PHILADELPHIA – Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis today announced a solicitation for grant applications for the national Career Pathways Innovation Fund Grant Program. Over the next year, the department will award approximately $122 million through this program, including $65 million for health care-focused projects, and intends to fund 40 to 50 grants ranging from $1 million to $5 million each.

PHILADELPHIA – Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis today announced the availability of approximately $17 million in funds for two grants to support the employment prospects of young offenders, ages 16 to 24, in high-poverty, high-crime communities.

"Our nation's young people are one of our greatest resources," said Secretary Solis. "Helping to improve the job prospects of young offenders is one of the best ways to reduce recidivism while strengthening America's future."

CHICAGO — Federal contractor InterCall will pay $700,000 in back wages, interest and benefits to 151 minority job applicants who were subjected to discrimination by the company. The settlement follows an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs, which found that 103 black, 28 Asian and 20 Hispanic job applicants were systemically rejected for sales associate positions at the company's Chicago offices in 2006 and 2007.

ALTUS, Okla. – The U.S. Department of Labor has obtained a consent judgment and order permanently barring the owner of defunct Quartz Mountain Aerospace Inc., which operated in Altus as well as in Coffeeville, Kan., from serving in a fiduciary capacity to any employee benefit plan unless he obtains fiduciary training by Jan. 31, 2012.

Funds also will allow state to upgrade existing benefit payment system

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced a $744,000 grant to provide partial premium payments for health insurance coverage to about 150 jobless workers in New Hampshire. Funds also will be used to upgrade the state's existing benefit payment system.

SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA In the week ending Feb. 19, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 391,000, a decrease of 22,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 413,000. The 4-week moving average was 402,000, a decrease of 16,500 from the previous week's revised average of 418,500.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 3.0 percent for the week ending Feb. 12, a decrease of 0.1 percentage point from the prior week's unrevised rate of 3.1 percent.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor has announced an $11,267,940 National Emergency Grant to assist with clean-up and recovery efforts following heavy storms that caused high winds and excessive precipitation throughout California from mid-December 2010 through early January 2011.

WESTBURY, N.Y. — The U.S. Department of Labor has recovered $780,000 in back wages and liquidated damages for 40 employees of Martino's Pizzeria Inc., doing business as Mama's Pizzeria and Restaurant, in Copiague, N.Y., resolving a lawsuit filed against the company for violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act.

HOUSTON — The U.S. Department of Labor has recovered $1.8 million in back wages for nearly 400 workers and collected $200,000 in civil money penalties from Houston-based grocery stores Hong Land Corp., Hong Kong Group Inc., Pacific Ocean Enterprise Inc. and B&B Corner Corp., all doing business as Hong Kong Market, and store owners Hai Du Duong and Ha Duong.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced the Green Jobs Innovation Fund competition to support opportunities for workers to receive job training in green industry sectors and occupations. Through this competition, the department will award approximately $40 million to support five to eight grantees with awards ranging from $5 million to $8 million each. Eligible applicants will include national and statewide organizations with local affiliates that have existing career training programs and will benefit a minimum of six communities per grant.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor's Veterans' Employment and Training Service, known as VETS, has proposed a rule establishing a uniform national threshold performance level to be applied to state grantees that provide employment services to veterans.

CINCINNATI – The third-party administrator to 56 employee benefit plans – most covered by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act – located throughout Ohio and several other states pleaded guilty to one count of embezzlement of $1 million in assets from 12 retirement plans.

The additional locations of the plans are Beth Park and Ford City, Pa.; South Plainfield, N.J.; Waltham, Mass.; Anderson, Ind.; Saco, Maine; and Orange Beach, Ala.

PASADENA, Calif. – The U.S. Department of Labor's Women's Bureau yesterday hosted a conference on best flexibility practices for hourly-wage employees at the Pasadena Convention Center, drawing about 400 attendees. "Challenges and Solutions for Hourly Workers" is part of the Women's Bureau's National Dialogue on Workplace Flexibility, a series of events building on the goals of the March 2010 White House Flexibility Forum.

SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA In the week ending Feb. 12, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 410,000, an increase of 25,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 385,000. The 4-week moving average was 417,750, an increase of 1,750 from the previous week's revised average of 416,000.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 3.1 percent for the week ending Feb. 5, unchanged from the prior week's unrevised rate of 3.1 percent.

ARLINGTON, Va. – The U.S. Department of Labor's Mine Safety and Health Administration today announced that federal inspectors issued 377 citations and orders during special impact inspections conducted at 15 coal and seven metal/nonmetal mine operations last month. The coal mines were issued 208 citations and seven orders; the metal/nonmetal mines were issued 148 citations and 14 orders.

WASHINGTON — Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis today announced that the U.S. Department of Labor has presented the 2010 Iqbal Masih Award for the Elimination of Child Labor to the Firestone Agricultural Workers Union of Liberia.

"This award recognizes the extraordinary efforts of the Firestone Agricultural Workers Union to combat the worst forms of child labor internationally," said Secretary Solis. "The group serves as a model to others, showing that progress is possible and worth the effort."

Agency doing everything possible to support good, safe jobs

ARLINGTON, Va. – The U.S. Department of Labor's Mine Safety and Health Administration today announced that it will split the agency's jurisdiction over southern West Virginia coal mines into two separate districts, a process that will begin in the second quarter of fiscal year 2011. Of the nation's 2,100 coal mines, approximately 400 fall within the existing District 4 boundaries.

Budget reflects fiscal responsibility while investing in job training and worker protection

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today outlined its part of the president's fiscal year 2012 budget request to Congress. The department's budget request focuses on efficiently achieving the department's goals while exercising fiscal restraint.

Mine deaths are not inevitable, says agency head

ARLINGTON, Va. – The U.S. Department of Labor's Mine Safety and Health Administration today issued a fatality alert to the mining community profiling the causes of and circumstances surrounding the 71 fatal accidents that occurred last year.