In general, a person is considered a dislocated worker if they meet one of the following conditions:
- They have lost their job.
- They have been laid off or received a lay-off notice from their job.
- They are receiving unemployment benefits due to being laid off or losing a job and are unlikely to return to a previous occupation.
- They are self-employed but are unemployed due to economic conditions or natural disaster.
- They are a displaced homemaker. A displaced homemaker is generally a person who previously provided unpaid services to the family (e.g., a stay-at-home mom or dad), is no longer supported by the husband or wife, is unemployed or underemployed, and is having trouble finding or upgrading employment.
If a person quits work, generally they are not considered a dislocated worker even if, for example, the person is receiving unemployment benefits.