How to help America's displaced workers

These are the major recommendations and conclusions from the task force appointed by Labor Secretary William Brock on how to help the nearly 1 million workers who are displaced annually. The federal government should begin a national effort to provide an early and rapid response to workers permanently displaced from employment. This would be initially funded with $900 million. States would provide the training and reemployment assistance for displaced workers.

Private employers should notify workers as early as possible about plant closings.

The effort would provide displaced workers with such services as testing, counseling, and job search training.

The program should provide workers with enough funding to support a substantive period of training and job searching. There should be incentives to enroll early and complete training programs.

Workers should be encouraged to start their own businesses or acquire their failing businesses.

The funding for this effort should come from general revenues. If such funding is not available, it should come from a special payroll tax.