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.

WASHINGTON – U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis today announced during a press conference call the release of $7,820,193 in unemployment insurance modernization incentive funds to the state of Rhode Island. Rhode Island qualified for a portion of its share of the funds available under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act because its unemployment law contains provisions that allow workers to use recent earnings to qualify for benefits.

SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA In the week ending June 5, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 456,000, a decrease of 3,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 459,000. The 4-week moving average was 463,000, an increase of 2,500 from the previous week's revised average of 460,500.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 3.5 percent for the week ending May 29, a decrease of 0.2 percentage point from the prior week's revised rate of 3.7 percent.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor has announced an $816,730 National Emergency Grant increment to continue clean-up and recovery efforts in the wake of severe storms, tornadoes and flooding that struck Arkansas in October 2009.

"Workers in Arkansas are helping the state recover from severe damage that stems from inclement weather last fall. This grant will continue funding for the temporary jobs of individuals engaged in those efforts," said Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced a $495,238 grant to assist about 90 workers affected by layoffs at Blount Inc. in Portland, Ore., and its subsidiary Carlton Co. Inc. in Milwaukie, Ore.

"The grant is specifically designed to help these workers get back on their feet," said Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis. "It will make crucial re-employment and retraining services possible, bringing these Oregonians closer to the type of good jobs that offer stability and opportunities for advancement."

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced $1.4 million in Trade Adjustment Assistance Technical Assistance and Outreach Partnership Grants to three organizations to provide services in 10 states. The organizations are the AFL-CIO Working for America Institute; the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers; and the Washington State Labor Council AFL-CIO. The grants will be used to support projects that provide technical assistance and outreach to dislocated workers impacted by foreign trade.

FREMONT, Calif. – Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis today announced a $19,042,012 grant to assist some 4,300 workers affected by layoffs at New United Motors Manufacturing Inc. located in Fremont and several of NUMMI's supplier companies. The announcement took place at the NUMMI Re-employment Center.

SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA In the week ending May 29, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 453,000, a decrease of 10,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 463,000. The 4-week moving average was 459,000, an increase of 1,750 from the previous week's revised average of 457,250.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 3.6 percent for the week ending May 22, unchanged from the prior week's unrevised rate of 3.6 percent.

MERRITT ISLAND, Fla. – During a visit to the John F. Kennedy Space Center today, Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis announced a grant of $15 million to assist approximately 3,200 workers who will be impacted by the impending retirement of NASAs Space Shuttle Program. The grant will impact workers from major aerospace contractors, including ASRC Aerospace Corp., Boeing and United Space Alliance.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor has announced a $1,753,905 National Emergency Grant increment to the state of Wisconsin to continue to provide services to about 1,334 workers affected by layoffs at multiple companies, particularly in the manufacturing industry.

"This grant will continue to provide these Wisconsinites with the re-employment and retraining services that will help them succeed in today's economy," said Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis. "Helping workers who lose jobs through no fault of their own is simply the right thing to do."

SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA In the week ending May 22, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 460,000, a decrease of 14,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 474,000. The 4-week moving average was 456,500, an increase of 2,250 from the previous week's revised average of 454,250.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 3.6 percent for the week ending May 15, unchanged from the prior week's unrevised rate of 3.6 percent.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor has announced a $4,674,400 National Emergency Grant award to assist clean-up and recovery efforts in the wake of the flooding that struck Tennessee in May 2010. Of this amount, $1,752,900 will be released initially.

"The images of Nashville under water have been heart-breaking," said Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis. "This grant will support ongoing recovery efforts and provide temporary employment to Tennesseans as they clean-up flood-impacted areas and return their lives to normalcy."

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today certified for release $11,765,089 in unemployment insurance modernization incentive funds to the state of South Dakota. South Dakota qualified for the remaining two-thirds of its share of the funds available under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act by enabling certain part-time workers to be eligible for UI benefits and by providing additional weeks of benefits to people who are enrolled in training or education programs.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced a $1.8 million grant to assist around 450 workers affected by layoffs at Plum Creek Timber Co. Inc. and Smurfit-Stone Container Corp. in western Montana.

"Montana's timber and wood products industry saw a marked downturn during the recent recession," said Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis. "Today's grant will help these workers enter training that will allow them to compete for and find jobs in new and emerging industries."