WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced a $12,845,000 National Emergency Grant to assist Puerto Rico with recovery efforts in the aftermath of Hurricane Irene.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Disability Employment Policy today announced a total of $3,787,000 in continued funding for organizations managing consortia that develop models, provide technical assistance and share best practices to improve employment opportunities for people with disabilities.

PITTSBURGH – The U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania has approved a consent judgment and order to restore $67,138 in plan assets and interest to the employee 401(k) plan of Liberty-Pittsburgh Systems Inc. The action resolves a lawsuit filed by the U.S. Department of Labor against the company and its chief executive officer, Kevin T. Weir.

SUMNER, Texas The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration has cited PJ Trailers Manufacturing Co. Inc. and Delco Trailers Co. Inc., a similar company owned by PJ Trailers, for seven willful, 26 serious, nine repeat and four other-than-serious violations. OSHA inspectors found workers exposed to unguarded machinery, fall hazards and accumulations of potentially hazardous dust, among other violations. Proposed penalties total $949,800.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced $21,166,560 for seven states under the Disability Employment Initiative to improve education, training, and employment opportunities and outcomes for youth and adults who are unemployed, underemployed and/or receiving Social Security disability benefits. The initiative is jointly funded and administered by the department's Employment and Training Administration and its Office of Disability Employment Policy.

ARLINGTON, Va. – The U.S. Department of Labor's Mine Safety and Health Administration today announced that federal inspectors issued 356 citations, orders and safeguards during special impact inspections conducted at 16 coal mines and four metal/nonmetal mines last month. The coal mines were issued 272 citations, 37 orders and two safeguards, while the metal/nonmetal operations were issued 45 citations.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced a $10 million National Emergency Grant to assist Pennsylvania with recovery efforts in the wake of Hurricane Irene.

WASHINGTON – Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis and Under Secretary of Education Martha Kanter today announced nearly $500 million in grants to community colleges around the country for targeted training and workforce development to help economically dislocated workers who are changing careers. The grants support partnerships between community colleges and employers to develop programs that provide pathways to good jobs, including building instructional programs that meet specific industry needs.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced an $89,673 National Emergency Grant increment to continue cleanup and recovery efforts following the severe winter storms and resulting flooding, mudslides, landslides and debris flows that struck Oregon in January.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration has issued a revised hazard alert to hair salon owners and workers about potential formaldehyde exposure from working with certain hair smoothing and straightening products. The revised alert was prompted by the results of agency investigations, a warning letter issued by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and factually incorrect information recently sent to salons by a company that manufactures hair products.

WASHINGTON Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis has issued the following statement regarding today s passage by the U.S. Senate of Trade Adjustment Assistance for Workers:

In 2009, Democratic and Republican leaders in Congress worked with President Obama to craft a bipartisan agreement that improved the Trade Adjustment Assistance program to help American workers who lost their jobs to foreign competition or outsourcing.

SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA In the week ending September 17, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 423,000, a decrease of 9,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 432,000. The 4-week moving average was 421,000, an increase of 500 from the previous week's revised average of 420,500.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 3.0 percent for the week ending September 10, unchanged from the prior week's unrevised rate.

Workers unable to exit swiftly in event of emergency

NEW YORK – The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration has cited a Brooklyn supermarket for alleged willful and serious violations of workplace safety standards after an inspection found that night shift employees were locked in and not allowed to leave the building without the employer's permission. Mermaid Meat Co., doing business as Fine Fare Supermarkets at 2901 Mermaid Ave., faces a total of $62,300 in proposed fines.

Delay avoids administering the H-2B program under potentially conflicting court orders

16 federal agencies come together to support development of high-growth industry clusters in 21 states

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced a $7,795,700 National Emergency Grant to assist New Jersey with recovery efforts in the wake of Hurricane Irene.

More than 1,650 qualified female applicants denied jobs at 4 Midwest plants

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced a $2 million National Emergency Grant to create temporary jobs for eligible dislocated workers to assist with cleanup and recovery efforts in North Carolina after major damage was inflicted by Hurricane Irene in August.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced a $1.68 million National Emergency Grant to assist Vermont with cleanup and recovery efforts in the wake of Tropical Storm Irene.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced a $16,186,108 National Emergency Grant to assist New York with recovery efforts in the wake of Hurricane Irene.