The 251 summer youth workers employed through the Jefferson County Community Action Council are expected to return to work.

The youth workers were laid off Tuesday with CAC officials blaming the Ohio budget stalemate.

Mike McGlumphy, director of the CAC Workforce Investment Act and One Stop Program, said his office received word early Wednesday that the funds were available for the summer youth program.

McGlumphy said his office normally hires 100 summer youth employees, "but the federal stimulus dollars through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act allowed us to hire an additional 152 youth workers this year."

"It was a shame when we had to lay them off Tuesday because this has been an exceptional group of young people," McGlumphy said.

Steubenville 1st Ward Councilman Gerald DiLoreto had arranged for 12 youth workers to spend their summer cutting grass and weeds in the city's vacant lots.

"I was very disappointed because these kids were doing a very good job," said DiLoreto.