appendix B.
When considering the annual program data presented in this section, it is important to recognize
the fluctuations in TAA provisions that correspond with each fiscal year. Between FY2003 and
FY2008, TAA operated under the provisions in the Trade Act of 2002 (P.L. 107-210). In FY2009,
TAA continued to operate under these provisions until the Trade Globalization Adjustment
Assistance Act of 2009 (TGAAA; part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, P.L.
111-5) expanded eligibility and benefits beginning in May 2009. The TGAAA provisions
remained in effect for the remainder of FY2009 and entirety of FY2010. In FY2011, the program
continued to operate under the expanded TGAAA provisions until February 15, 2011, when the
program reverted back to the Trade Act of 2002 provisions for the remainder of the fiscal year.
Since TAAEA was signed after the start of FY2012, the FY2011 data discussed in this report do
not include any activity under the current TAAEA provisions unless specified otherwise.
Applications and Certification Activity
Table 3 presents data on TAA petitions and certifications from FY2003 to FY2011. The sharp
increase of petitions filed in FY2009 coincided with the expanded eligibility and benefits under
TGAAA that began on May 19 of that year. This surge of applications created a backlog at the
investigation and certification level. In April 2009, the last full month before the TGAAA
expansion, there were fewer than 200 pending TAA petitions. By May, the number of pending
applications had increased to more than 800, and by the end of FY2009 almost 1,600 petitions
were awaiting a decision. Due to this backlog, many petitions filed in FY2009 were not
determined until FY2010. A combination of backlog reduction initiatives from DOL and a decline
in applications reduced the number of pending applications to less than 300 by September 2010.30

29 The provisions of the Trade Act of 2002 first applied to TAA petitions filed on or after November 2, 2002.
30 U.S. Department of Labor, “Trade Adjustment Assistance for Workers: Report to the Committee on Finance the
Senate and Committee on Ways and Means of the House of Representatives,” December 2010, p. 8,
http://www.doleta.gov/tradeact/docs/AnnualReport10.pdf.
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During FY2011, DOL continued to reduce the backlog, and at the conclusion of the fiscal year
less than 150 petitions were awaiting decisions. DOL also reduced the average petition processing
time during FY2011 from 91 days during the first quarter of the fiscal year to 61 days during the
fourth quarter.
TAAEA required that all petitions denied under the Trade Act of 2002 provisions between
February 2011 and October 2011 be reconsidered under the TAAEA criteria. While
reconsiderations took place in FY2012, any changes were recorded in the FY2011 data. The
number of certified petitions for FY2011 in Table 3 contains 80 petitions that were certified on
reconsideration.
Table 3. Petitions and Certifications, FY2003-FY2011
Petitions
Estimated Certified
Fiscal Year
Petitions Filed
Certified
Workers
2003 3,567 1,894 197,748
2004 2,992 1,812 149,705
2005 2,644 1,561 118,022
2006 2,465 1,444 119,602
2007 2,272 1,444 146,838
2008 2,224 1,471 126,633
2009 4,889 1,888 201,774
2010 2,542 2,810 287,061
2011a 1,347 1,195 103,283
Source: Data from 2008 to 2011 are from the 2011 TAA Annual report, available at http://www.doleta.gov/
tradeact/docs/AnnualReport11.pdf.
Data from 2003 to 2007 are from the U.S. Department of Labor and were published in table 6-1 of the 2011
Ways and Means Committee Green Book at http://greenbook.waysandmeans.house.gov/2011-41.
Note: Petitions filed during one fiscal year may not be determined until the subsequent fiscal year. As such, it is
not possible to determine the portion of petitions that were certified in a given year by dividing the number of
certified petitions by the number of filed petitions.
a. Data from 2011 include petitions that were initial y denied but then reconsidered under the expanded
provisions of TAAEA.
Reemployment Services
Training Assistance
Training assistance is the primary expenditure of the TAA reemployment services fund. Table 4
presents recent data for training enrollment and program costs. The almost 24,000 new training
participants in FY2011 were the lowest number of new enrollees since at least 2003. More than
60,000 other trainees who had begun training in prior years remained in the program in FY2011.
Table 5 shows the 10 states with the largest reemployment services allocations in FY2011.
Collectively, these states accounted for 65% of TAA’s reemployment service funding and 53% of
its total training participants.
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Table 4. Training and Benefit Data for TAA-Certified Workers, FY2003-FY2011
Reemployment
Training
Service
Reemployment
New Training
Total Training
Completion
Obligations
Service Outlays
Year
Participants
Participants
Ratea
(millions)b
(millions)b
2003 43,672
n/a
n/a
$222
$206
2004 50,929
n/a
n/a
$258
$225
2005 38,207
n/a
n/a
$259
$224
2006 37,426
n/a
n/a
$259
$206
2007 49,339
n/a
n/a
$260
$217
2008 38,189
n/a
n/a
$260
$241
2009 58,190
n/a
68%
$685
$289
2010 46,552
101,053
70%
$685
$495
2011 23,493
86,523
70%
$425c $445
Sources and notes: FY2011 data on new and total training participants are from Trade Activity Participant
Report, posted on the ETA website at http://www.doleta.gov/tradeact/TAPR_2011.cfm?state=US. Data are
current as of January 2012.
FY2010 data on new and total training participants are from Trade Activity Participant Report, posted on the
ETA website at http://www.doleta.gov/tradeact/TAPR_2010.cfm?state=US. Data are current as of January 2012.
New training participant data from FY2009 are from the FY2009 TAA Annual Report, available at
http://www.doleta.gov/tradeact/docs/AnnualReport09.pdf.
New training participant data from FY2008 and prior are from the U.S. Department of Labor and were published
in table 6-3 of the 2011 Ways and Means Committee Green Book at http://greenbook.waysandmeans.house.gov/
2011-41. The Green Book does not publish total training participants or training completion rates.
Training completion rates are from each fiscal year’s annual report, available at http://www.doleta.gov/tradeact/
and reflect data available at the time of each report’s publication.
Obligation data are from 2005-2013 federal budget appendices as issued by the Office of Management and
Budget and are available online at http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/browse/col ectionGPO.action?col ectionCode=
BUDGET. Obligations include funding for case management and administrative activities and may include financial
commitments for future years.
Outlay data were obtained directly from the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment Training Administration.
These data reflect state expenditures of federal allotments for training and other reemployment services.
Outlays may include funds that were obligated in prior years.
a. Data refer to the share of program exiters who began a training program and subsequently completed that
program.
b. Includes costs of al reemployment services, not just training.
c. FY2011 obligation data includes three disbursements to the states under three separate authorizations:
$143.8 million for the final three months of the TGAAA authorization; $66.5 million for the extension of
TGAAA-level funding though February 12; and $138.6 million for the remainder of the year (prorated
amount of the $220 million statutory limit when the program reverted back to the levels set by the Trade
Act of 2002.) Supplementary funds for administration, case management, and job search and relocation
allowances increased obligations to $425 million.
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Table 5. Ten Largest Recipients of TAA Reemployment Services Funding, FY2011
Reemployment
Total Training
State
Services Funding
Participants
Michigan $55,774,244
9,969
Ohio 49,963,965
5,423
Wisconsin 29,385,418
4,538
North Carolina
21,217,109
7,443
Iowa 13,993,897
1,547
Pennsylvania 13,811,768
5,018
Oregon 13,340,979
3,031
Indiana 12,297,212
3,376
Minnesota 11,951,771
1,838
Texas 9,907,381
4,015



10-state total
$231,643,744
46,198
National total
$354,879,970
86,523
Source: Calculations by CRS based on data from the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment Training
Administration, published at http://www.doleta.gov/tradeact/TAPR_2011.cfm.
Note: Training totals do not include administrative allotments equal to 15% of training allotments.
TAAEA made several changes to training-related provisions. Annual funding for reemployment
services was increased to $575 million through 2013. This cap includes training as well as related
administrative and case management costs.
In calendar year 2014, the reemployment services cap is set to be reduced to the lower funding
level authorized by the Trade Act of 2002.
Training Waivers
In addition to workers who took part in training, approximately 52,000 TAA-certified workers
were granted training waivers during FY2011. These waivers allowed the workers to be eligible
for basic TRA without fulfilling the training requirement. About 90% of the waivers were due to a
worker already having marketable skills or enrollment in training being unavailable.
TAAEA reduced the number of eligible waiver reasons from six to three.31 Approximately 80% of
the workers who obtained training waivers in FY2011 did so for reasons that will no longer be
valid under TAAEA. Unlike many other provisions of TAAEA, the reduction of waiver reasons
will not change in 2014.

31 Under TAAEA, acceptable waiver reasons are (1) the worker is unable to participate in training for health reasons,
(2) no suitable training is available, or (3) enrollment is not available in the next 60 days (See 19 U.S.C. 2291(c)).
Under prior law, waivers could also be issued if the worker expected to be recalled to work, the worker already has
makeable skills, or the worker is within two years of becoming eligible for Social Security or another pension.
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Case Management
While training assistance receives the largest portion of reemployment services funding, case
management was the most-utilized TAA service in FY2010 and FY2011.32 In FY2010, over
136,000 TAA participants utilized case management compared to about 101,000 who participated
in training. In FY2011, the difference increased when approximately 161,000 workers received
case management but only about 86,500 participated in training.
Typically, workers are required to engage in some level of case management prior to participating
in training activities or obtaining a training waiver. The implication of the number of workers
who participated in case management but did not subsequently enroll in training is not clear.
These workers may have required less-intensive services to become reemployed or they may have
declined training benefits for another reason.
While TAAEA did not increase overall reemployment service funding above TGAAA levels, it
did increase funding set aside for case management. Under TGAAA, each state received
$350,000 for case management (a potential maximum of $18.2 million for the 50 states, the
District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico). Under TAAEA, 5% of the $575 million in reemployment
service funds ($28.8 million) is set aside for case management services.
Job Search and Relocation Allowances
With 746 combined participants in FY2011, job search and relocation allowances were the least-
used TAA reemployment benefit. Beneficiaries of these programs accounted for less than 1% of
all TAA participants. According to the FY2011 TAA annual report, $6 million was allocated to
job search and relocation benefits and, at the end of the year, $5,567,000 remained. These
remaining funds were then distributed to the states using the original formula for allocating
training funds. Table 6 shows that usage of these programs has been consistently low in recent
years.

32 FY2010 and FY2011 data are from each year’s annual report, available at http://www.doleta.gov/tradeact/. Data on
case management utilization are not available prior to FY2010.
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Table 6. Job Search and Relocation Allowance Participation, FY2003-2011
Job Search
Relocation
Allowance
Allowance
Fiscal Year
Participants
Participants
2003 430 736
2004 467 817
2005 288 446
2006 454 531
2007 405 757
2008 526 461
2009 617 683
2010 319 404
2011 343 403
Source: FY2008-FY2011 are from FY2009, FY2010, and FY2011 TAA Annual reports available at
http://www.doleta.gov/tradeact/. Data from FY2008 and prior are from the U.S. Department of Labor and were
published in table 6-3 of the 2011 Ways and Means Committee Green Book at
http://greenbook.waysandmeans.house.gov/2011-41.
Research has shown that the low usage of these programs was only partially due to limited TAA
participant awareness of them. A 2010 study conducted for DOL by Mathematica Policy Research
(MPR) surveyed TAA-eligible workers in 2007 and 2008. The study found that 53% of TAA
participants were aware of the relocation allowances and 54% were aware of job search
allowances.33
TAAEA consolidated funding for job search and relocation allowances into states’ reemployment
allotments. The language in the section could also be interpreted as making the administration of
this benefit optional.34 TAAEA did not change the eligibility criteria and benefit levels from those
that were in place after the expiration of TGAAA. The provisions related to these allowances will
not change in 2014.
Trade Readjustment Allowances
In FY2011, there were more than 18,000 new TRA recipients and almost 27,000 total TRA
recipients. This marked an increase from the prior two years, but as Table 7 shows, it was still
below historical usage prior to FY2009. As noted in the previous section, TRA benefits are offset
by UI benefits and DOL has indicated that the extensions to unemployment insurance programs
have reduced the number of otherwise eligible workers who would have collected TRA. The UI
extensions also led some workers who did receive TRA to collect it for a shorter period than they
would have in the absence of the UI extensions.

33 Mathematica Policy Research, “National Evaluation of the Trade Adjustment Assistance Program,” ETA Occasional
Paper 2010-06, April 2010, Table 9 on p. 30. This study defined TAA participants as those that received one of the
program’s four core services (TRA, training, ATAA, or the HCTC). This definition is more restrictive than DOL’s
definition of a TAA participant.
34 See 19 U.S.C. 237(a)(1) and 19 U.S.C. 238(a)(1).
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The maximum TRA duration established under the TAAEA provisions (117 weeks for all
workers, 130 in certain circumstances) is shorter than the TGAAA provisions (130 weeks for all
workers, 156 in certain circumstances) but longer than the limit under the Trade Act of 2002 (104
weeks for all workers; 130 in certain circumstances). The provisions of TRA will not change in
2014.
Table 7. Trade Readjustment Allowance Participation and Costs, FY2003-FY2011
New TRA
Total TRA
Total TRA Outlays
Fiscal Year
Recipients
Recipients
(millions)
2003 44,000
n/a
$
352
2004 81,000
n/a
$
528
2005 55,000
n/a
$
589
2006 53,000
n/a
$
514
2007 47,000
n/a
$
540
2008 42,000
n/a
$
523
2009 11,111
n/a
$
122
2010 14,711
20,764
$
93
2011 18,524
25,689
$208
Sources: FY2011 recipient data are from Trade Activity Participant Report output posted on the ETA website
at http://www.doleta.gov/tradeact/TAPR_2011.cfm. FY2010 recipient data from Trade Activity Participant Report
output posted on the ETA website at http://www.doleta.gov/tradeact/TAPR_2010.cfm. For both years, data are
current as of January 2012.
Recipient data from FY2009 are from the FY2009 TAA Annual Report, available at http://www.doleta.gov/
tradeact/docs/AnnualReport09.pdf.
Data from FY2008 and prior are from the U.S. Department of Labor and rounded data were published in table
6-2 of the 2011 Ways and Means Committee Green Book at http://greenbook.waysandmeans.house.gov/2011-
41. The Green Book does not publish total TRA recipients.
Outlay data were obtained directly from the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment Training Administration.
Health Coverage Tax Credit
Precise estimates on the participation rates in the HCTC program are difficult to develop. TAA-
certified and RTAA-certified workers are only a subset of the HCTC-eligible population and
some TAA participants may not qualify for the HCTC. (For example, a TAA-eligible individual
who is eligible for Medicare or Medicaid cannot claim the HCTC.) Furthermore, since the
program is implemented through the tax code, DOL cannot track usage directly.
A 2010 report from GAO analyzed a combination of DOL and IRS data to develop estimates of
HCTC program data. While the report did not provide single-year costs, it estimated that the total
governmental cost of the HCTC between 2003 and 2010 was approximately $676 million (an
average of $84.5 million per year). GAO estimated that about $161 million (24%) of the HCTC’s
governmental costs during the 2003-2010 period went to administration. These data considered
all recipients of the HCTC, not just those covered under TAA.
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The GAO report also estimated participation rates among potentially eligible populations before
and after the TGAAA expansions. It found that in the six months before the expansions, about
6,000 out of approximately 100,000 potentially eligible TAA participants used the HCTC. In the
six months after the expansion, an estimated 10,000 out of approximately 150,000 potentially
eligible participants claimed the credit.35
The aforementioned MPR study also collected data on knowledge of and participation in the
HCTC program. Knowledge of the program was moderate, with about 58% of TAA participants
aware of the program. Among participants with knowledge of the program, about 28% applied for
the HCTC. The most common reasons for not applying for the HCTC were the worker’s share of
the premium being too expensive (36% of nonapplicants) and the worker already having coverage
through a spouse’s employer (21% of nonapplicants).36
The TAAEA provisions authorized the HCTC benefit level of 72.5%. This is between the benefit
level under the TGAAA provisions (80%) and prior to the expansions (65%). The HCTC is set to
terminate on December 31, 2013.
Reemployment Trade Adjustment Assistance
In FY2011, $40 million was paid to more than 6,100 participants in the RTAA wage insurance
program. The data in Table 8 include both RTAA participants as well as participants in the very
similar ATAA program that existed prior to 2009.
Under the TAAEA provisions, the RTAA program initially has aspects of both the TGAAA
expansions as well as the prior Trade Act of 2002 provisions. The benefit level and wage ceiling
are both at the levels authorized by the Trade Act of 2002. However, there is no reemployment
deadline and workers who are employed part-time and enrolled in a TAA-approved training
program can also qualify for RTAA, as was the case under the TGAAA provisions.
In 2014, all RTAA provisions are set to revert to those in the Trade Act of 2002.

35 Government Accountability Office (GAO), “Health Coverage Tax Credit: Participation and Administrative Costs,”
GAO 10-521R, April 2010.
36 Mathematica Policy Research, “National Evaluation of the Trade Adjustment Assistance Program,” ETA Occasional
Paper 2010-06, April 2010, Table 15 on p. 47.
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Table 8. Reemployment Trade Adjustment Assistance, FY2003-FY2011
Outlays
Year Participants (millions)
2003 n/a n/a
2004 n/a $2
2005 n/a $9
2006 6,354 $15
2007 7,477 $22
2008 8,718 $27
2009 6,827 $23
2010 6,363 $27
2011 6,155 $40
Source: Data were obtained directly from the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment Training Administration.
Notes: During the temporary TGAAA expansion, the eligible annual wage ceiling was increased from $50,000 to
$55,000 and the two-year benefit cap was raised from $10,000 to $12,000.
Post-TAA Performance Data for Program Exiters
Table 9 presents data on post-TAA outcomes for program exiters using DOL’s Common
Measures, a metric that DOL uses across its workforce programs.37 In the table, entered
employment rate (EER) refers to the percentage of workers who were employed in the quarter
after program exit. The employment retention rate (ERR) is the share of these employed workers
who were also employed in the second and third quarters after exit. Average earnings (AE) are
recorded in the second and third quarters after exit among workers who were employed in the
first quarter after exit.
Table 9. Employment Outcomes for TAA Exiters
Entered Employment
Employment Retention
Year
Rate (EER)
Rate (ERR)
Average Earnings (AE)
2009 69% 88%
$15,117
2010 58% 87%
$14,906
2011 66% 90%
$18,184
Source: U.S. Department of Labor, FY2009, FY2010, and 2011 TAA annual reports, available at
http://www.doleta.gov/tradeact/.
Notes: DOL implemented changes to reference periods in FY2010 and data from prior years may not be strictly
comparable. See annual reports for specific details.
Employment data are for all exiting workers. TAA classifies a program participant as an exiter
once 90 days have passed since the worker received services or case management. DOL does not

37 In addition to these common measures, DOL also reports TAA participants’ outcomes using “Trade Act Measures,”
a series of metrics that are similar to common measures but use somewhat different reference periods. All data
discussed in this report are common measures.
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disaggregate its outcome data by which provisions of TAA (e.g., TGAAA or prior provisions) an
exiter received benefits under.
A September 2012 report from GAO, however, analyzed TAA participant data and noted that
outcome data through FY2011 offered only limited perspectives on workers who received
services under the TGAAA provisions. GAO found that at the end of FY2011, approximately
two-thirds of participants under the TGAAA provisions were still enrolled in the program and that
outcome data on the one-third of participants who had exited the program were limited.
According to GAO, DOL stated that data from FY2012 will primarily consist of exiters who
received benefits under the TGAAA provisions.38

38 U.S. Government Accountability Office, Trade Adjustment Assistance: Changes to the Workers Program Benefited
Participants, but Little is Known about Outcomes, GAO-12-953, September 2012, pp. 34-37, http://www.gao.gov/
products/GAO-12-953.
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Appendix A. Legislative History
TAA was formally established by the Trade Expansion Act of 1962 (P.L. 87-794) but was little
used until the Trade Act of 1974 (P.L. 93-618) expanded benefits and eligibility. Except for a
lapse between December 1985 and March 1986, a variety of legislative vehicles kept TAA
authorized through the end of FY2001. Authorization then lapsed for 11 months, but the program
remained funded through appropriations.
The Trade Act of 2002 (P.L. 107-210) reauthorized TAA, expanded benefits, and established
Reemployment Trade Adjustment Assistance (RTAA; then called Alternative Trade Adjustment
Assistance). Authorization expired on December 31, 2007, but the Consolidated Appropriations
Act of 2008 (P.L. 110-161) funded TAA for FY2008. The Consolidated Security, Disaster
Assistance, and Continuing Appropriations Act, 2009 (P.L. 110-329) funded TAA through March
6, 2009, and specified that the programs would continue through that date.
The Trade and Globalization Adjustment Assistance Act of 2009 (TGAAA), part of the American
Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA, P.L. 111-5), was signed on February 17, 2009. TGAAA
reauthorized TAA and temporarily expanded both eligibility and benefit levels.
Authorization for the TGAAA changes was set to expire on December 31, 2010, but the Omnibus
Trade Act of 2010 (P.L. 111-344) extended them though February 12, 2011.39 After that date, TAA
reverted back to the pre-expansion provisions that were in place prior to TGAAA.
2011 Reauthorization
TAA operated under the pre-expansion provisions from February 15, 2011, to October 21, 2011,
when the Trade Adjustment Assistance Extension Act of 2011 (TAAEA; Title II of P.L. 112-40)
was signed into law. TAAEA reauthorized TAA through December 31, 2014, and expanded
eligibility and benefits to near-TGAAA levels through December 31, 2013. The law was
retroactive and groups who were denied certification under the prior provisions were
automatically reconsidered under the provisions enacted by TAAEA. Groups who were certified
under the prior provisions were eligible to reapply under the new expanded benefit provisions.
The expanded provisions of the TAAEA are set to expire on December 31, 2013. Eligibility
criteria and benefit levels are then set to largely revert to the levels authorized by the Trade Act of
2002. These provisions remain in place for one year before authorization for the TAA for workers
program expires on December 31, 2014.

39 Because February 12, 2011, was a Saturday, DOL considered applications filed through February 14, 2011, under the
TGAAA provisions.
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Appendix B. Petition Activity and Benefit Usage,
FY2003-FY2011
Table B-1 provides a summary of TAA petition activity and benefit usage since the enactment of
the Trade Act of 2002. More detailed data on each program component may be available in the
corresponding subsections of the “Participation and Program Data” section of this report.

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Table B-1. Trade Adjustment Assistance, Petition Activity and Benefit Usage, FY2003-FY2011
Trade Readjustment
Reemployment Trade
Fiscal Year
Petition Activity
Reemployment Services
Allowance
Adjustment Assistance
Estimated
Petitions
Certified
New Training
Job Search
Relocation
Outlays
New
Outlays
Outlays

Certified
Workers
Participants
Allowances Allowances (millions)
Participants
(millions) Participants (millions)
2003 1,894
197,748 43,672
430
736 $206 44,000 $352
n/a
n/a
2004 1,812
149,705 50,929
467
817 $225 81,000 528
n/a
$2
2005 1,561
118,022 38,207
288
446 $224 55,000 589
n/a
9
2006 1,444
119,602 37,426
454
531 $206 53,000 514
6,354
15
2007 1,444
146,838 49,339
405
757 $217 47,000 540
7,477
22
2008 1,471
126,633 38,189
526
461 $241 42,000 523
8,718
27
2009 1,888
201,774 58,190
617
683 $289 11,111 122
6,827
23
2010 2,810
287,061 46,552
319
404 $495 14,711
93
6,363
27
2011 1,195
103,283 23,493
343
403 $445 18,524 208
6,155
40
Source: Data are from the U.S. Department of Labor. Detailed source notes are available in Table 3, Table 4, Table 6, Table 7, and Table 8 in the body of the report.
Notes: Reemployment services outlays only include actual expenditures and exclude obligations for subsequent years. Trade Readjustment Allowance (TRA) is only
available to workers who have exhausted their unemployment insurance (UI) benefits. Extended UI benefits during certain periods may influence TRA participation and
outlays. The source on new TRA participants from FY2003 to FY2008 presented rounded data.

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Author Contact Information

Benjamin Collins

Analyst in Labor Policy
bcollins@crs.loc.gov, 7-7382

Acknowledgments
This report expands a prior report by John J. Topoleski.
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