State of Oregon: Workforce Investments

Dislocated Workers

The Dislocated Worker program is administered by HECC Office of Workforce Investments and federally funded through the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), providing services for dislocated workers. Oregon’s WorkSource Center staff can explain and help workers who have been laid off access the many services and programs Oregon has available to assist workers in finding employment.

2020 Guide for Laid Off Workers in Oregon

What is a Dislocated Worker?

You may be a dislocated worker if you lost your job and one or more of these things are true about you:

You have been terminated, laid off, or received a notice of termination or layoff and are unlikely to return to your usual occupation or industry because of:

A permanent plant closure;
A substantial layoff;
Foreign competition; and
Lack of demand for your skills.

You are eligible for or have exhausted unemployment or you have been employed long enough to establish being part of the workforce, but not eligible for unemployment due to not earning enough or your employer not covered under unemployment and you are unlikely to return to a previous industry or occupation.
You are self-employed, but the economy or a natural disaster has put you out of work. Examples include farmers, ranchers, fishermen, etc.
You are a displaced homemaker, an individual who has been providing unpaid services to family members in the home and who

has been dependent on the income of another family member but is no longer supported by that income; and
is unemployed or underemployed and is experiencing difficulty in obtaining or upgrading employment.

You are a dependent spouse of a member of the Armed Forces on active duty who has experienced a loss of employment as a direct result of relocation to accommodate

a permanent change in duty station of such member; or
the spouse of a member of the Armed Forces on active duty and who meets the criteria of a displaced homemaker.

You are a service members who is transitioning to the civilian workforce, are within 12 months of separating or 24 months of retirement.
You are a recently separated veterans who is within 48 months of discharge or release from active military, naval, or air service.

Dislocated Worker Services

Oregon Dislocated Worker Services begin with registering at a local WorkSource center. You can register at the nearest WorkSource Center location or Register Online.

Once registered, you will need to come into a WorkSource Center location for a conversation with staff on your options best fit your needs. This is an important part of our process and must be in person. Staff will want to know more about how we can best help you. Do you have skills and want to connect with programs and services that can help you find a job? Do you need to increase your skills or explore education and training options? Be prepared to let us know how we can help.

During your conversation, WorkSource staff will determine if you are eligible as a dislocated worker and how best to meet your needs using all WorkSource programs and services available to you.

Together, you will determine which options best fit your needs and plan for your next step. We invite you to come back as many times as you need to connect with WorkSource programs and services and wish you success in finding employment.

WorkSource staff will assist dislocated workers with all available programs and services at WorkSource. For additional dislocated worker questions, please ask for your local WorkSource staff or call 1–800–282–6514 to be directed to the best local resources to meet your needs.

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