June 14, 2024

Department of Labor urges Florida recovery workers, public to guard themselves against hazards amid flood cleanup

MIAMI – The U.S. Department of Labor reminds emergency responders and others working in rescue and recovery efforts as well as residents in areas flooded recently by intense rainfall to be vigilant and to protect themselves and avoid many hazards in a storm’s aftermath.

June 13, 2024

Unemployment Insurance Weekly Claims Report

In the week ending June 8, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 242,000, an increase of 13,000 from the previous week's unrevised level of 229,000. The 4-week moving average was 227,000, an increase of 4,750 from the previous week's unrevised average of 222,250.

June 12, 2024

US Department of Labor reaches settlement with Lincoln National Life Insurance Co. to reform its evidence of insurability practices

RADNOR, PA ‒ The U.S. Department of Labor announced a settlement with the Lincoln National Life Insurance Co. that requires the company to change its evidence of insurability requirement – commonly known as proof of good health –for participants in job-based life insurance plans.

June 12, 2024

Juez federal ordena a contratista de construcción pagar $288K a 43 trabajadores de México y $63K en multas por violaciones al programa H-2A

SAN JACINTO, CA – Un juez federal reafirmó la conclusión del Departamento de Trabajo de EE.UU. de que una empresa constructora de Nebraska que operaba en el sur de California discriminó descarada y deliberadamente a trabajadores estadounidenses al traer a EE.UU. trabajadores mexicanos con falsos pretextos, a los que pagó de menos y puso su seguridad y salud en riesgo en condiciones de alojamiento deficientes.  

June 12, 2024

Federal judge orders construction contractor to pay $288K to 43 workers from Mexico and $63K in penalties for H-2A program violations

SAN JACINTO, CA – A federal judge has reaffirmed the U.S. Department of Labor’s finding that a Nebraska construction company operating in Southern California blatantly and willfully discriminated against U.S. workers by bringing Mexican workers to the U.S. under false pretenses, shortchanging their wages and putting their safety and health at risk in substandard living conditions. 

June 12, 2024

Illinois contractor exposes employees to deadly fall hazards twice in 2 months at homes under construction in Hanover Park subdivision

HANOVER PARK, IL – Federal workplace safety inspectors found an Illinois construction contractor — cited seven times since 2020 — again exposing employees doing framing work to the risk of deadly falls from elevation at two homes under construction in Hanover Park in December 2023 and February 2024. 

June 11, 2024

Department of Labor files complaint amid alleged wage violations by IHOP franchise operator of O’Fallon, Alton, Illinois locations

EAST ST. LOUIS, IL – The U.S. Department of Labor has filed a complaint in federal court against two Illinois restaurants — operating as IHOP franchises in O’Fallon and Alton — and their owner after its investigation identified numerous violations, including management telling servers to surrender their tips to a shared tip pool when, in fact, the owner was keeping the tips for the restaurant or sharing them with back-of-the-house employees not eligible to participate in a mandatory tip pool. 

June 11, 2024

US Department of Labor reaches settlement with Unum Life Insurance Co. to reform company practices on evidence of insurability

BOSTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced a settlement with Unum Life Insurance Co. of America that requires the Portland, Maine-based insurer to change how it administers its proof of good health requirement — referred to as evidence of insurability — for participants in job-based life insurance plans.  

June 11, 2024

Department of Labor obtains court order requiring Asmussen Racing Stables, leading thoroughbred trainer, to pay workers $486K in back wages, damages

LOUISVILLE, KY – The U.S. Department of Labor has obtained a court order requiring one of the nation’s most successful thoroughbred horse trainers to pay $243,260 in back wages and an equal amount in liquidated damages after its investigation found the employer’s illegal pay practices denied 163 grooms and hotwalkers at Churchill Downs and at Keeneland racetrack in Lexington of overtime wages.

June 10, 2024

Department of Labor recovers $253K for 19 restaurant workers whose Albuquerque employer withheld tips, wages at two franchise locations

Employers name:            X.M. Investment LLC, Beemer Investments LLC, both operating as Crackin’ Crab

Investigation sites:        4959 Pan American Freeway NE, Suite C, Albuquerque, NM 87114

                                                  2100 Louisiana Blvd. NE, Suite 413, Albuquerque, NM 87114

June 10, 2024

Department of Labor investigation, litigation recovers $120K in back wages, damages for 29 Long Island landscaping, sprinkler installation workers

Date of action:                       May 20, 2024

 Type of action:                      Consent Judgment  

June 7, 2024

Statement by Acting Secretary of Labor Su on May jobs report

WASHINGTON – The Acting Secretary of Labor Julie Su issued the following statement on the May 2024 Employment Situation report:  

“Today, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the American economy added 272,000 jobs in May, and the jobless rate was little changed at 4.0 percent. The rate of unemployment has been at or below 4 percent for the past 30 months, the longest stretch since 1970. These strong labor market indicators continue to point to strong, stable growth in the U.S. economy. 

June 6, 2024

ICYMI: Acting Secretary Su discusses record low Black unemployment, other workplace matters during interview with TheGrio’s April Ryan

WASHINGTON – Acting Secretary Julie Su appeared on TheGrio’s “The Hill with April Ryan” recently discussed how the Biden-Harris administration’s efforts helped produce record low employment among Black Americans as reflected in the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ April 2024 Employment Situation Report.  

June 6, 2024

El Departamento de Trabajo recupera $157 mil en sueldos adeudados, daños, perjuicios para 46 trabajadores en el Valle del Rio Grande

Nombre del empleador:             LJ2 Investments LLC, que opera como Jasso Express

Sitios de investigación:               805 E. Ferguson Ave.

June 6, 2024

Department of Labor recovers $157K in owed wages, damages for 46 food service workers denied overtime in Rio Grande Valley

Employer name:                 LJ2 Investments LLC, operating as Jasso Express

Investigation site:             805 E. Ferguson Ave.

                                                     Pharr, TX 78577

June 6, 2024

Federal contractor Deere & Co. resolves alleged hiring discrimination, pays $1.1M in back wages, interest to affected Black, Hispanic jobseekers

MOLINE, IL – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs has entered into a conciliation agreement with Deere & Co. to resolve alleged systemic hiring discrimination affecting Black and Hispanic applicants at three of the global agricultural, construction and forestry equipment manufacturer’s production facilities in Illinois and Iowa.

June 6, 2024

Unemployment Insurance Weekly Claims Report

In the week ending June 1, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 229,000, an increase of 8,000 from the previous week's revised level. The previous week's level was revised up by 2,000 from 219,000 to 221,000. The 4-week moving average was 222,250, a decrease of 750 from the previous week's revised average. The previous week's average was revised up by 500 from 222,500 to 223,000.

June 5, 2024

Department of Labor cites Long Branch contractor for 32 violations in 4-month span for willfully exposing employees to deadly fall hazards

LONG BRANCH, NJ – A Long Branch construction contractor with a history of ignoring federal fall safety standards has again been found exposing employees to potentially deadly fall hazards in eight work site inspections from November 2023 to March 2024.

June 5, 2024

US Department of Labor announces 2024 Iqbal Masih Award winners; recipients in Egypt, Ghana lauded for contributions to end child labor

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced the recipients of the 2024 Iqbal Masih Award for the Elimination of Child Labor, presented annually to recognize exceptional efforts by an individual, company, organization or national government to end the worst forms of child labor.

The recipients are an Egyptian civil society organization, Wadi El Nil Association and a leading trade unionist in Ghana, Andrews Addoquaye Tagoe.