SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA In the week ending April 10, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 484,000, an increase of 24,000 from the previous week's unrevised figure of 460,000. The 4-week moving average was 457,750, an increase of 7,500 from the previous week's unrevised average of 450,250.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 3.6 percent for the week ending April 3, an increase of 0.1 percentage point from the prior week's unrevised rate of 3.5 percent.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced a $465,204 grant to assist about 79 workers affected by layoffs at the Weyerhaeuser Co.'s Warrenton Sawmill in Warrenton, Ore.

WASHINGTON – Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis issued the following statement regarding her meeting today with President Obama on the West Virginia mine disaster:

"Over the past week, I have spent time with the families of the mine workers who were killed at the Upper Big Branch mine.

"The miners who perished were husbands, fathers, sons, brothers, uncles, nephews or a friend to someone.

Alliance renewed during national Latino worker safety and health summit in Houston

HOUSTON In an effort to continue to improve workplace safety and health for area Latino workers, the U.S. Department of Labor s Occupational Safety and Health Administration renewed its alliance with the Wind of the Spirit Immigrant Resource Center in Morristown, N.J., today at the National Action Summit for Latino Worker Health and Safety in Houston.

HOUSTON – Each year, thousands of workers in the U.S. are injured or killed on the job as a result of preventable incidents, and Latino workers are killed and suffer work-related injuries at higher rates than all other workers. It is with these tragic statistics in mind that U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis today convened an historic National Action Summit for Latino Worker Health and Safety.

Agreement, signed at National Latino action summit, aims to promote safety and health for Mexican and other Spanish-speaking workers in construction industry

WASHINGTON Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis today issued the following statement regarding the death of James L. DeMarce, director of the U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Workers' Compensation Programs Division of Coal Mine Workers' Compensation:

"We at the U.S. Department of Labor are deeply saddened to learn of the sudden death of Jim DeMarce, who served as the director of the department's Office of Workers' Compensation Programs Division of Coal Mine Workers' Compensation for more than 25 years.

WASHINGTON Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis today issued the following statement on the Upper Big Branch Mine and pattern of violation status:

"After the tragedy at the Upper Big Branch Mine, I directed Assistant Secretary of Labor for the Mine Safety and Health Administration Joe Main to look at all of the information we had regarding the history of violations at the Upper Big Branch Mine.

WASHINGTON – Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis today issued the following statement regarding the vote of the U.S. Senate to begin work on legislation to extend unemployment insurance and Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act health care benefits to unemployed American workers:

"I applaud those senators who voted yesterday to move forward on this much needed extension of unemployment and health care benefits for the millions of American families who continue to need assistance even as we see our economy starting to turn around.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced the availability of up to $90 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funding to create on-the-job training experiences. The money will be awarded to states that will work with state and local workforce investment boards, community-based organizations and employers in helping displaced workers acquire job skills and experiences that will improve their chances of securing permanent employment.

Arlington, VA – The Mine Safety and Health Administration has announced the publication of a final rule in the Federal Register revising requirements that MSHA and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health use to approve sampling devices for monitoring miner exposure to respirable coal mine dust. The final rule updates approval requirements for the existing "coal mine dust personal sampler unit" to reflect improvements in this sampler over the past 15 years.

Arlington, VA – The Mine Safety and Health Administration has announced the publication of a final rule in the Federal Register revising the agency's electrical design requirements for the approval of high-voltage continuous mining machines. The rule also establishes additional safety standards to address the machines' installation, use and maintenance in underground coal mines. MSHA's existing standards do not address high-voltage continuous mining machines.

WASHINGTON – U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis issued the following statement on the death of 29 miners at Upper Big Branch South Mine:

"I offer my sincere and heartfelt condolences to the families. We now know that 29 miners perished at the Upper Big Branch Mine. May they all rest in peace.

Sec rep to cover activities in California, Nevada, Arizona, Utah and Hawaii

WASHINGTON Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis today announced the appointment of Alicia Villarreal as her regional representative in California, Nevada, Arizona, Utah and Hawaii. Villarreal will be based in Los Angeles, Calif.

SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA In the week ending April 3, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 460,000, an increase of 18,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 442,000. The 4-week moving average was 450,250, an increase of 2,250 from the previous week's revised average of 448,000.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 3.5 percent for the week ending March 27, a decrease of 0.1 percentage point from the prior week's unrevised rate of 3.6 percent.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced the availability of approximately $20 million for two grants to provide employment services to young adult offenders and high school dropouts ages 18 to 24 in high-poverty, high-crime communities.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced that approximately 4,000 workers from companies in 10 states – California, Michigan, Minnesota, New Mexico, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Washington and Wisconsin – are eligible to apply for Trade Adjustment Assistance.

WASHINGTON – Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis today announced the appointment of Mark McDermott as her representative in Region 10 of the U.S. Department of Labor. The region includes the states of Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, North Dakota, South Dakota and Alaska. McDermott will be based in Seattle, Wash.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced a $964,762 grant to assist around 210 workers affected by layoffs at the International Paper Co. in Albany, Ore.

"This grant will provide Oregonians with retraining and re-employment services that will help them secure the good jobs that they need and deserve," said Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis. "Helping these workers is not just an important part of Oregon's economic recovery; it is the right thing both for the local community and our nation as a whole."

NEWARK, N.J. – A whistleblower investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration found that New Jersey Transit violated the Federal Railroad Safety Act when it retaliated against an employee for reporting a work-related illness.