WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration today announced a proposed rule designed to improve the integrity and accountability of the Federal-State Unemployment Insurance Program by establishing a national minimum weekly work search standard for individuals claiming unemployment insurance benefits. 

WASHINGTON – The United States today announced the successful resolution of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) facility-specific Rapid Response Labor Mechanism (RRM) matter regarding the Alimentos Grole, S.A. de C.V. (Alimentos Grole or the company) facility in Ciudad Obregón, Sonora, Mexico, where workers alleged they were previously denied their freedom of association and collective bargaining rights. 

WASHINGTON – Secretary of Labor Keith Sonderling issued the following statement regarding the October 2026 Employment Situation Report:

“The American labor market is the strongest it has been in more than half a century, and President Trump’s leadership continues to drive job growth in the United States as the unemployment rate dropped to 4.1% and we added 165,000 new jobs. Since the President took office, we have surpassed 1.25 million new private sector jobs and doubled the monthly breakeven rate.

In the week ending October 31, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 189,000, a decrease of 6,000 from the previous week's revised level. The previous week's level was revised up by 1,000 from 194,000 to 195,000. The 4-week moving average was 194,750, a decrease of 2,250 from the previous week's revised average. The previous week's average was revised up by 250 from 196,750 to 197,000.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor announced today that Registered Apprenticeship sponsors can begin applying for direct payments of up to $6,000 per apprentice through the Pay-for-Performance Incentive Payments Program.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Employee Benefits Security Administration today finalized a landmark rule that will require pharmacy benefit managers and their affiliated brokers and consultants to disclose their fees and compensation to large employers’ self-insured group health plans. 

In the week ending October 24, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 194,000, a decrease of 1,000 from the previous week's revised level. The previous week's level was revised up by 1,000 from 194,000 to 195,000. The 4-week moving average was 196,750, a decrease of 1,250 from the previous week's revised average. The previous week's average was revised up by 250 from 197,750 to 198,000.

INDIANAPOLIS – The U.S. Department of Labor has recovered $603,953 in back wages for 829 workers after an investigation found an Indianapolis-area vehicle parts manufacturer failed to properly calculate overtime wages.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Mine Safety and Health Administration announced today that none of the nation’s 12,000 mining operations met the criteria for a pattern of violations notice, one of the agency’s toughest enforcement tools.

CHICAGO – Following a complaint filed by the U.S. Department of Labor, a defunct Chicago law firm’s retirement plan distributed $6,498,858 in retirement plan assets to 40 employees. The plan’s fiduciaries failed to properly terminate the plan and disburse those funds as required by law.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced the award of $250,000 in Brookwood-Sago grant funding to two organizations to support education and training initiatives that will help identify and prevent unsafe working conditions in and around the nation’s mines.

WASHINGTON – The United States today announced the successful resolution of the USMCA Rapid Response Labor Mechanism (RRM) matter at the Amphenol Optimize México, S.A.

VOORHEES, NJ – The U.S. Department of Labor has obtained a consent judgment and final order in federal district court requiring a New Jersey drywall installer to pay $725,000 in back wages, damages, and civil money penalties after denying 48 workers overtime pay.

In the week ending October 17, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 194,000, a decrease of 6,000 from the previous week's revised level. The previous week's level was revised up by 1,000 from 199,000 to 200,000. The 4-week moving average was 197,750, a decrease of 1,000 from the previous week's revised average. The previous week's average was revised up by 250 from 198,500 to 198,750.

CHICAGO – The U.S. Department of Labor has cited a Frankfort-based utility construction company for repeatedly exposing employees to excavation safety hazards after federal investigators observed employees working in an unprotected trench.

The department’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration initiated an investigation of Always Underground LLC as part of its National Emphasis Program on Trenching after witnessing employees working in an unprotected trench deeper than eight feet.

WASHINGTON – The departments of Labor and Health and Human Services announced that representatives from several large employers with self-insured health plans signed a statement of support for the expansion of electronic prior authorization reform to the self-insured markets. 

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division today announced the issuance of a new field assistance bulletin addressing the treatment of related duties performed by tipped employees under the Fair Labor Standards Act. Field Assistance Bulletin No.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced the award of $95.5 million in funding to support the creation of innovative models of training and employment services that connect workers affected by layoffs to high-growth industries.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor announced today that its Mine Safety and Health Administration has awarded more than $10.5 million in grants to reduce mining accidents, injuries, and illnesses by supporting training and education programs.

LOS ANGELES – The U.S. Department of Labor has obtained a consent judgment requiring a home appliance company to pay $800,000 in back wages and damages to 339 employees after an investigation found the company violated federal wage laws.