In the week ending July 30, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 269,000, an increase of 3,000 from the previous week's unrevised level of 266,000. The 4-week moving average was 260,250, an increase of 3,750 from the previous week's unrevised average of 256,500.

WASHINGTON – U.S. Secretary of Labor Thomas E. Perez today announced membership changes to the national Advisory Committee on Apprenticeship. The changes include the appointment of seven new members, the reappointment of 23 current members and the appointment of a new chairperson.

In the week ending July 23, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 266,000, an increase of 14,000 from the previous week's revised level. The previous week's level was revised down by 1,000 from 253,000 to 252,000. The 4-week moving average was 256,500, a decrease of 1,000 from the previous week's revised average. The previous week's average was revised down by 250 from 257,750 to 257,500.

WASHINGTON – As part of the U.S. Department of Labor’s historic investments in the ApprenticeshipUSA initiative, the department’s Employment and Training Administration announced it is seeking to award three to five contracts to workforce intermediaries, including community-based organizations; labor organizations; or workforce, industry and education organizations to develop national or regional “opportunity partnerships.”

State: Kentucky

Type of Award: National Dislocated Worker Grant

Initial Amount Approved: $7,494,017

Incremental Amount Awarded: $2,550,000

Funding Awarded to: Eastern Kentucky Concentrated Employment Programs, Inc.

Number of Workers Served: Approximately 685

In the week ending July 16, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 253,000, a decrease of 1,000 from the previous week's unrevised level of 254,000. The 4-week moving average was 257,750, a decrease of 1,250 from the previous week's unrevised average of 259,000.

State: Missouri

Type of Award: National Dislocated Worker Grant

Initial Amount Approved: $3,280,823

Incremental Amount Awarded: $2,277,823

Funding Awarded to: Missouri Division of Workforce Development

Number of Workers Served: Approximately 309

State: Iowa

Type of Award: National Dislocated Worker Grant

Incremental Amount Awarded: $518,643

Total Funds Awarded to Date: $1,037,286

Funding Awarded to: Iowa Workforce Development

Number of Workers Served: Approximately 650

State: West Virginia

Type of Award: National Dislocated Worker Grant

Award Amount Approved/Released: $3,500,000

Funding Awarded to: Workforce West Virginia

Number of Workers Served: Approximately 250

In the week ending July 9, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 254,000, unchanged from the previous week's unrevised level of 254,000. The 4-week moving average was 259,000, a decrease of 5,750 from the previous week's unrevised average of 264,750.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced the award of $81 million in grants through the National Farmworker Jobs Program to provide additional employment, training and housing assistance to migrant and seasonal farmworkers and their families. Recipients include 63 organizations in 49 states and Puerto Rico.

In the week ending July 2, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 254,000, a decrease of 16,000 from the previous week's revised level. The previous week's level was revised up by 2,000 from 268,000 to 270,000. The 4-week moving average was 264,750, a decrease of 2,500 from the previous week's revised average. The previous week's average was revised up by 500 from 266,750 to 267,250.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Departments of Labor and Education today made publicly available the final rules to implement the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, an historic expansion of opportunity for the nation’s job seekers, workers and employers. The regulations deliver on need to modernize the nation’s workforce system and represent a more integrated, job-driven approach to support communities and expand job growth.

WASHINGTON – In its effort to double the number of Registered Apprenticeship programs nationwide, the U.S. Department of Labor announced today the availability of up to 12 ApprenticeshipUSA Industry Intermediary Contracts to national organizations to start or scale apprenticeship programs that meet the occupational and skill needs of their industries.

In the week ending June 25, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 268,000, an increase of 10,000 from the previous week's revised level. The previous week's level was revised down by 1,000 from 259,000 to 258,000. The 4-week moving average was 266,750, unchanged from the previous week's revised average. The previous week's average was revised down by 250 from 267,000 to 266,750.

WASHINGTON – Hoping to remove some of the obstacles that Americans with disabilities may face in their search for employment, the U.S. Department of Labor today announced the availability of approximately $15.6 million in grants intended to increase the participation of youth and adults with disabilities in federally funded education and training programs.

WASHINGTON – What’s next for the 600,000 people released from federal and state prisons annually, millions more leaving county and local jails, and others in danger of falling into the cycle of poverty, crime and incarceration? With the help of $64.5 million in grants announced today by the U.S. Department of Labor, the answer for some will soon be in-demand skills, access to good jobs and a stronger foundation of support within their communities.

WASHINGTON – A pilot program developed by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration on how best to provide integrated academic and technical training to economically disadvantaged youth through the Job Corps program will begin operations this fall.

WASHINGTON – The U.S.

In the week ending June 18, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 259,000, a decrease of 18,000 from the previous week's unrevised level of 277,000. The 4-week moving average was 267,000, a decrease of 2,250 from the previous week's unrevised average of 269,250.