DUBAI / NEW YORK, February 11, 2026 — A new research study published today by AIReplacedMyJob.com reveals a dramatic awareness gap in worker retraining funding: 73% of workers displaced by AI automation are unaware that government programs exist to pay for their retraining.
The study, based on a survey of 2,400 recently displaced workers across 38 states, found that only 27% of respondents had heard of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), despite the program offering up to $15,000 in retraining funds for qualifying displaced workers. Even fewer — 14% — were aware of Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) programs covering workers in industries impacted by automation and trade.
"We are seeing billions of dollars in available retraining funds going unclaimed while workers spend savings on bootcamps and certification courses they could have attended for free," said the AIReplacedMyJob.com research team. "This is a systemic failure of information distribution, not a funding failure."
Key findings from the report:
- —73% of displaced workers had never heard of WIOA or TAA at the time of layoff
- —The average displaced worker exhausted $7,200 in personal savings on retraining before discovering government options
- —Workers who accessed WIOA funding completed retraining 2.3x faster than those who self-funded
- —Only 31% of American Job Centers proactively reached out to recently laid-off workers in their region
The report comes amid record tech sector layoffs, with major technology companies shedding a combined 180,000+ positions in the first quarter of 2026 alone.
AIReplacedMyJob.com's free WIOA Eligibility Checker tool — available at aireplacedmyjob.com/wioa-eligibility — has been used by more than 40,000 workers since its launch in late 2025.
The full research report is available for download at aireplacedmyjob.com/press/data.