ALBANY – A new initiative to combat long-term unemployment in New York State was announced on Tuesday.

To help New Yorkers seeking jobs, the state will distribute $6 million in federal grants to companies that hire long-term unemployed individuals, as well as deploy a mobile response team to assist individuals seeking work in high unemployment areas.

"New York State’s efforts to help long-term, unemployed individuals find jobs have been recognized across the nation, and this additional $6 million will be a shot in the arm as we continue to put New Yorkers back to work and get our economy back on track," Governor Andrew Cuomo said. "With NY Works projects creating new jobs and supporting economic development all across the state, this initiative will help train workers and connect the unemployed with opportunities to launch a successful career."

The $6 million in federal grants will provide wage subsidies to businesses that hire a new employee. The Governor has directed the State Department of Labor and Empire State Development to work with local workforce development agencies to promote the available federal training dollars in every region of the state. The Administration will partner with employers which used these grants in the past to hire long-term unemployed workers as a way to promote the proven record of job creation this type of funding can bring.

The federal grant is the second "On-the-Job Training" grant given to New York State. New York was nationally recognized last year for its work using this type of grant to help unemployed individuals find jobs, and additional funding was granted to New York to expand its back-to-work initiatives.

New Yorkers interested in learning more about these initiatives and see a schedule for the mobile response team visits can visit www.labor.ny.gov/careerservices/reemploy.shtm