Your situation, who to call
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| Your situation | Who to call | What to ask |
|---|---|---|
| Need a job, a resume or a computer | American Job Center: 1-877-872-5627 or the CareerOneStop finder | "Can I see a career counselor?" |
| Laid off | American Job Center. For benefits, your state unemployment office: see unemployment benefits | "Do I qualify as a dislocated worker?" |
| Want training but cannot pay | American Job Center | "Do I qualify for WIOA training funds?" |
| Age 16 to 24, low income, want training with housing | Job Corps: 800-733-5627 | "Is my nearest campus enrolling now?" |
| Getting SNAP | Your SNAP caseworker or local office | "What Employment and Training help can I get?" |
| Have a disability | State vocational rehabilitation agency | "How do I apply for VR services?" |
| Veteran or eligible spouse | American Job Center | "I am a veteran. Can I get priority service, and do I qualify for a DVOP specialist?" |
| Age 55 or over, low income, out of work | SCSEP: 1-877-872-5627. See jobs for older workers | "Is there a slot near me?" |
| Have a record | American Job Center, plus second chance jobs | "Which programs work with people who have records?" |
| Not paid, or wrongly fired | Unpaid wages guide; free legal aid at LawHelp.org or the LSC finder | "Do you take job and wage cases?" |
| Paid someone for a job that never came | Your bank or payment app, then ReportFraud.ftc.gov | "Can you reverse this payment?" |
What American Job Centers do for free
The U.S. Department of Labor funds nearly 2,300 centers (CareerOneStop, read October 31, 2026). Services vary by location but can include:
- Computers, phones, internet and resume tools in a resource room
- Career counseling and skills testing
- Practice interviews and workshops
- Hiring events and your state's job bank
- Information on SNAP, Medicaid, child care and emergency funds
- Referrals to training and community agencies
The catch: there are two types. Comprehensive centers have the full set of partners on site. Affiliate centers offer less and may not have veterans or vocational rehabilitation staff in the building (CareerOneStop). Call first and ask. A center does not promise you a job, and some services have eligibility rules (U.S. DOL).
What to say when you walk in
Bring your ID and any work history you have. Ask by phone what else to bring for training funds. Then say:
"Hi. I am looking for work, and this is my first time here. I would like to meet with a career counselor. I last worked as (your last job). I want (the kind of work you want), and I can work (days and hours). Can you tell me what help I qualify for, including money for training, bus passes or child care? Is anyone here from veterans services or vocational rehabilitation?"
Before you leave, ask: "What is my next step, and by what date?" Write it down.
WIOA training money: who qualifies and how it works
The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) funds this help. Adult career services start at 18, and laid-off workers can qualify under the dislocated worker rules (20 CFR 680.120 and 680.130).
To get training funds, a center must find all of this is true (20 CFR 680.210):
- Without training, you are unlikely to get or keep a job that supports you or matches your past pay.
- You have the skills to succeed in the training.
- The program links to jobs in your area, or somewhere you will commute or move to.
- You cannot get enough grant money elsewhere, such as Pell Grants. WIOA funding fills that gap (20 CFR 680.230).
For adult funds, staff must give priority to people on public assistance, other low-income people, and people with low basic skills. Veterans get priority in all programs funded by the U.S. DOL (U.S. DOL, read October 31, 2026).
How an Individual Training Account works. It is not cash. It is a payment agreement with a school or trainer on your behalf. You pick a program from your state's approved provider list, with a career planner, after looking at how each one performs. Payments can go in stages (20 CFR 680.300).
The catches:
- States and local boards can cap the dollars and length of an account (20 CFR 680.310). Ask for your area's cap. If training costs more, you can add Pell Grants, scholarships or other money.
- Approval takes an assessment and career planning first (20 CFR 680.210), and money is limited. So do not quit a job or put a deposit on a school until you have approval in writing.
- The fiscal 2027 federal budget request would merge these grants into a new program (U.S. DOL Budget in Brief). That is a proposal, not law.
Before you enroll, compare pay after training with pay benchmarks. An employer-paid path may beat using training funds: see free CNA training, how to get a CDL and electrician apprenticeship.
Job Corps: open as of October 31, 2026, but its future is uncertain
Status. jobcorps.gov takes applications and lists more than 120 campuses (read October 31, 2026). On May 29, 2025, the U.S. DOL announced a pause at contractor-run centers. A federal court stayed it on July 25, 2025. In a settlement filed in court on August 10, 2026, DOL agreed to "fully and unconditionally rescind" the pause and its termination notices (Cabrera v. Department of Labor, D.D.C., No. 25-1909). Congress funded the program at $1.76 billion for fiscal 2026. The fiscal 2027 budget request would close it, but that is a proposal, not law (U.S. DOL Budget in Brief).
What it is. A free, mostly residential program for people 16 through 24. Students get training, a high school diploma or the equivalent if needed, housing, meals, basic health care and a living allowance (U.S. DOL and jobcorps.gov, read October 31, 2026).
Who qualifies. Generally low-income people 16 through 24 who are citizens, legal residents or authorized to work. You may not qualify if you use illegal drugs, have behavior problems, or have certain convictions or court supervision (jobcorps.gov).
The catch. You usually live on campus, away from home, and must follow center rules. Call 800-733-5627 and ask if your campus is enrolling before you give up housing or work.
SNAP Employment and Training
If you get SNAP, you may qualify for job search help, career planning, bus passes and gas cards, books and tools, uniforms, and child care in some states. Generally you must be getting SNAP, not getting TANF cash assistance, and able to work when you finish (USDA Food and Nutrition Administration, page updated October 23, 2026 and read October 31, 2026).
Programs differ by state. Some states require certain people to take part, and a notice will tell you. Do not ignore it, because your SNAP can depend on it. Good reasons not to attend include illness or no transportation. Ask your caseworker, or use the state map on the USDA page.
Vocational rehabilitation for people with disabilities
Each state runs a VR program that helps people with disabilities prepare for and keep work. You qualify if a physical or mental impairment is a substantial barrier to work and you need and can benefit from VR services (Rehabilitation Services Administration, read October 31, 2026). There are 78 agencies. 22 states run a separate one for people who are blind. Contact information is on the RSA list.
- Cost: federal rules require no means test, though a state may set one for some services. It cannot apply one to your eligibility assessment, counseling and guidance, referrals, or job-related services such as placement (34 CFR 361.54).
- The catch: if a state cannot serve everyone, people with the most significant disabilities go first, so you may wait (RSA).
Veterans
Veterans and eligible spouses get priority in U.S. DOL-funded job programs (20 CFR Part 1010). Every comprehensive American Job Center gives access to two kinds of staff (U.S. DOL TEGL 03-24, August 13, 2024):
- Disabled Veterans' Outreach Program (DVOP) specialists give one-on-one career help to those most in need. Center staff screen for who qualifies.
- Local Veterans' Employment Representatives (LVERs) work mainly with employers, to connect them with veterans who are looking for work.
So ask for a DVOP specialist, not an LVER. If you do not qualify, staff should refer you to other programs. More from the DOL Veterans' Employment and Training Service: find a job.
Free legal help
LawHelp.org lists free legal aid by state, plus guides and free forms (read October 31, 2026). The Legal Services Corporation funds 129 nonprofit legal aid groups, and its finder works by address (read October 31, 2026). Their work includes help for people returning to work with criminal records.
The catch: LSC-funded programs set income limits, which generally cannot exceed 125% of the poverty level, $19,950 for one person in the lower 48 states in 2026 (our arithmetic from 45 CFR 1611.3 and HHS). Ask early, because job claims have deadlines. An EEOC charge, for one, is due in 180 days in many cases (EEOC).
Do not pay for "job placement"
The FTC says honest placement firms "do not typically charge a fee" to job seekers, because the hiring company pays them. If a placement firm asks for a fee, especially in advance, the FTC says to walk away (FTC, updated August 13, 2026). In one FTC case, job seekers paid $1,200 to $2,500 up front for "recruiting" and got staged interviews (FTC, February 25, 2019).
What that fee costs you. At $17 an hour, $1,200 is about 71 hours of gross pay. $2,500 is about 147 hours. An American Job Center charges $0.
What the rules say. This page found no FTC rule that caps placement fees. The FTC does sue firms over fake recruiting claims, as in the 2019 case. Its Impersonation Rule makes it a violation to falsely pose as a government agency or a business, or to fake a tie to one (16 CFR 461.2 and 461.3). That covers a "recruiter" using a real company's name. Federal and postal job information and applications are always free (FTC).
If you already paid: contact your bank or payment company right away and ask to reverse it. Report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and to your state attorney general (FTC). See job scam warning signs and how to check if a job is real.
Current openings
When you are ready, browse warehouse jobs, retail jobs and healthcare jobs, or by city: Atlanta warehouse, Boston healthcare. Many centers hold hiring events. See also job fairs.
How to verify a listing
Every opening on JobPin links to its source posting. Open it, check the date, and confirm the job on the employer's own site. Call the employer on a number from its own website if you have doubts. Do not give your Social Security number or bank details before a written offer. More: how JobPin verifies listings.
How JobPin dates and sources listings: How JobPin verifies listings and events. Report a listing.