DES MOINES - U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis was in Iowa Wednesday to announce nearly $1 million in federal grants to assist workers laid off from jobs in Spencer and West Union.

The money headed to Iowa Workforce Development comes in the form of National Emergency Grants from the U.S. Department of Labor.

The money will be used to provide employment-related services such as skills assessments, career counseling or training for those workers.

"We want to assist them through these tough times and help them to find new jobs moving forward," Solis said in a statement.

Nearly $336,000 will go to help approximately 125 workers affected by the closure of Atwood Mobile Products' facility in West Union. Workers there were notified in February the facility would close in April.

Just over $664,000 will go to provide employment-related services for those laid off when RR Donnelley in Spencer closed.