Given the extent of the job loss since 2008, it will take some time for the industry to ramp back up. The U.S. unemployment rate still stood at 9.7 percent in March, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics recently reported, and the information technology industry shed 12,000 jobs during the month.

Plant closings during the recession worsened the toll in some regions. For example, the unemployment rolls in the Richmond, Va., area—where now-defunct Qimonda had operated a fab—have nearly doubled, to 55,000 displaced workers, or more than one out of every 12 residents, since 2008.

Reports surfaced in March that an entity called Richmond Semiconductor LLC has acquired the Qimonda fab, which is located in Sandston.

Some 69 percent of Californians polled in a recent Citi California Pulse survey said they had seen few signs of economic improvement in the state. But they remain hopeful about the economy as well as their personal finances, particularly over the next 12 months, the most recent quarterly survey found. Some 62 percent of Bay Area residents and 56 percent of Los Angeles area residents believe job opportunities will improve over the period.

The U.S. Department of Labor this week said that approximately 4,000 workers from companies in 10 states—California, Michigan, Minnesota, New Mexico, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Washington and Wisconsin—are eligible to apply for Trade Adjustment Assistance. Workers covered by the TAA certifications will be contacted by their respective states with instructions on how to apply for individual benefits and services.

Those who apply may receive case management and re-employment services, occupational training, and trade readjustment allowances that provide income support for workers enrolled in training. Some workers may also receive job search and relocation allowances, along with health coverage tax credits.

By: DocMemory
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