Washington Gov. Chris Gregoire is requiring state agencies that create jobs using American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds, as well as the contractors they hire using ARRA funds, to post newly created positions on the state's WorkSource website. Gregoire is also urging job seekers in Washington state who want to apply for economic stimulus jobs to visit their local WorkSource career center.
"We are creating a lot of jobs with the federal recovery money, and we want unemployed workers in our state to have a fair shot at filling them," said Gregoire. "WorkSource provides an easily accessible, centralized location for job seekers to see what's available."
State agencies have received millions of dollars in federal funding for highway projects, to repair drinking-water systems, to increase the energy-efficiency of homes where low-income or other vulnerable populations live and to provide more worker training. In addition, federal money will help repair and restore federal forests and parks, increase the pace of cleanup at Hanford, repair irrigation systems, build bike trails, and support drug and gang prevention in local communities.
Along with listing stimulus-funded job openings, the WorkSource system has received nearly $20 million from the federal Recovery Act to create thousands of summer jobs for teens and young adults this year.
"WorkSource is playing a central role in the economic recovery," said Employment Security Commissioner Karen Lee. "We can help workers get training to improve their job skills and also help them be successful in their job search."
WorkSource is a partnership of Employment Security and other state, local and nonprofit agencies that work together to provide employment and training services to job seekers and employers.
Job seekers will find thousands of job listings on the WorkSource Web site at www.go2worksource.com. However, they must visit a WorkSource office and speak to a career counselor for specific information about stimulus job openings.
WORKSOURCE Web site: www.go2worksource.com.
Employment Security Web site
www.esd.wa.gov.
