Labor Dept.

February 11, 2009 -- WASHINGTON, DC - SEIU President Andy Stern issued the following statement on the importance of today's vote by the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee on Representative Hilda Solis' nomination as U.S. Secretary of Labor.

Before the vote, SEIU, UFW, UFCW, Change to Win and the Courage Campaign delivered nearly 20,000 petitions to Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Chairman Senator Kennedy and Ranking Member Senator Enzi in support of Congresswoman Hilda Solis' immediate approval as Secretary of Labor.    » read more »

Seasonally Adjusted Data

February 5, 2009 -- In the week ending Jan. 31, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 626,000, an increase of 35,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 591,000. The 4-week moving average was 582,250, an increase of 39,000 from the previous week's revised average of 543,250.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 3.6 percent for the week ending Jan. 24, unchanged from the prior week's unrevised rate of 3.6 percent.    » read more »

February 05, 2009 -- During these difficult economic times – when hundreds of thousands of people are losing their jobs each week – it is crucial that the American people have a strong and dynamic Department of Labor. We have confidence that Congresswoman Hilda Solis is the right person to lead that charge, and we hope a committee vote can be rescheduled soon.    » read more »

SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA

In the week ending Jan. 17, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 589,000, an increase of 62,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 527,000. The 4-week moving average was 519,250, unchanged from the previous week's revised average of 519,250.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 3.4 percent for the week ending Jan. 10, unchanged from the prior week's unrevised rate of 3.4 percent.

The advance number for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment during the week ending Jan. 10 was 4,607,000, an increase of 97,000 from the preceding week's revised level of 4,510,000. The 4-week moving average was 4,559,750, an increase of 58,750 from the preceding week's revised average of 4,501,000.    » read more »

SAN FRANCISCO, 07/17/2008 — The U.S. Department of Labor has sued a purported employer association, a health fund trustee, and the fund's consultant over alleged imprudent management of the Manufacturing and Industrial Workers Benefit Fund (MIWU) of Bryan, Texas. The defendants' actions allegedly resulted in more than $3.4 million in unpaid health claims affecting participants in Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Texas and other states.    » read more »

Members of Senate Labor Panel Question Labor Secretary Chao Today

May 7, 2008 -- Washington, DC – U.S. Senators Tom Harkin (D-IA), Edward M. Kennedy (D-MA), and Patty Murray (D-WA) today revealed the findings of a Government Accountability Office (GAO) report they commissioned which showed that after seven years of providing nearly $300 million in earmarks, the Department of Labor (DoL) did not properly monitor funded activities, to assess whether the grant objectives were being met or properly evaluate them to determine whether the funded activities were effective.    » read more »

03/28/2008, DES MOINES, Iowa — In a ceremony today at the Des Moines Botanical Center, Scott Shortenhaus, deputy director of the U.S. Department of Labor's Center for Faith-Based and Community Initiatives (CFBCI), honored Spectrum Resources as a Champion of Compassion Award winner.

"The difference Spectrum Resources makes in Des Moines shows what can happen when government partners with effective faith-based and community organizations to serve our neighbors in need," said Shortenhaus. "The commitment and the caring touch of organizations such as Spectrum Resources can make that critical difference between repeated struggles and new beginnings for ex-prisoners and others in need. They are the vital heart of the faith-based and community initiative."    » read more »

Convictions up 20 percent, indictments 39 percent over fiscal year 2007

WASHINGTON, 03/14/2008 — The U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Labor-Management Standards (OLMS) today announced its criminal enforcement data for February 2008. During the month, OLMS obtained eight convictions, 11 indictments and court orders of restitution totaling $185,318. The office's totals for fiscal year 2008 (which began on Oct. 1, 2007) now stand at 49 convictions, 57 indictments, and court-ordered restitution of $1,251,798. The bulk of the cases involved the embezzlement of union funds.    » read more »

02/21/2008, WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor today announced a $250,000 Regional Innovation Grant to the state of Iowa to assist the Cedar Valley region in expanding its economic development efforts in the wake of long-term downsizing at Deere & Co. The funding will be used to develop strategies that incorporate the region's assets and create economic advantages that attract employers and competitive employment opportunities for workers.    » read more »

Project will assist 17-county region of both states

02/21/2008, WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor today announced a $250,000 Regional Innovation Grant to Minnesota to align economic development resources and establish structured economic strategies that create common goals for the 17-county region of northeast Minnesota and northwest Wisconsin.    » read more »

Quad States project will focus on transportation and logistics sector

02/21/2008, WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor today announced a $250,000 Regional Innovation Grant to Missouri to establish talent development strategies in the Quad States region, which includes southwest Missouri, northwest Arkansas, southeast Kansas and northeast Oklahoma.    » read more »

02/21/2008, WASHINGTON — Noting her continuing commitment to providing young people in Florida with the education and training needed to compete in the 21st century workforce, U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao today took part in the ceremonial groundbreaking at the site of the new Pinellas County Job Corps Center in St. Petersburg, Fla.    » read more »

02/21/2008, WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor today announced that it has paid more than $1 billion to 8,926 individuals under Part E of the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act (EEOICPA). Part E of the act was created as an amendment to the EEOICPA in October 2004 to alleviate the delay claimants were experiencing under the old Part D program administered by the U.S. Department of Energy. The Labor Department was charged with implementation of Part E.    » read more »

02/21/2008, WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor today released a new online resource that makes it easier for Americans to prepare for a financially secure retirement. A series of interactive worksheets were developed as a companion to a 2006 publication entitled "Taking the Mystery Out of Retirement Planning." Using the worksheets, individuals who are 10 to 15 years from retirement can calculate their income and savings as well as their projected expenses in retirement.    » read more »