WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced a $2,545,084 grant to assist about 200 workers affected by layoffs across multiple industries in eastern Texas.

"This grant will help these Texans receive the re-employment and re-training services that are crucial to successfully finding new jobs in emerging industries," said Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor has announced a total of $27 million in National Emergency Grant awards to four key states to assist workers along the Gulf Coast who have been displaced as a result of the ongoing Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The states are Alabama, Florida, Louisiana and Mississippi.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced a $240,000 National Emergency Grant increment to help continue clean-up and recovery efforts in the wake of flooding that struck southern West Virginia in May 2009.

"These funds will provide additional assistance to support clean up and repair efforts in the communities affected by last year's flooding," said Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis. "The floodwaters may have receded, but West Virginia is still cleaning up and we are committed to helping."

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today awarded $125 million in grants to 41 community colleges and organizations. This round is the fifth and final of Community-Based Job Training Grant awards. Awardees were chosen from among 323 applications received in response to a competition first announced on March 15. Of the full amount, nearly $74 million is dedicated to applicants that have never received a Community-Based Job Training Grant.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced a $470,835 National Emergency Grant supplemental award to the Citrus Levy Marion Regional Workforce Development Board Inc. to provide services to about 575 workers affected by layoffs from the manufacturing industry.

"Today's supplemental funds will continue to help Floridians with job placement assistance, skills training and other re-employment services to help them get started in new careers," said Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced a $2,571,600 grant to assist about 370 workers affected by documented and projected layoffs from multiple companies in a defined regional economy in rural Oregon. This region is comprised of Baker, Clatsop, Columbia, Coos, Crook, Curry, Deschutes, Douglas, Gilliam, Grant, Harney, Hood River, Jefferson, Klamath, Lake, Malheur, Morrow, Sherman, Tillamook, Umatilla, Union, Wallowa, Wasco and Wheeler counties.

DENVER – During a visit to Denver, Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis today announced $75 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 funds for On-the-Job Training, National Emergency Grants to 41 states, the District of Columbia and three federally recognized Native American tribes. These resources will be used to help Americans get back to work, especially in geographic areas disproportionately impacted by the recession.

LOS ANGELES – During a visit to Olvera Street in Los Angeles, U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis today announced $78,410,000 in grant funds through the National Farmworker Jobs Program. The program provides training and employment services to migrant and seasonal farmworkers. It is authorized by the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 and is designed to counter the impact of chronic unemployment and underemployment experienced by migrant and seasonal farmworkers who depend primarily on agricultural labor jobs.

WASHINGTON – Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis today issued the following statement after the U.S. Senate failed by three votes to approve legislation extending unemployment insurance benefits:

"There are nearly 15 million unemployed workers across our nation. Each and every day, they look for work and do everything they can to care for their families and put food on the table. Hundreds of thousands of them rely on unemployment insurance benefits as a final lifeline.

SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA In the week ending June 19, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 457,000, a decrease of 19,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 476,000. The 4-week moving average was 462,750, a decrease of 1,500 from the previous week's revised average of 464,250.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 3.5 percent for the week ending June 12, 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 released $596,525,000 in funds to continue support for 74 state, territory and national grantees of the Senior Community Service Employment Program for program year 2010. These funds will enable income and training support for 61,900 individuals ages 55 and older, who have low incomes or are unemployed. At least 75 percent of SCSEP funds will go to provide these individuals with part-time, paid community service-based job training program opportunities throughout the country.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced approximately $67 million in grant funds to 256 organizations through the Workforce Investment Act Indian and Native American Program. These grants will support job training and placement services for adults and at-risk youth.

NEW YORK – Leaders from the U.S. Departments of Labor, Interior and Agriculture joined in New York City at the Outdoor Nation Youth Summit on June 20 to announce the launch of a $20 million federal grant opportunity and implementation of an initiative designed to help disadvantaged youth prepare for jobs in the outdoors. Through a national grant competition, funds will be awarded to enable ex-offenders ages 18 to 24 to give back to their communities through service and conservation work, while simultaneously acquiring solid employment skills.

WASHINGTON – During a visit to Sasha Bruce Center, a YouthBuild site in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area, U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis today announced the release of two national grants in the amounts of $10 million each to serve at-risk youth.

DETROIT – During a visit to Macomb Community College in Detroit, Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis today announced the release of $20,922,153 in Trade Adjustment Assistance reserve funds to the state of Michigan. She also announced three Regional Economic Impact National Emergency Grants totaling $19,016,800. The grants will serve to provide continued services for workers affected by documented layoffs from multiple companies in three defined regional economies throughout the state.

SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA In the week ending June 12, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 472,000, an increase of 12,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 460,000. The 4-week moving average was 463,500, a decrease of 500 from the previous week's revised average of 464,000.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 3.6 percent for the week ending June 5, 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 $14.7 million in health care career grants authorized by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. The four grantees are the American Association of Community Colleges, Goodwill Industries International, the International Association of Jewish Vocational Services and SER-Jobs for Progress National Inc. The grants will support projects designed to provide health care training and virtual service-delivery models (i.e., web-based services) to promote career opportunities in the health care sector.

WASHINGTON – U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis today announced during a press conference call the release of $7,820,193 in unemployment insurance modernization incentive funds to the state of Rhode Island. Rhode Island qualified for a portion of its share of the funds available under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act because its unemployment law contains provisions that allow workers to use recent earnings to qualify for benefits.

SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA In the week ending June 5, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 456,000, a decrease of 3,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 459,000. The 4-week moving average was 463,000, an increase of 2,500 from the previous week's revised average of 460,500.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 3.5 percent for the week ending May 29, a decrease of 0.2 percentage point from the prior week's revised rate of 3.7 percent.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor has announced an $816,730 National Emergency Grant increment to continue clean-up and recovery efforts in the wake of severe storms, tornadoes and flooding that struck Arkansas in October 2009.

"Workers in Arkansas are helping the state recover from severe damage that stems from inclement weather last fall. This grant will continue funding for the temporary jobs of individuals engaged in those efforts," said Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis.