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."

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.

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.

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.

UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE WEEKLY CLAIMS REPORT

SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA In the week ending Aug. 7, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 484,000, an increase of 2,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 482,000. The 4-week moving average was 473,500, an increase of 14,250 from the previous week's revised average of 459,250.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor will release $97,459,490 in unemployment insurance modernization incentive funds to the state of South Carolina. South Carolina qualified for its full share of funding available through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act by enacting a variety of provisions that allow more workers who lose jobs through no fault of their own to receive unemployment compensation. This group includes recent entrants to the workforce, part-time workers, and those who become unemployed due to compelling family reasons.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today certified for release $15,640,385 in unemployment insurance modernization incentive funds to Rhode Island. The state qualified for the remaining two-thirds of its share of funds available through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act by updating state unemployment insurance laws to include certain family-friendly provisions.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced a solicitation for grant applications for approximately $22 million to fund programs that will improve educational, training and employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced awards totaling $9,556,068 that will go to 29 states and the Virgin Islands to improve unemployment insurance information technology contingency plans and unemployment insurance IT security. This year is the sixth that the department has awarded these grants.

SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA In the week ending July 31, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 479,000, an increase of 19,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 460,000. The 4-week moving average was 458,500, an increase of 5,250 from the previous week's revised average of 453,250.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 3.6 percent for the week ending July 24, unchanged from the prior week's unrevised rate of 3.6 percent.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor has announced a $633,085 National Emergency Grant supplemental award to Missouri to continue providing services to workers affected by layoffs in the state's automotive industry.

"Missouri's auto workers who have been laid off need and deserve job placement, training and other services that will help them gain employment in other industries," said Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis. "This grant will provide that assistance."

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor has announced a $419,150 National Emergency Grant increment to continue to provide services to about 475 workers affected by layoffs across multiple industries in the St. Louis region of Missouri.

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

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced that approximately 9,000 workers from companies in 19 states are eligible to apply for Trade Adjustment Assistance. The companies are in Arizona, Arkansas, California, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin.

SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA In the week ending July 24, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 457,000, a decrease of 11,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 468,000. The 4-week moving average was 452,500, a decrease of 4,500 from the previous week's revised average of 457,000.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 3.6 percent for the week ending July 17, 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 has announced a $4 million National Emergency Grant award to assist cleanup and recovery efforts in the wake of severe storms and flooding that struck Puerto Rico in May 2010.

"The severe storms that battered Puerto Rico earlier this year left the island's residents in need of our help," said Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis. "This grant will support ongoing recovery efforts and help Puerto Ricans return their lives to normalcy."

SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA In the week ending July 17, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 464,000, an increase of 37,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 427,000. The 4-week moving average was 456,000, an increase of 1,250 from the previous week's revised average of 454,750.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 3.5 percent for the week ending July 10, a decrease of 0.2 percentage point from the prior week's unrevised rate of 3.7 percent.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today released an evaluation study of the Disability Program Navigator Initiative titled "Use of One-Stops by Social Security Disability Beneficiaries in Four States Implementing Disability Program Navigator Initiative." The study measures whether the public workforce system, particularly the One-Stop Career Center system, is helping people who are receiving Supplemental Security Income and Social Security Disability Insurance find jobs in the workplace.

SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA In the week ending July 10, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 429,000, a decrease of 29,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 458,000. The 4-week moving average was 455,250, a decrease of 11,750 from the previous week's revised average of 467,000.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 3.7 percent for the week ending July 3, an increase of 0.2 percentage point from the prior week's revised rate of 3.5 percent.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced $119.6 million in funding allocations for Trade Adjustment Assistance to states to assist workers who lose their jobs due to outsourcing and foreign trade. These allocations are from the second distribution for fiscal year 2010 and represent, along with previously distributed initial allocation and reserve requests, approximately 90 percent of the total amount available for TAA training for this year.

WASHINGTON – Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis today announced second year funding amounting to $66,678,357 to 183 community groups to provide education and training to young people across the United States. The YouthBuild program assists out-of-school youth in obtaining their diplomas or GEDs while providing occupational training in the construction industry. While acquiring leadership skills and participating in community service, at-risk youth build and renovate affordable housing within their communities.