US Labor Department upgrades ‘re-employment’ Web portal as gateway for information on employment, training, financial help

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor has upgraded its re-employment Web portal to provide access to assistance beyond career and job searches. The http://www.CareerOneStop.org/reemployment site now offers a single source for information on jobs, career training, unemployment benefits and assistance with necessities such as food, housing, health care and utility payments. The resources will prove useful to everyone from recently laid-off workers and unemployment insurance claimants to individuals who have exhausted their unemployment benefits and those seeking to change careers.

"Being laid off is devastating. It cuts off an individual's, and often a family's, income. It also affects virtually every other critical aspect of daily life," said Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis. "This newly revamped site streamlines the daunting task of finding information about everything from career support to government benefits. It brings all of this information together in one place."

The portal offers information and guidance related to such varied topics as food stamps; the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program; continuing health insurance coverage under the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act, better known as COBRA; the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program; credit counseling; avoiding foreclosure; and pursuing education and training. In addition, visitors may search for both federal and state resources.