N.C. Department of Commerce expands WNC job recovery programs

The N.C. Department of Commerce recently announced that 14 additional counties are eligible for a temporary work grant to aid in recovery from the impact of Hurricane Helene in western North Carolina, according to a press release. 

The grant is funded by the federal government, which rewarded the state $10 million within the Disaster Recovery Dislocated Worker Grant. This grant relieves the financial burdens of those displaced or out of work due to the disaster.

The current unemployment rate in the state of North Carolina is 3.7 percent, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. In Asheville, the unemployment rate, as of November 2024, is 6.1 percent.

The grant lasts for two years, and individuals in the 39 total eligible counties can apply for temporary employment in recovery-related jobs ranging from debris cleanup to humanitarian relief.

“This pays for the wages for these eligible people to be employed, it could be working for a nonprofit reservation, could be an agency, could be a private business that is doing work that is relevant to recovery from the disaster," Andrew Beal, the communications manager for the Division of Workforce Solutions within the North Carolina Department of Commerce said.

Additionally, the program offers avenues for applicants to attend courses and community colleges throughout the state in order to maintain workforce viability after the disaster, Beal said. 

Like many business owners in western North Carolina, Amy Fiedler, who operates Springhouse Farm in Vilas, N.C., struggled to operate following the storm. 

The farm she co-operates with her mother, Jean Fiedler, faced an array of damages from the storm including a contaminated well, damaged equipment, depleted topsoil and heaps of debris littering the property.

Fiedler received an approval for funding through the work grant after an appraisal from the N.C. Department of Commerce. Two men came to the farm to aid in recovery efforts by cleaning up the farm until temperatures prevented them from doing so.

“It's different for us, because our farms are our business," she said. "That is how we make our income, that's how we make a living. That's how we feed our community and for farmers, and this program has really gone above and beyond and just really been instrumental in helping me rebuild.”

In order for employers or the unemployed to apply for grant money, they must go to one of the 80+ NCWorks Career Centers throughout the state, where they will be directed to the appropriate office.

“Essentially, our message is we just want to direct people to their local NCWorks Career Centers, because that's the boots on the ground who can help them, help those folks to get back to work, because that will be what we need,” Beal said.

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