Dislocated Workers

Responds to the requirements in the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act (WARN) and reviews the implementation of the law and its effect on employers and workers. Reports on (1) the number of closures and layoffs subject to the provisions of WARN, (2) whether employers are providing advance notice as required, (3) the difficulties involved in implementing and enforcing WARN, and (4) the views of employers and employees on the impact of giving or receiving WARN notices. Charts and tables.

This document records the oral and written testimony given by witnesses at a series of three Congressional hearings conducted in 1993 to review federal retraining programs for dislocated workers. Witnesses included representatives of federal and state agencies, and Private Industry Councils. Witnesses testified about their programs and what has worked and has not worked in their efforts to retrain dislocated workers. The existing programs were described and suggestions made for improvements, including putting programs in place before layoffs, and shortening the timeframe for retraining programs so workers can afford to complete them. However, according to witnesses, whatever successes have occurred have been tempered by the sluggish economy and the reality that most of the new jobs for which workers can be retrained pay substantially less than the jobs they have lost. (KC)