UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE WEEKLY CLAIMS REPORT

SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA In the week ending June 6, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 601,000, a decrease of 24,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 625,000. The 4-week moving average was 621,750, a decrease of 10,500 from the previous week's revised average of 632,250.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 5.1 percent for the week ending May 30, unchanged from the prior week's revised rate of 5.1 percent.

San Francisco – The U.S. Department of Labor has entered into settlement agreements with Aloha Airlines Inc., Bank of Hawaii and First Hawaiian Bank, which agreed to pay $9,545,454 to the airline’s three pension plans for losses the plans suffered on investments in stock of the airline’s holding company. Both Aloha and its holding company are bankrupt. The money will be paid to the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corp., the trustee of the plans.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today released more than $450 million in Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) funding to states to provide career training, and employment and case management services to workers who lose their jobs due to outsourcing and foreign trade.

WASHINGTON – Oil refineries nationwide have received letters from the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) emphasizing the need to comply with all applicable OSHA standards, particularly the Process Safety Management of Highly Hazardous Chemicals (HHCs).

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced a $720,000 grant to create approximately 40 temporary jobs for eligible workers to assist in clean-up and recovery efforts resulting from flooding in southern West Virginia.

"The southern West Virginia region has been severely impacted by recent flash flooding," said Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis. "Today's grant will provide temporary employment and help the area recover from the disaster."

WASHINGTON — U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis today marked the 2009 World Day Against Child Labor by hosting a roundtable discussion at the department with Sen. Tom Harkin; Tina Tchen, executive director of the White House Council on Women and Girls; representatives of many U.S. companies, unions, employer groups, nongovernmental and international organizations, and academia; and dozens of other experts and activists. The event focused on this year's World Day theme of "Give Girls a Chance — End Child Labor."

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is soliciting applications for nearly $7 million in Susan Harwood Training Grants available to nonprofit, community and faith-based organizations.

OSHA awards funds to provide training and education programs on safety and health topics for workers and their employers. For fiscal 2009, the program offers 24 targeted topic areas including crane safety, combustible dust, emergency preparedness and response, and the OSHA recordkeeping process.

Washington – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) will host a free webcast to assist plan sponsors and service providers with upcoming changes to the Form 5500 and electronic filing requirements that start with the 2009 plan year filings.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today certified for release $220,286,144 in unemployment insurance (UI) modernization incentive funds to the state of Georgia. Georgia qualified for the funds available under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (Recovery Act) by providing for a variety of provisions that assist recent entrants to the workforce, part time workers and people who are upgrading their skills.

WASHINGTON – U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis issued the following statement on the May 2009 Employment Situation report released today:

"This past May, our economy lost 345,000 jobs, bringing the total number of jobs lost since this recession began to 6 million. The overall unemployment rate increased to 9.4 percent.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor has certified for release $25,645,804 in unemployment insurance (UI) modernization incentive funds to the state of Nevada. Nevada qualified for the funds available under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (Recovery Act) by allowing workers to use their more recent earnings to qualify for benefits.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor has certified for release $28,524,880 in unemployment insurance (UI) modernization incentive funds to the state of Oregon. Oregon qualified for the funds available under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (Recovery Act) by allowing workers to use their more recent earnings to qualify for benefits.

Atlanta — The owner of defunct Wesco Signs Inc., Concord, North Carolina, has been ordered by the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina in Greensboro to pay $57,089.25 in restitution to the company’s 401(k) and health plans and sentenced to five years of supervised release. Mitchell W. Messer also must perform 416 hours of community service.

WASHINGTON – Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis today issued the following statement on the death of John F. Henning:

"Today American workers lost a tireless advocate, and I lost a dear a friend. I would like to extend my heartfelt condolences to the family of John F. 'Jack' Henning.

"For most of his life, Jack Henning was on the frontlines of the labor movement, fighting for civil rights, equality and justice for working Americans. He was a man of modest means, with a thirst for knowledge and a tremendous sense of compassion for his fellow man.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today certified for release $9,210,994 in unemployment insurance (UI) modernization incentive funds to the District of Columbia. The District of Columbia qualified for the funds available under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (Recovery Act) by allowing workers to use their more recent earnings to qualify for benefits.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor has certified for release $70,814,387 in unemployment insurance (UI) modernization incentive funds to the state of Iowa. Iowa qualified for the funds available under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (Recovery Act) by enacting new provisions that assist recent entrants to the workforce, part-time workers and people who are upgrading their skills.

UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE WEEKLY CLAIMS REPORT

SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA In the week ending May 30, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 621,000, a decrease of 4,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 625,000. The 4-week moving average was 631,250, an increase of 4,000 from the previous week's revised average of 627,250.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 5.0 percent for the week ending May 23, unchanged from the prior week's revised rate of 5.0 percent.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today certified for release $48,864,609 in unemployment insurance (UI) modernization incentive funds to the state of Washington. Washington qualified for the funds available under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (Recovery Act) by allowing workers to use their more recent earnings to qualify for benefits.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced a $1,416,970 grant to assist approximately 200 workers affected by layoffs at Boise Cascade LLC in St. Helens, Ore.

"This grant will allow affected workers in Oregon to access the services and training necessary to allow them to upgrade current skills or seek careers in new occupations," said Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis.

Total includes nearly $16 million in Trade Adjustment Assistance and grant increase of $1.7 million for laid off auto workers plus UI modernization funds announced yesterday