Trade Adjustment Assistance Amendments of 1981

Trade Adjustment Assistance Amendments of 1981 - Amends the Trade Act of 1974 to change the "substantial cause" standard for trade adjustment assistance for workers to a "contributed importantly to" standard for trade adjustment assistance for workers.

Requires the Secretary of Labor to approve job training assistance for workers adversely affected by imports (currently the Secretary is authorized to approve such training).

Makes eligible for trade adjustment assistance employees of firms that supply essential parts or services to firms that have been adversely affected by increases in imports.

Treats as weeks of employment for purposes of worker qualification for trade adjustment assistance those weeks in which a worker does not work but with respect to which the worker is subsequently awarded backpay. Changes the limitation on the number of weeks of workers' compensation that qualify as weeks of employment for trade adjustment assistance purposes.

Amends the Federal-State Extended Unemployment Compensation Act of 1970 to change the "suitable work" standard for workers who would be eligible for a trade readjustment allowance but for the fact that the worker is eligible for extended compensation under the Federal-State Act. Requires suitable work for such workers to mean: (1) work at an equal or higher skill level than the worker's past employment; and (2) wages equal to at least 80 percent of the workers' most recent average weekly wage.