MDES Hires Workers to Help With Recovery

The Mississippi Department of Employment Security is hiring more than 500 temporary workers to help communities recovering from tornado and straight-line wind damage. The U.S. Department of Labor awarded the agency a $7 million National Emergency Grant to hire workers to help governments and nonprofits assisting with disaster recovery.

Workers can earn $7.25 an hour to $25 an hour, depending on the jobs and prevailing wages in their areas. Those affected by the storm are given priority in hiring. These temporary jobs last up to six months or until the worker earns $12,000, whichever comes first. Unemployment Insurance benefits may not be collected while working these jobs.

Workers are eligible who are:
*Out of work due to the disaster.
*Currently laid off from a job.
*Long-term unemployed, out of work at least 15 weeks during the past six months.

Jobs include:
*Debris cleaners.
*Humanitarian aides.
* Drivers.
* Office workers.
*Social-service aides.
* Construction workers.
*Others as needed.

This grant covers areas damaged by tornadoes and straight-line winds, declared disaster areas by the federal government and eligible for public assistance. This includes the following counties: Attala, Alcorn, Benton, Calhoun, Carroll, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Clay, Clarke, Greene, Hinds, Holmes, Itawamba, Jasper, Kemper, Lafayette, Lee, Marshall, Montgomery, Monroe, Neshoba, Newton, Noxubee, Panola, Prentiss, Quitman, Scott, Smith, Tate, Tippah, Tishomingo, Union, Webster and Winston.

To apply, visit the nearest WIN Job Center. For more information, visit http://mdes.ms.gov.