Page Text: The American Rescue Plan Act
Delivering immediate relief to America's workers
The COVID-19 pandemic and the corresponding economic crisis have undermined the health and economic wellbeing of America's workers. Millions of Americans, many of whom are people of color, immigrants, and low-wage workers, continue to put their lives on the line every day to keep the country functioning through the pandemic. And more than 9.5 million workers have lost their jobs in the wake of COVID-19, with 4 million out of work for half a year or longer. The American Rescue Plan Act supports workers by:
Improving the unemployment insurance system
Helps shore up and modernize the unemployment insurance system to help workers get the benefits they deserve when they need them.
Keeping workers safe
Provides additional funding for OSHA to help keep vulnerable workers healthy and safe from COVID-19
Assisting with health insurance premiums
Helps workers who lost their jobs or had their hours reduced during the pandemic pay for health insurance by fully subsidizing COBRA premiums for eligible individuals from April 1, 2021 through September 30, 2021.
Additional resources
Grant Program helps improve workplace safety and health through funding opportunities
OSHA announced the availability of more than $21 million in Susan Harwood training grants to help nonprofit organizations develop training and education related to workplace safety and health. This includes $10 million in grants under the American Rescue Plan Act for workplace safety and health training on infectious diseases.
Learn more about grant opportunities
Find out if you qualify for a COBRA premium subsidy
If you lost your job or had your hours reduced in the past year you may qualify for health insurance at no cost to you.
Learn more about the COBRA premium subsidy
Simplifying the FECA claim process
The American Rescue Plan makes it much easier for federal workers diagnosed with COVID-19 to establish coverage under the Federal Employees’ Compensation Act. To establish a COVID-19 claim, you simply need to establish that you are a covered employee.
Learn more about the FECA claim process
Find COVID-19 vaccines near you
Vaccines protect workers and help business reopen safely, and are available at no cost to everyone in the United States age 12 and older.
Find vaccines near you
Guidance on worker protections regarding wages and hours worked and job-protected leave
New guidance from the Wage and Hour Division on critical worker protections regarding wages and hours worked and job-protected leave during the pandemic.
Learn more about the new guidance
3 ways the American Rescue Plan helps people who lost jobs afford health coverage
Ali Khawar, Acting Assistant Secretary of the department’s Employee Benefits Security Administration explains how the American Rescue Plan is helping workers and their families maintain critical health coverage.
Learn more about coverage options
Guidance on implementing COBRA premium assistance provisions
New guidance from the Employee Benefits Security Administration includes documents to help implement the American Rescue Plan’s COBRA provisions, including frequently asked questions, model notices and a Federal Register Notice.
Guidance to states on implementing the American Rescue Plan’s unemployment insurance provisions
New guidance from the Employment and Training Administration will help state workforce agencies implement extended unemployment benefits.
Learn more about unemployment insurance provisions
The White House guide to the American Rescue Plan Act
Explore how the American Rescue Plan Act will provide direct relief to working Americans, rescue the economy, and help beat the virus.
Read more from the White House
How the American Rescue Plan Act will improve unemployment benefit programs
Suzi LeVine, principal deputy assistant secretary of labor for employment and training, explains how the plan will help create a more equitable, secure and accessible safety net for America’s workers
Read more from Suzie LeVine
Department of Labor spending on American Rescue Plan Act’s worker protection provisions
Track how Department of Labor programs are spending $200,000,000 in supplemental funding to carry out worker protection activities, and for the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) for oversight of the Secretary’s activities to prevent, prepare for, and respond to COVID-19.