September 22, 2011

Statement by Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis on Senate passage of Trade Adjustment Assistance for Workers

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.

September 22, 2011

US Labor Department postpones revising wage calculations for H-2B program

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

September 21, 2011

US Department of Labor provides grant to assist recovery efforts in New Jersey following Hurricane Irene

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.

September 19, 2011

US Department of Labor provides grant to assist Hurricane Irene recovery efforts in North Carolina

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.

September 19, 2011

US Department of Labor provides grant to assist recovery efforts in Vermont following Tropical Storm Irene

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.

September 19, 2011

US Department of Labor provides grant to assist recovery efforts in New York following Hurricane 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.

September 15, 2011

ETA Press Release: Unemployment Insurance Weekly Claims Report

SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA In the week ending September 10, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 428,000, an increase of 11,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 417,000. The 4-week moving average was 419,500, an increase of 4,000 from the previous week's revised average of 415,500.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 3.0 percent for the week ending September 3, unchanged from the prior week's unrevised rate.

September 14, 2011

US Labor Department announces release of $41.2 million in unemployment insurance modernization incentive funds to Puerto Rico

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor has certified for release $41,247,756 in unemployment insurance modernization incentive funds to Puerto Rico. Puerto Rico qualified for its full share of the funds available under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act by including in its law provisions that assist recent entrants to the workforce, part-time workers and individuals who become unemployed because of compelling family reasons.

September 14, 2011

US Department of Labor awards more than $191 million for unemployment insurance program integrity and technology infrastructure systems

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced awards totaling $191.5 million to 40 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico for unemployment insurance program integrity and technology infrastructure systems. The grants are intended to accelerate actions to reduce UI improper payment rates; provide an opportunity for modernizing UI tax and benefits systems; and enable the design of technology-based tools to prevent, detect and recover improper UI payments.

September 8, 2011

ETA Press Release: Unemployment Insurance Weekly Claims Report

SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA In the week ending September 3, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 414,000, an increase of 2,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 412,000. The 4-week moving average was 414,750, an increase of 3,750 from the previous week's revised average of 411,000.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 3.0 percent for the week ending August 27, unchanged from the prior week's unrevised rate of 3.0 percent.

September 6, 2011

US Labor Department announces release of $9.28 million in unemployment insurance modernization incentive funds to Vermont

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor has released $9,278,599 in unemployment insurance modernization incentive funds to the state of Vermont. Vermont qualified for its remaining share of funds available under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act by including in its law provisions that assist part-time workers and people who are upgrading their skills.

September 1, 2011

US Department of Labor announces new grant to continue assisting Idaho workers impacted by call center layoffs

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced a $277,617 National Emergency Grant supplemental award to continue providing training and re-employment services to about 200 workers affected by layoffs resulting from the closure of the Dell Inc.'s call center in Twin Falls, Idaho.

September 1, 2011

ETA Press Release: Unemployment Insurance Weekly Claims Report

SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA In the week ending August 27, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 409,000, a decrease of 12,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 421,000. The 4-week moving average was 410,250, an increase of 1,750 from the previous week's revised average of 408,500.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 3.0 percent for the week ending August 20, unchanged from the prior week's revised rate of 3.0 percent.

August 25, 2011

ETA Press Release: Unemployment Insurance Weekly Claims Report

Special Factor: As a result of a labor dispute between Communications Workers of America and Verizon Communications, at least 12,500 initial claims were filed in the week ending 8/13/2011 and at least 8,500 initial claims were filed in the week ending 8/20/2011 .

August 22, 2011

US Department of Labor provides grant to assist workers affected by closure of Idaho beef processing plant

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced a $1,825,595 National Emergency Grant to provide re-employment services to about 250 workers laid off by XL Four Star Beef Inc., following the June closure of the company's beef processing and packing plant in Nampa, Idaho.

August 18, 2011

ETA Press Release: Unemployment Insurance Weekly Claims Report

SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA In the week ending August 13, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 408,000, an increase of 9,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 399,000. The 4-week moving average was 402,500, a decrease of 3,500 from the previous week's revised average of 406,000.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 2.9 percent for the week ending August 6, unchanged from the prior week's unrevised rate of 2.9 percent.

August 18, 2011

US Department of Labor announces National Emergency Grant to assist Wisconsin manufacturing workers affected by layoffs

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced a $918,010 National Emergency Grant to provide an array of services to about 325 workers being affected by layoffs at Polaris Industries in Osceola, Wis., and Robin Manufacturing U.S.A. Inc. in Hudson, Wis., to assist them in gaining new employment.

August 11, 2011

ETA Press Release: Unemployment Insurance Weekly Claims Report

SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA In the week ending August 6, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 395,000, a decrease of 7,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 402,000. The 4-week moving average was 405,000, a decrease of 3,250 from the previous week's revised average of 408,250.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 2.9 percent for the week ending July 30, a 0.1 percentage point decrease from the prior week's unrevised rate of 3.0 percent.

August 10, 2011

US Department of Labor provides grant to assist Ohio communities with recovery efforts following severe spring storms and flooding

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced a $16,233,360 National Emergency Grant that will create 1,144 temporary jobs to assist in cleanup and recovery efforts in the wake of spring storms and flooding that occurred in Ohio. Communities across 15 counties located in the Appalachian region were affected by the storms, which occurred between April 4 and May 15.

August 8, 2011

US Department of Labor provides grant to assist manufacturing workers laid off from Somerset, Pa., plant

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced a $670,000 National Emergency Grant to provide re-employment services to approximately 145 former workers of FTCA Inc. who were affected by layoffs at the company's plant in Somerset, Pa. FTCA closed the travel trailer and recreational camper manufacturing facility in January.