Workforce Investment Act (WIA)

Over 19 million U.S. workers are Hispanic, and the Latino labor force participation rate continues to be higher compared to the national average (68.6% and 66.0%, respectively). In the next decade and beyond, Latino workers will become even more integral to the U.S. economy, not only in terms of labor force productivity but also in taxes paid to support government services and in consumer spending. Given the growth of the Latino population as a relatively youthful population, and its strong attachment to the labor force, advances in Latinos’ employment status and increasing opportunities are crucial to all Americans.

The Workforce Investment Act is the largest source of funding for employment and training programs in this country. WIA was signed into law on August 7, 1998 and authorized through September 30, 2003. WIA replaced the Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA) as the law directing employment and training funds from the U.S. Departments of Labor and Education to the state and local employment systems. The stated purpose of the law was to “increase the employment, retention, and earnings of participants, and increase occupational skill attainment by participants, and, as a result, improve the quality of the workforce, reduce welfare dependency, and enhance the productivity and competitiveness of the nation.” While WIA’s stated purpose aims to serve all populations, implementation of the new system has been problematic and, in particular, services for Latinos and limited-English-proficient (LEP) persons have been limited.

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