WASHINGTON — Today, the Bureau of Labor Statistics released, for the first time, a detailed comprehensive overview on the employment of Persons with a Disability: Labor Force Characteristics, 2009. Armed with this new data, researchers, disability advocates, and policy makers can better project labor force participation for working-aged persons with disabilities.

ORLANDO, Fla. The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration has cited SeaWorld of Florida LLC for three safety violations, including one classified as willful, following the death of an animal trainer in February. The total penalty is $75,000.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced the award of $737,608 under the National Emergency Grant program to assist approximately 100 workers affected by layoffs at Skyjack Inc. in Emmetsburg, Iowa, and Freudenberg NOK in Spencer, Iowa.

"Today's grant will help workers gain the skills needed to compete for and find jobs," said Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis. "These Iowans will receive the services needed to enter careers in promising industries. After all, only a new, good job can truly replace a job lost."

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration has issued citations to E.N. Range Inc. in Miami, Fla., alleging the company knowingly neglected to protect employees who clean gun ranges from serious overexposure to lead. It also provided, without medical supervision, non-FDA-approved treatments for lead exposure. The company was cited for more than 50 violations of the lead standard and others, with total proposed penalties of $2,099,600.

WASHINGTON – Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis today issued the following statement on the death of Dr. Mario Guerra Obledo:

"I offer my heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of Dr. Mario Guerra Obledo, the 'godfather of the Latino movement,' who I had the pleasure of knowing from my work in California as a state legislator. His uncompromising defense of the Latino community opened many doors of employment, representation and opportunities for me and many colleagues.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today certified for release $667,637 in unemployment insurance modernization incentive funds to the U.S. Virgin Islands. The Virgin Islands qualified for a portion of the territory's share of the funds available under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act by updating its unemployment law to allow workers to use recent earnings to qualify for benefits.

WASHINGTON Preliminary results from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' National Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries released today show a decline in workplace fatalities in 2009 compared with 2008. Last year, 4,340 workers died from work-related injuries, down from a final count of 5,214 fatal work injuries in 2008. In response, Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis issued the following statement:

"A single worker hurt or killed on the job is one too many.

SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA In the week ending Aug. 14, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 500,000, an increase of 12,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 488,000. The 4-week moving average was 482,500, an increase of 8,000 from the previous week's revised average of 474,500.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 3.5 percent for the week ending Aug. 7, unchanged from the prior week's unrevised rate of 3.5 percent.

West Chester, Pennsylvania — The U.S. Department of Labor has sued defunct Reneuxit Inc. of West Chester, Mark D. Dampman and Wayne K. Hall for making improper loans and transfers from the company’s pension plan in violation of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act.

Dampman is a former corporate officer and trustee of the pension plan and Hall is the current plan trustee and was a corporate officer until the company ceased operations in January 2007.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced two grants totaling $849,890 to fund the Veterans Employment and Training Service National Technical Assistance Center. The grants are being awarded under the Labor Department s Homeless Veterans Reintegration Program.

WASHINGTON U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis today issued the following statement on the 90th anniversary of the 19th Amendment's ratification:

"Today marks the 90th anniversary of a milestone in our country's history. After decades of fighting for equality, suffragists achieved a moral and legal victory in attaining the right of women to vote.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration has received numerous complaints from workers taking part in the Gulf Coast oil spill cleanup whose employers are refusing to provide them with a certificate following their completion of training under the Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response, or HAZWOPER, standard. OSHA interprets the standard as prohibiting covered employers from withholding written certificates from workers who have successfully completed such training.

Arlington, Virginia – The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia has issued a default judgment removing Global System Enterprises Inc., formerly of Arlington, as fiduciary of its 401(k) plan.

Southwestern Virginia coal mine fined in 2009 mining fatality

ARLINGTON, Va. – The U.S. Department of Labor's Mine Safety and Health Administration today announced $542,400 in proposed penalties against Big Laurel Mining Corp. The mining operation, located in Wise County, Va., was cited for five contributory violations in the August 2009 death of an electrician/repairman who was fatally injured when a portion of mine rib collapsed upon him. Two of the violations have been assessed as flagrant.

Company fined $374,500 for willful and serious safety violations at Whitewater and Genoa City

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor has extended the deadline for its Career Videos for America s Job Seekers Challenge to allow submissions as late as Monday, Nov. 1. The challenge invites members of the public to produce and submit one- to three-minute videos focusing on the daily activities of 15 high-wage and in-demand occupations. This competition is intended to provide greater visibility for selected occupations and thereby increase the number of workers seeking training and placement in those areas.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor today announced a notice of proposed rulemaking implementing changes in the Longshore and Harbor Workers' Compensation Act as mandated by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

ATLANTA — Smartsoft International Inc., a computer consulting company based in Suwanee, Ga., has agreed to pay nearly $1 million in back wages and interest to 135 nonimmigrant workers temporarily employed by the company under the H-1B visa program. The U.S. Department of Labor's Office of the Solicitor reached this agreement following a determination by the department's Wage and Hour Division that the company violated the H-1B program's rules. Smartsoft International also has U.S. offices in Sunnyvale, Calif., and North Brunswick, N.J.

ARLINGTON, Va. – As a result of troubling testimony heard in a recent field hearing regarding the explosion of Massey Energy's Upper Big Branch mine, the U.S. Department of Labor's Mine Safety and Health Administration today announced the release of four new program information bulletins pertaining to ventilation issues in underground coal mines.

Omaha, Nebraska – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Employee Benefits Security Administration and the Nebraska Department of Insurance will co-host a free health law compliance assistance seminar September 14 and 15 at the Holiday Inn Omaha Convention Center, 3321 South 72nd Street in Omaha.