WASHINGTON – Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis issued the following statement on the August 2010 Employment Situation report released today:

"This past August, the economy gained 67,000 jobs in the private sector, and the unemployment rate increased to 9.6 percent. Total nonfarm employment declined by 54,000 over the month, as 114,000 temporary census jobs wrapped up between July and August and more than offset the private sector job gains.

WASHINGTON – Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis today announced the appointment of Dusti Gurule as her regional representative in Colorado, New Mexico, Kansas, Texas, Oklahoma and Nebraska. Gurule is based in Denver, Colo.

WASHINGTON – Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis today announced the appointment of Robert Asaro-Angelo as her representative in the states of Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia and West Virginia as well as the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Asaro-Angelo will be based in New York City.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today posted online its first-ever Labor Day video. This year, instead of giving the traditional "State of the American Worker" Labor Day speech in front of a small group, Secretary Solis has recorded a video both in English and Spanish highlighting the department's support of and commitment to the American worker. By harnessing the power of technology, she is able to speak directly to all American workers.

WASHINGTON – Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis today issued the following statement on the death of Dr. Mario Guerra Obledo:

"I offer my heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of Dr. Mario Guerra Obledo, the 'godfather of the Latino movement,' who I had the pleasure of knowing from my work in California as a state legislator. His uncompromising defense of the Latino community opened many doors of employment, representation and opportunities for me and many colleagues.

WASHINGTON Preliminary results from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' National Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries released today show a decline in workplace fatalities in 2009 compared with 2008. Last year, 4,340 workers died from work-related injuries, down from a final count of 5,214 fatal work injuries in 2008. In response, Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis issued the following statement:

"A single worker hurt or killed on the job is one too many.

WASHINGTON U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis today issued the following statement on the 90th anniversary of the 19th Amendment's ratification:

"Today marks the 90th anniversary of a milestone in our country's history. After decades of fighting for equality, suffragists achieved a moral and legal victory in attaining the right of women to vote.

WASHINGTON – Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis today issued the following statement regarding the deaths and subsequent recovery of two gold miners in Nevada:

"As the hours passed at Barrick Goldstrike's Meikle Mine in Elko County, Nev., we all hoped and prayed for better news. My thoughts are with the families, friends, loved ones, neighbors and co-workers of Joel Ethan Schorr and Daniel Noel, who lost their lives while simply trying to do their job and provide for their families.

WASHINGTON The Advisory Council on Employee Welfare and Pension Benefit Plans (also known as the ERISA Advisory Council) will meet Aug. 31 to Sept. 2 in Washington at the U.S. Department of Labor, 200 Constitution Ave. NW, Room C-5515-1A, to hear testimony from witnesses.

The meeting will take place on Aug. 31 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. EDT and on Sept. 1 and 2 from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. EDT.

WASHINGTON Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis today issued the following statement on the 75th anniversary of the Unemployment Insurance program:

"Losing a job is never easy. Workers facing layoffs wonder how they will continue to support their families while they find work or enter training that will lead to new careers.

WASHINGTON U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis issued the following statement on the July 2010 Employment Situation report released today:

"This past July, the economy gained 71,000 jobs in the private sector. Overall, employment declined by 131,000, and the unemployment rate was unchanged at 9.5 percent. This year we've seen the creation of 630,000 private sector jobs steady growth averaging 90,000 new private sector jobs each month, which tracks closely with what the Council of Economic Advisors had predicted earlier this year.

WASHINGTON U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis today issued the following statement on the 20th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act:

"Twenty years ago today, the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act transformed our nation's disability policy and made a strong statement about the value of diversity and inclusion.

WASHINGTON U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis today issued the following statement on the passage of the Miner Safety and Health Act of 2010 by the Committee on Education and Labor of the U.S. House of Representatives:

WASHINGTON Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis today issued the following statement regarding the unauthorized public dissemination of confidential information collected by state agencies in Utah:

WASHINGTON – U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis issued the following statement on the June 2010 Employment Situation report released today:

WASHINGTON – U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis today accompanied President Obama during a speech at American University in Washington, where the president called for comprehensive immigration reform. Secretary Solis issued the following statement in support of the president's message:

"There are defining moments in a nation's history, when its leaders are called upon to act decisively and irrespective of party or geography. This is such a moment.

WASHINGTON – U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis issued the following statement on the death of an electrician at the Pocahontas Mine in West Virginia:

"I offer my heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of the mine worker in West Virginia who lost his life today. In 2010, no worker should lose his or her life simply because they showed up for work. We know that accidents are preventable when proper safety procedures are followed, and when mine operators make a serious commitment to providing for the safety and health of their workers.

WASHINGTON – U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis today issued the following statement on the death of Sen. Robert Byrd:

"Few people ever really earn the right to be called a legend; however, Sen. Robert Byrd earned it every day. For decades, the people of the Mountain State knew they had a true friend and someone who would fight for them and their families.

WASHINGTON – U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis today issued the following statement in response to the report "Weeding out Abuses: Recommendations for a Law-abiding Farm Labor System" co-authored by Farmworker Justice and Oxfam America:

"This report makes clear that farmworkers face a number of challenges and that for too long the federal government has not taken the steps necessary to empower and protect these workers. When I came into office, I immediately began to change the way the Department of Labor approaches farmworker issues.

WASHINGTON – In observance of the 47th anniversary of the Equal Pay Act, Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis today released the following statement:

"Forty-seven years ago today, President John F. Kennedy signed the Equal Pay Act into law. As he put pen to paper, women were being paid 59 cents for every dollar earned by men. That was almost half a century ago.

"Today, pay parity remains far from a reality for women. This is just unacceptable.