Jobs program targets low-income workers

JobBoost is targeted at workers eligible for Temporary Assistance to Needy Families. Participants will likely include people active in the state's WorkFirst program and recent graduates of the JobsNOW programs at North Carolina community colleges.

The state Division of Social Services is tapping into up to $4 million in federal TANF funds, which might be matched with $1.5 from a private foundation, Perdue said. The funds will be distributed to local departments of social services statewide.

JobBoost has targeted 34 counties with high unemployment rates and a large number of TANF-eligible people, she said.

"JobBoost helps in two ways," she said in a statement. "It gives workers valuable experience that helps them compete in the job market, and it puts a paycheck in their pockets and food on their families’ tables.”