WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced the start of National Apprenticeship Week (NAW) 2019.

During NAW 2019, events are hosted across the country to celebrate the work of apprentices with thousands of participants nationwide.

In the week ending November 2, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 211,000, a decrease of 8,000 from the previous week's revised level. The previous week's level was revised up by 1,000 from 218,000 to 219,000. The 4-week moving average was 215,250, an increase of 250 from the previous week's revised average. The previous week's average was revised up by 250 from 214,750 to 215,000.

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced additional funding of $1,560,000 for a Disaster Recovery National Dislocated Worker Grant awarded to the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services. The funds will allow the state to complete remaining disaster-relief recovery efforts in response to severe storms impacting southeastern counties in February 2018.

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) that would both expand worker access to support opportunities, such as apprenticeships, and make it easier for states to administer the Trade Adjustment Assistance for Workers (TAA) Program. This NPRM marks the first proposed regulatory update to the TAA Program in more than two decades.

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced the availability of up to $20 million in funding as part of a new pilot grant program that addresses the health and economic impacts of widespread substance and opioid misuse, addiction and overdose by providing retraining and other services to workers in significantly impacted communities.

In the week ending October 26, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 218,000, an increase of 5,000 from the previous week's revised level. The previous week's level was revised up by 1,000 from 212,000 to 213,000. The 4-week moving average was 214,750, a decrease of 500 from the previous week's revised average. The previous week's average was revised up by 250 from 215,000 to 215,250. 

In the week ending October 19, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 212,000, a decrease of 6,000 from the previous week's revised level. The previous week's level was revised up by 4,000 from 214,000 to 218,000. The 4-week moving average was 215,000, a decrease of 750 from the previous week's revised average. The previous week's average was revised up by 1,000 from 214,750 to 215,750.

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Labor today released a Funding Opportunity Announcement for its Job Corps Scholars Program demonstration project. Through the program, the Department intends to competitively award up to 20 grants to accredited, two-year, public community colleges; accredited, public two- and four-year historically black colleges and universities (HBCU); and accredited tribally controlled colleges and universities (TCCU) to serve Job Corps-eligible youth and young adults 16 to 24 years of age.

In the week ending October 12, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 214,000, an increase of 4,000 from the previous week's unrevised level of 210,000. The 4-week moving average was 214,750, an increase of 1,000 from the previous week's unrevised average of 213,750.

In the week ending October 5, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 210,000, a decrease of 10,000 from the previous week's revised level. The previous week's level was revised up by 1,000 from 219,000 to 220,000. The 4-week moving average was 213,750, an increase of 1,000 from the previous week's revised average. The previous week's average was revised up by 250 from 212,500 to 212,750.

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced an opioid-crisis National Health Emergency Dislocated Worker Grant for up to $4,710,000, with $2,134,933 released initially, to the Mississippi Department of Employment Security. The grant will support disaster-relief jobs and provide employment services to eligible individuals in Mississippi affected by the health and economic effects of widespread opioid use, addiction, and overdose.

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Labor today published a final rule that provides greater clarity and flexibility to states as they identify the occupations for which they will conduct drug testing in the unemployment insurance (UI) program.  

In the week ending September 28, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 219,000, an increase of 4,000 from the previous week's revised level. The previous week's level was revised up by 2,000 from 213,000 to 215,000. The 4-week moving average was 212,500, unchanged from the previous week's revised average. The previous week's average was revised up by 500 from 212,000 to 212,500.

WASHINGTON, DC - The U.S. Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration today awarded $29,175,000 in demonstration grant funds to expand the impact of workforce development efforts in the Appalachian and Delta regions through the Workforce Opportunity for Rural Communities (WORC) grant initiative. 

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced the award of additional National Dislocated Worker Grant funding of $2,268,997 to the Eastern Kentucky Concentrated Employment Program, Inc. (EKCEP). The funding will provide continued employment and training services to dislocated workers impacted by secondary layoffs in mining communities resulting from the decline of the coal industry. 

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced the award of $3,590,635 in additional funding to the Texas Workforce Commission for a National Dislocated Worker Grant currently serving dislocated workers at Fort Hood and Red River Army Depot (RRAD), located in Killeen and Texarkana, Texas, respectively. 

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced the award of $1,994,444 in National Dislocated Worker Grant funding to the West Kentucky Workforce Development Board to provide reemployment services to individuals impacted by the closure of an engine manufacturing facility owned by the Briggs & Stratton Corporation, located in Murray, Kentucky.

In the week ending September 21, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 213,000, an increase of 3,000 from the previous week's revised level. The previous week's level was revised up by 2,000 from 208,000 to 210,000. The 4-week moving average was 212,000, a decrease of 750 from the previous week's revised average. The previous week's average was revised up by 500 from 212,250 to 212,750. 

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Labor today awarded $1,056,000 in additional National Dislocated Worker Grant funding to Workforce West Virginia to continue providing employment and training services to workers affected by coal industry layoffs in the state. 

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced a Disaster Recovery National Dislocated Worker Grant of $3,000,000 to the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity to assess workforce needs in response to Hurricane Dorian.