WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Veterans’ Employment and Training Service (VETS) announced it is accepting public comments on the criteria for the HIRE Vets Medallion Program. A Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) was published in the Federal Register today. The Medallion will recognize employers who recruit, employ, and retain veterans. The Department is establishing the program under the Honoring Investments in Recruiting and Employing

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Labor announced $80 million in grants will be awarded to YouthBuild, a pre-apprenticeship program for at-risk individuals ages 16-to-24. “There are pathways to successful careers outside of traditional education models,” said U.S. Secretary of Labor Alexander Acosta. “There are 6.2 million open jobs in the U.S., including 228,000 in construction, and 388,000 in manufacturing. By partnering with local community colleges and nonprofits, we can empower America’s young people with the skills to succeed in the good-payi

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Labor will hold informational meetings in New Mexico and Utah for former and current workers in the uranium industry and their survivors. Federal representatives will be on-hand to provide information about the medical benefits available under the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act (EEOICPA). The EEOICPA provides compensation and medical benefits to employees whose work in the nuclear weapons and uranium mining indu

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Labor will hold informational meetings in Arizona for current and former nuclear weapons workers, or their survivors, on the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act (EEOICPA). The Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (RECA), administered by the U.S. Department of Justice, will also be discussed. Staff from the Department’s Division of Energy Employees Occupational I

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) is soliciting nominations to fill five, three-year vacancies on the Advisory Council on Employee Welfare and Pension Benefit Plans, also known as the ERISA Advisory Council. The deadline to submit nominations is Aug. 31. The 15-member council provides advice on policies and regulations affecting employee benefit plans governed by the 

In the week ending August 12, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 232,000, a decrease of 12,000 from the previous week's unrevised level of 244,000. The 4-week moving average was 240,500, a decrease of 500 from the previous week's unrevised average of 241,000.

NEW YORK, NY – A New York paperboard mill faces $357,445 in proposed penalties for exposing workers to 61 safety and health hazards. The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) in Syracuse opened an inspection of Carthage Specialty Paperboard Inc., on Dec. 27, 2016, in response to a complaint alleging unsafe working conditions. Inspectors discovered employees exposed to serious safety hazards, including more than 20 instances of machinery lacking safety guards to preven

NEW YORK, NY – The U.S. Department of Labor has reached an agreement with the owner of a Manhattan laser surgery center to pay $5 million to its Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) to resolve violations of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA). The agreement was entered in a consent judgment by the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. The action follows an investigation by the New York office of the Department’s

BOSTON, MA – A Massachusetts behavioral health facility faces $207,690 in proposed penalties from the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) for violations found while conducting a follow-up inspection. On June 29, 2017, OSHA issued UHS of Westwood Pembroke, Inc. – doing business as Lowell Treatment Center – a notification of failure to abate

NEW YORK, NY – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs has entered into a consent decree with B&H Foto & Electronics Corp. to resolve allegations of systemic hiring, compensation, and promotion discrimination, as well as harassment, at the company’s Brooklyn Navy Yard warehouse. The decree settles allegations that B&H Foto discriminated against female as well as black and Asian job seekers by hiring only Hispanic men

ATLANTA, GA – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division is conducting a statewide survey of wages paid to workers in Alabama on all active highway construction projects to establish prevailing wage rates required under the Davis-Bacon and Related Acts. The agency is seeking data from employers on wages paid to highway construction workers throughout the state from Aug. 1, 2016, to Jan. 31, 2017. This survey is not limited to federally funded c

BEDMINSTER, NJ –Today, U.S. Secretary of Labor Alexander Acosta delivered remarks following his meeting with President Donald J. Trump on the optimistic outlook of the American workforce. They specifically discussed the Department of Labor’s progress implementing his Executive Order on Apprenticeships. Excerpts from his remarks are below: It’s a pleasure to be here to update President Trump on the optimistic outlook of the American workforce. Today, we specifically discussed our progress implementing his Executive Order on A

BILLINGS, MT – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE), Big Sky Chapter, are renewing an alliance to provide safety professionals in Montana with training resources. The five-year renewal will serve to protect the safety and health of workers, and to help safety professional understand the rights of workers and the responsibilities of employers under the Occupational Safety and Health Act.

In the week ending August 5, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 244,000, an increase of 3,000 from the previous week's revised level. The previous week's level was revised up by 1,000 from 240,000 to 241,000. The 4-week moving average was 241,000, a decrease of 1,000 from the previous week's revised average. The previous week's average was revised up by 250 from 241,750 to 242,000. Read the full release.

ST. AUGUSTINE, FL – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration  (OSHA) has again cited a North Florida roofing contractor for failing to protect its workers from the risks of dangerous falls and other hazards at two St. Augustine work sites. On Feb. 3, 2017, an OSHA inspector observed employees – without the use of proper fall protection – removing shingles and plywood sheeting from the roof of a multi-story re

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Labor announced nearly $1.3 million is available to help more women access quality apprenticeship programs and pursue careers in advanced manufacturing, energy, healthcare, information technology, and transportation, among other industries. “Women are nearly half of the American workforce, yet make up a fraction of professionals in STEM careers,” said U.S. Secretary of Labor Alexander Acosta. “This administration is committed to increasing women’s participation in STEM by expanding the number of quality apprentices

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) is announcing immediate action to address a longstanding issue by implementing an action plan for employees who do not meet the Agency’s medical standards. Some employees have not met medical standards for several years. MSHA inspectors and technical personnel are required to have periodic medical examinations and meet U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) -approved medical standards as a condit

WASHINGTON – U.S. Secretary of Labor Alexander Acosta issued the following statement on the July 2017 Employment Situation report: “July’s unemployment rate dropped to 4.3 percent from the previous month’s level of 4.4 percent. The unemployment rate matches its May 2017 rate, which is the lowest since May 2001. The unemployment rate has dropped 0.5 percentage point since President Trump took office. Non-farm payroll employment rose by 209,000 jobs. More than one million jobs have been created since January. Multiple economic sectors showed job growth since

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. –Today, U.S. Secretary of Labor Alexander Acosta encouraged state officials to partner together to reduce excessive licensing. Excerpts from his remarks, as delivered, at the Western Governors' Association Workforce Development Workshop, are below: …I would like to ask for your leadership to reduce excessive licensing. *** Today, more than 1,100 careers are licensed in at least one state. More than 1 in 4 American workers now need a license to work in t

In the week ending July 29, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 240,000, a decrease of 5,000 from the previous week's revised level. The previous week's level was revised up by 1,000 from 244,000 to 245,000. The 4-week moving average was 241,750, a decrease of 2,500 from the previous week's revised average. The previous week's average was revised up by 250 from 244,000 to 244,250.