WASHINGTON, DC – Acting U.S. Secretary of Labor Patrick Pizzella issued the following statement on the July 2019 Employment Situation report:

“July’s Employment Situation Report demonstrates the steady and consistent growth of the American economy. The July unemployment rate remained unchanged at 3.7%, marking the seventeenth straight month in which the unemployment rate is at or below 4%.

“Job creation in July remained strong with 164,000 jobs added, which totals 5.7 million jobs created since January 2017. Strong private-sector employment gains were led by the education and health services, professional and business services, and financial services industries.

“With a 3.2% year-over-year increase, wage growth has now been at or exceeded 3.0% for an entire year. America’s workers are taking home more money in their paychecks, which is great news for families and our economy.

“The African American unemployment rate in July remained at near-record lows, and the number of long-term unemployed individuals reached the lowest number since June 2007.

“With Labor Day a month away, we have not seen an unemployment rate this low on a Labor Day since 1969.

“The Administration’s policies, such as expanding apprenticeship and fair trade through USMCA, opens great opportunities for job creation.”

Editor's note: This release has been updated to correct a date appearing in the body of the text.

WASHINGTON, DC – In commemoration of the 60th anniversary of the landmark Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act of 1959 (LMRDA), the U.S. Department of Labor today announced that former U.S. Senator Robert Griffin and former National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) member Howard Jenkins, Jr. will be the newest inductees to the Department's Hall of Honor in this fall.

"Robert Griffin and Howard Jenkins, Jr.'s work on the LMRDA protects members of America's unions and holds union leaders accountable," Acting Secretary Pizzella said. "As we celebrate the 60th anniversary of the LMRDA, it's important to recognize two of the biggest contributors to this landmark piece of legislation."

Details regarding this fall's Hall of Honor ceremony will be announced in the coming weeks.

Robert Griffin

Robert Paul Griffin was born November 6, 1923, in Detroit, Michigan. The son of an auto factory foreman, Griffin spent his youth working on auto assembly lines. He served in the U.S. Army during World War II from 1943-1946 before graduating from Central Michigan University in 1947. He went on to earn his law degree from the University of Michigan in 1950. Griffin practiced law in Traverse City, Michigan until his election to the U.S. House of Representatives as the representative for Michigan's Ninth Congressional District in 1956.

During Griffin's time in the House, national concerns arose about union corruption and organized crime as the result of highly publicized hearings in the Senate's "McClellan Committee on Improper Activities in Labor and Management." The McClellan Committee's findings prompted a call for congressional action. Griffin worked across the aisle with a fellow member of the Education and Labor Committee, Representative Phil Landrum (GA). Legislation introduced by Griffin and Landrum gained widespread support on Capitol Hill and from the Eisenhower Administration. The Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act of 1959, also referred to as the Landrum-Griffin Act, was signed into law on September 14, 1959. This landmark legislation promotes democracy and combats corruption within unions through requirements such as annual public financial disclosures and periodic secret ballot elections.

Griffin served five terms in the House of Representatives prior to his appointment to a vacant U.S. Senate seat in 1966. He won reelection to the seat in 1972. From 1966 to 1968, Griffin sat on the Senate Committee on Labor and Public Welfare, the authorizing Committee of the LMRDA and the predecessor to the current Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions. From 1969-1977, Griffin served as the Senate Minority Whip. Following his time in the Senate, he returned to Traverse City to practice law until his election to the Michigan Supreme Court in 1986. He served on the Court until his retirement in 1994. He died in 2015 and was 91 years old.

Howard Jenkins, Jr.

Howard Jenkins, Jr. was born in Denver, Colorado in 1915. He attended the University of Denver for both undergraduate (1936) and law school (1941). During World War II, Jenkins worked for the Denver War Production Board before his appointment as the Regional Attorney for the National War Labor Board in 1943. In 1945, he became the Chief Regional Enforcement Officer at the National Wage Stabilization Board working under then-Chairman W. Willard Wirtz. From 1946-1956, Jenkins served on the faculty of Howard University's Law School, focusing on labor law and administrative law.

In 1956, Jenkins joined the Office of the Solicitor at the U.S. Department of Labor as a Special Assistant, assisting in drafting the Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act of 1959. Because of his involvement in the drafting of the landmark legislation, Jenkins was chosen as the Deputy Commissioner of the Office of Regulation at the Bureau of Labor Management Reports, and in 1962 was promoted to Assistant Commissioner of the Office of Regulation at the Bureau of Labor Management Reports, which oversaw compliance of the LMRDA.

President John F. Kennedy appointed Jenkins to the National Labor Relations Board in 1963. Jenkins, the first African American to serve as Board Member at the NLRB, was sworn in on August 28, 1963, the day after the civil rights march on Washington, D.C. Jenkins was later reappointed to the Board by Presidents Lyndon Johnson, Richard Nixon and Jimmy Carter, and served as a board member for 20 years. Among his most notable contributions to the development of our nation's labor law, Jenkins helped establish the board's policy of refusing to help labor organizations that practiced racial discrimination. He passed away in 2003 at the age of 87.

The mission of the U.S. Department of Labor is to foster, promote, and develop the welfare of the wage earners, job seekers, and retirees of the United States; improve working conditions; advance opportunities for profitable employment; and assure work-related benefits and rights.

WASHINGTON, DC – Acting U.S. Secretary of Labor Patrick Pizzella joined President Donald J. Trump, members of the Cabinet and senior officials at a White House event today recognizing the first anniversary of the Administration’s Pledge to America’s Workers.

“The nation’s economy is strongest when America invests in its workforce,” Acting Secretary Pizzella said. “With the number of job openings exceeding the number of job seekers for fourteen straight months, America’s workforce has access to unprecedented career opportunities. This Administration is committed to opening up free markets to continue the strong economic growth that leads to family-sustaining careers.”

Last July, the Trump Administration launched the Pledge to America’s Workers, an initiative that called on job creators and trade organizations to commit to educate, train, and reskill America’s workforce. In the past year, more than 300 companies and organizations have signed the Pledge to create nearly 12 million new opportunities for education and skills training for workers, including apprenticeships, on-the-job training, and continuing education.

The mission of the Department of Labor is to foster, promote, and develop the welfare of the wage earners, job seekers, and retirees of the United States; improve working conditions; advance opportunities for profitable employment; and assure work-related benefits and rights. The Department administers and enforces more than 180 federal laws. These mandates and the regulations that implement them cover many workplace activities for about 10 million employers and 125 million workers.

WASHINGTON, DC – Acting U.S. Secretary of Labor Patrick Pizzella today swore in John P. Pallasch as the Assistant Secretary for the Employment and Training Administration (ETA) during a ceremony at the Frances Perkins Building.

Assistant Secretary Pallasch recently served as the Executive Director of the Kentucky Department of Labor's Office of Employment and Training. During his previous tenure at the U.S. Department of Labor, he served as a Special Assistant to the Assistant Secretary of Labor for Administration and Management as well as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Mine Safety and Health. In the latter role, Pallasch supervised more than 330 staff and had responsibility for a budget of more than $332 million.

Pallasch earned a Bachelor of Science degree in sociology and criminology from the Ohio State University, and a Juris Doctor and certificate in alternative dispute resolution from Pepperdine University School of Law.

"John Pallasch is a successful leader with workforce development experience at the federal and state levels," Acting Secretary Pizzella said. "I look forward to working with John as the Employment and Training Administration helps Americans get on a path to good, family-sustaining careers."

The Department's ETA administers federal government job training and worker dislocation programs, federal grants to states for public employment service programs, and unemployment insurance benefits. ETA provides these services generally through state and local workforce development systems.

WASHINGTON, DC — The U.S. Department of Labor announced the following personnel changes effective today, July 22, 2019.

Tim Taylor has been named Chief of Staff. Mr. Taylor joined the Department in 2018, serving first as Senior Counsel and Policy Advisor and then as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy. Mr. Taylor has also served as General Counsel in the White House's Office of National Drug Policy. Mr. Taylor previously worked at Holland & Knight LLP and served as a law clerk to the Honorable Harris Hartz of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit and the Honorable Charles Lettow of the U.S. Court of Federal Claims. Mr. Taylor received his undergraduate degree from Brigham Young University and his J.D. from Harvard Law School.

"Tim has a strong legal mind and a deep knowledge of the Department's regulatory priorities," said Acting U.S. Secretary of Labor Patrick Pizzella.

Catherine A. Bartley has been named Deputy Chief of Staff. Ms. Bartley served as the Director of Operations for the Department's Office of the Deputy Secretary. Prior to joining the Department in April 2018, Ms. Bartley served as the Director of Operations and a Legislative Assistant in the Office of Chairman Phil Roe, M.D. Ms. Bartley received her undergraduate degree from the University of Tennessee.

The Department also announced — effective today — that Joseph N. Mazzara is the Acting Executive Secretary in the Office of the Executive Secretariat, filling a position that has been vacant since January.

Mr. Mazzara served as Military Defense Counsel for the U.S. Marine Corps. He also served as a law clerk in the Counsel to the Commandant's Office as well as the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee. He received his undergraduate degree from Christendom College in Front Royal, Virginia, and his J.D. from the Antonin Scalia Law School at George Mason University.

Molly Conway will continue to help with the transition from the Employment and Training Administration, where she serves as Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary. Alison Kilmartin will return to a senior position in the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Policy.

The mission of the Department of Labor is to foster, promote, and develop the welfare of the wage earners, job seekers, and retirees of the United States; improve working conditions; advance opportunities for profitable employment; and assure work-related benefits and rights.

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) urges response crews and residents in areas affected by Hurricane Barry to be aware of hazards created by flooding, power loss, structural damage, fallen trees, and storm debris.

Recovery efforts after the storm may involve hazards related to restoring electricity and communications, removing debris, repairing water damage, repairing or replacing roofs, and trimming trees. Only individuals with proper training, equipment, and experience should conduct recovery and cleanup activities.

Protective measures after a weather disaster should include:

• Evaluating the work area for hazards;
• Assessing the stability of structures and walking surfaces;
• Ensuring fall protection when working on elevated surfaces;
• Assuming all power lines are live;
• Operating chainsaws, portable generators, ladders, and other equipment properly; and
• Using personal protective equipment, such as gloves, hard hats, hearing, foot, and eye protection.

"The risk of injuries, illnesses, and fatalities during storm cleanup can be minimized with knowledge, safe work practices, and appropriate personal protective equipment," said Amanda Edens, director of OSHA's Directorate of Technical Support and Emergency Management.

OSHA maintains a comprehensive website with safety tips to help employers and workers, including an alert on keeping workers safe during flood cleanup. Individuals involved in response and recovery efforts may call OSHA's toll-free hotline at 800-321-OSHA (6742) or the Baton Rouge Area Office at 225-298-5458.     

Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, employers are responsible for providing safe and healthful workplaces for their employees. OSHA's role is to help ensure these conditions for America's working men and women by setting and enforcing standards, and providing training, education and assistance. For more information, visit http://www.osha.gov.

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, the U.S. Department of Labor announced that the 27th Secretary of Labor, R. Alexander Acosta, submitted his resignation to President Donald J. Trump, effective Friday, July 19, 2019.

Secretary Acosta's resignation letter is attached.

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Secretary of Labor Alexander Acosta issued the following statement on the June 2019 Employment Situation report:

“The June jobs report surpassed expectations adding 224,000 jobs to the economy, totaling 5.6 million jobs created since January 2017.  

“This report included other good news as wages increased at or above 3% year over year for 11 straight months.  Wage growth for production and non-supervisory workers increased 3.4% over the past 12 months.

“The unemployment rate ticked up to 3.7% in June, as 335,000 individuals entered the labor force exceeding the population growth by 158,000. The unemployment rate has remained at or below 4% for 16 months in a row. The Asian-American unemployment rate set a new series low at 2.1%.

“We continue to look for increasing investment into America’s workforce through the Pledge to America’s Workers, USMCA, and apprenticeship expansion.”

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Secretary of Labor Alexander Acosta today issued the following statement regarding the May 2019 Employment Situation report:

"May's job report added 75,000 jobs. We seek to continue job growth by opening more opportunities through policies like USMCA moving forward.

"For 15 months in a row, the unemployment rate has been at or below 4.0% as May's unemployment rate remained at 3.6%, the lowest rate since 1969. Hispanic-Americans and Americans with disabilities maintained their series low unemployment rates at 4.2% and 6.3%, respectfully.

"At 3.1%, wage growth continued a 10-month streak of being at or above 3.0%, which remains encouraging."

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Secretary of Labor Alexander Acosta issued the following statement today regarding Memorial Day:

“On Memorial Day, Americans pause to honor and remember the courage, dedication, and patriotism of those who gave their lives to defend our nation in their service. We are eternally grateful for their ultimate sacrifice. Because of their courageous actions in battle, we are blessed with cherished freedoms that will forever be passed on from generation to generation.”