ALEXANDRIA, Va. (DC News Now) — With so many federal workers in the DC area out of a job, a campaign is underway to let them know there are resources ready to help. These include how to file for unemployment benefits and guidance for transitioning to the private sector.
The Virginia Career Works Northern Region has released a webpage of resources for dislocated federal workers and contractors, which you can view here.
David Hunn, the executive director of VCW’s Northern Region, told DC News Now he had not seen a situation like this in his 44-year career.
“With news day after day of more and more layoffs from federal agencies, we’re starting to ramp up,” he said.
Hunn said while VCW has not seen a huge number of federal workers coming in, they have seen some and are expecting more. The agency has six Northern Virginia locations in Alexandria, Fairfax, Prince William, and Loudoun Counties.
“We would hope that with the resources that we have in this region, with the educational institutions, the cultural institutions, the many thousands of jobs that are available now, that there would be a reason for someone to stay in the Washington area,” he said.
Among the resources VCW is offering are resume workshops, interview tips, and a caseworker to assist those who come in for help with their job search.
This comes at a time when recently laid-off federal workers have to quickly figure out their next steps.
USAID Contractor John Burg told DC News Now at a federal worker town hall in Montgomery County he is still waiting for his unemployment claim to be approved by Maryland.
“Fortunately, I’m a little bit older and I have some savings to live off of, but those are going to go quick,” Burg said.
Burg explained some of his greatest concerns are protections for federal contractors, such as himself. He had worked for the past decade with USAID.
“We want to pay taxes, we want to serve the American people, but when you’re sacked because of politically motivated, ideologically motivated, decisions, that hurts Americans,” he said.
