WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced a $2,031,400 National Emergency Grant increment to continue to provide services to workers affected by layoffs that occurred throughout multiple industries in the state of Louisiana.

"Today's grant will allow continued job placement assistance, skills training and other re-employment services for these Louisianans and will help them get started in new careers," said Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced a $906,538 grant to assist about 400 dislocated workers who either are currently receiving intensive services and training from the state of New York or are on waiting lists for services and training due to funding shortages.

"As our nation's economic recovery takes hold, New Yorkers deserve access to training and other services that will lead to jobs with family supporting wages, stability and a real chance for advancement," said Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced a $1,377,250 grant to assist about 1,680 dislocated workers who either are currently receiving intensive services and training from the state of Wisconsin or are on waiting lists due to funding shortages.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced a $6,255,784 grant to assist about 800 workers affected by layoffs at John Morrell and Co. as well as four secondarily-affected companies, all located in Sioux City, Iowa.

"Today's grant will help Iowans receive the re-training and re-employment skills necessary to find new jobs in emerging industries," said Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced a $2.2 million National Emergency Grant supplemental award to provide an estimated 2,400 unemployed individuals in North Carolina with partial premium payments for health insurance coverage. The announcement bolsters an initial award of $2 million made by the Labor Department to the Tar Heel State on Aug. 11, 2009. Those funds were used to serve about 1,800 unemployed North Carolinians who were eligible to participate in the Health Coverage Tax Credit program.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced a $2,545,084 grant to assist about 200 workers affected by layoffs across multiple industries in eastern Texas.

"This grant will help these Texans receive the re-employment and re-training services that are crucial to successfully finding new jobs in emerging industries," said Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today awarded $125 million in grants to 41 community colleges and organizations. This round is the fifth and final of Community-Based Job Training Grant awards. Awardees were chosen from among 323 applications received in response to a competition first announced on March 15. Of the full amount, nearly $74 million is dedicated to applicants that have never received a Community-Based Job Training Grant.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced a $470,835 National Emergency Grant supplemental award to the Citrus Levy Marion Regional Workforce Development Board Inc. to provide services to about 575 workers affected by layoffs from the manufacturing industry.

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

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced a $2,571,600 grant to assist about 370 workers affected by documented and projected layoffs from multiple companies in a defined regional economy in rural Oregon. This region is comprised of Baker, Clatsop, Columbia, Coos, Crook, Curry, Deschutes, Douglas, Gilliam, Grant, Harney, Hood River, Jefferson, Klamath, Lake, Malheur, Morrow, Sherman, Tillamook, Umatilla, Union, Wallowa, Wasco and Wheeler counties.

DENVER – During a visit to Denver, Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis today announced $75 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 funds for On-the-Job Training, National Emergency Grants to 41 states, the District of Columbia and three federally recognized Native American tribes. These resources will be used to help Americans get back to work, especially in geographic areas disproportionately impacted by the recession.

SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA In the week ending June 19, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 457,000, a decrease of 19,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 476,000. The 4-week moving average was 462,750, a decrease of 1,500 from the previous week's revised average of 464,250.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 3.5 percent for the week ending June 12, a decrease of 0.1 percentage point from the prior week's unrevised rate of 3.6 percent.

LOS ANGELES – During a visit to Olvera Street in Los Angeles, U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis today announced $78,410,000 in grant funds through the National Farmworker Jobs Program. The program provides training and employment services to migrant and seasonal farmworkers. It is authorized by the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 and is designed to counter the impact of chronic unemployment and underemployment experienced by migrant and seasonal farmworkers who depend primarily on agricultural labor jobs.

WASHINGTON – Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis today issued the following statement after the U.S. Senate failed by three votes to approve legislation extending unemployment insurance benefits:

"There are nearly 15 million unemployed workers across our nation. Each and every day, they look for work and do everything they can to care for their families and put food on the table. Hundreds of thousands of them rely on unemployment insurance benefits as a final lifeline.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today released $596,525,000 in funds to continue support for 74 state, territory and national grantees of the Senior Community Service Employment Program for program year 2010. These funds will enable income and training support for 61,900 individuals ages 55 and older, who have low incomes or are unemployed. At least 75 percent of SCSEP funds will go to provide these individuals with part-time, paid community service-based job training program opportunities throughout the country.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced approximately $67 million in grant funds to 256 organizations through the Workforce Investment Act Indian and Native American Program. These grants will support job training and placement services for adults and at-risk youth.

NEW YORK – Leaders from the U.S. Departments of Labor, Interior and Agriculture joined in New York City at the Outdoor Nation Youth Summit on June 20 to announce the launch of a $20 million federal grant opportunity and implementation of an initiative designed to help disadvantaged youth prepare for jobs in the outdoors. Through a national grant competition, funds will be awarded to enable ex-offenders ages 18 to 24 to give back to their communities through service and conservation work, while simultaneously acquiring solid employment skills.

WASHINGTON – During a visit to Sasha Bruce Center, a YouthBuild site in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area, U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis today announced the release of two national grants in the amounts of $10 million each to serve at-risk youth.

DETROIT – During a visit to Macomb Community College in Detroit, Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis today announced the release of $20,922,153 in Trade Adjustment Assistance reserve funds to the state of Michigan. She also announced three Regional Economic Impact National Emergency Grants totaling $19,016,800. The grants will serve to provide continued services for workers affected by documented layoffs from multiple companies in three defined regional economies throughout the state.

SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA In the week ending June 12, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 472,000, an increase of 12,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 460,000. The 4-week moving average was 463,500, a decrease of 500 from the previous week's revised average of 464,000.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 3.6 percent for the week ending June 5, 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 today announced $14.7 million in health care career grants authorized by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. The four grantees are the American Association of Community Colleges, Goodwill Industries International, the International Association of Jewish Vocational Services and SER-Jobs for Progress National Inc. The grants will support projects designed to provide health care training and virtual service-delivery models (i.e., web-based services) to promote career opportunities in the health care sector.