Federal Grant to Create Nearly 420 Tornado Recovery Jobs in Mississippi

The U.S. Labor Department is sending up to $5.6 million to Mississippi to pay for unemployed people to help with recovery and cleanup from the April 28 tornadoes.

The money, being sent to the Mississippi Department of Employment Security, could create as many as 420 temporary jobs.

The federal government said Friday that it has released $1.87 million initially, and will send additional money as the state shows that it needs assistance.

Workers who lost their jobs because of the storm, as well as long-term unemployed workers and others, are eligible. Labor Department spokesman Jason Kuruvilla says jobs could last from several months up to a year.

The grant comes from a discretionary fund controlled by U.S. Labor Secretary Thomas Perez, and was awarded based on Mississippi meeting specific guidelines.