What is Alternative Trade Adjustment Assistance (ATAA)?
The Trade Act of 2002 established ATAA as an alternative assistance program for older workers certified eligible to apply for Trade Adjustment Assistance. This program is effective for petitions filed on or after August 6, 2003. The Act requires that petitioners who request that workers be certified for the ATAA program must do so at the time the petition is filed. The petition form ETA9042A for requesting ATAA can be downloaded here. The program is designed to allow TAA eligible workers for whom retraining may not be appropriate and who find reemployment to receive a wage subsidy to help bridge the salary gap between their old and new employment. To receive the ATAA benefits, workers must be TAA and ATAA certified. Under the ATAA program, workers in an eligible worker group who are at least 50 years of age and who obtain different, full-time employment within 26 weeks of separation from adversely affected employment at wages less than those earned in the adversely-affected employment,
Alternative Trade Adjustment Assistance (ATAA) After the U.S. Department of Labor issues a Certification Regarding ATAA Worker Eligibility, each worker who may be interested in services and benefits under the ATAA program must individually apply to determine their eligibility for ATAA benefits. The following criteria must be met by individual older workers determined to apply for ATAA benefits: • Worker must be covered by an ATAA certified petition • Worker must be at least age 50 at the time of reemployment • Obtain reemployment by the last day of the 26th week from the workers separation from adversely affected employment • New job may not pay more than $50,000 annually in gross wages (excluding overtime pay) • Employment must be full time (at least 32 hours weekly) • Worker cannot return to employment from which the worker was separated nor can the worker do the same or similar work for the employer that he was separated from in another division/facility • A workers application for
ATAA provides an alternative assistance program for older workers certified eligible to apply for Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA). The assistance is in the form of a wage subsidy for those re-employed before the last day of the 26th week to bridge a gap between their wage at separation and their new wage. ATAA is effective for petitions filed on or after August 6, 2003. The request must be made at the time the petition is filed. NOT ALL PETITIONS WILL BE ELIGIBLE.
