WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Secretary of Labor Alexander Acosta is traveling to Germany to tour the BMW Group's apprenticeship training facility in Munich and attend the G20 Labor and Employment Ministers' Meeting in Bad Neuenahr.

In the week ending May 6, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 236,000, a decrease of 2,000 from the previous week's unrevised level of 238,000. The 4-week moving average was 243,500, an increase of 500 from the previous week's unrevised average of 243,000.

BOSTON – A federal appeals court has affirmed that Pan Am Railways, Inc., must pay $260,000 in punitive and compensatory damages to – and take corrective action on behalf of – an employee who was subjected to retaliation for filing a Federal Railroad Safety Act whistleblower complaint.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor announced it will establish the HIRE Vets Medallion Program to recognize employers who recruit, retain, and employ veterans, and who offer charitable services in support of the veteran community. The department is establishing the program under the Honoring Investments in Recruiting and Employing American Military Veterans Act, or HIRE Vets Act. President Donald J. Trump signed the act into law today.

WASHINGTON – U.S. Secretary of Labor Alexander Acosta issued the following statement on the April 2017 Employment Situation report:

OREGON, Ohio – An auto insulation manufacturer in suburban Toledo faces $569,463 in proposed penalties after a U.S. Department of Labor Occupational Safety and Health Administration investigation following a report that a machine amputated a 46-year-old worker’s right hand, wrist and part of his forearm.

In the week ending April 29, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 238,000, a decrease of 19,000 from the previous week's unrevised level of 257,000. The 4-week moving average was 243,000, an increase of 750 from the previous week's unrevised average of 242,250.

NEW YORK – The U.S. Department of Labor has obtained a consent judgment in federal court requiring a New York City design and construction company and its owners to pay $726,989 in back wages and liquidated damages to 184 employees and take other corrective actions to resolve past overtime and recordkeeping violations of the federal Fair Labor Standards Act.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – As  Midwest residents deal with historic flooding in southeastern Missouri, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration urges workers and the public at-large to be aware of the hazards they may encounter and what steps are needed to protect themselves as they begin clean-up activities.

Participants: U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration
Holder Construction Group LLC

Partnership: The strategic partnership will protect and educate workers on construction hazards during the building of the DuPont CH3 Data Center project in Elk Grove Village, Illinois.

OKLAHOMA CITY – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division is conducting a survey of residential construction projects in metropolitan Oklahoma counties to help establish prevailing wage rates as required under the Davis-Bacon and Related Acts.

The division is collecting data on wages paid to workers on all residential construction projects statewide from Oct. 1, 2015, to Jan. 31, 2017. The survey is not limited to federally funded projects.

PHILADELPHIA – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division is conducting a construction survey in Vermont to collect data on wages paid to workers to help establish prevailing wage rates, as required under the Davis-Bacon and Related Acts.

WASHINGTON – In the first three months of 2017, five miners died in accidents that occurred when they were working alone on mine property. To raise awareness of the potential dangers in doing so, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Mine Safety and Health Administration has launched an initiative to focus on the hazards miners may encounter when they work in areas away from others.

SAN DIEGO – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration has signed an alliance with the local Shipyard Workers Union to promote workplace safety and health, provide guidance and training programs for workers, and raise awareness of hazardous operations on ships during building and repair periods. The alliance will benefit an estimated 1,600 Southern California shipyard workers.

WASHINGTON – Today, R. Alexander Acosta was sworn in by Vice President Mike Pence as the 27^th Secretary of the U.S. Department of Labor.

After being sworn in, Secretary Acosta made the following remarks:

“I want to thank President Trump, Vice President Pence and the members of the Senate, for the privilege of serving as Secretary of Labor.

In the week ending April 22, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 257,000, an increase of 14,000 from the previous week's revised level. The previous week's level was revised down by 1,000 from 244,000 to 243,000. The 4-week moving average was 242,250, a decrease of 500 from the previous week's revised average. The previous week's average was revised down by 250 from 243,000 to 242,750.

NEW YORK – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration will recognize Workers’ Memorial Day on April 28 at various events throughout the country, including New York.

ATLANTA – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration will recognize Workers’ Memorial Day on April 30 at 2 p.m. EDT by participating in a ceremony in Atlanta.

PALO ALTO, Calif. – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs has entered into a consent decree with Palantir Technologies Inc. to resolve charges of systemic hiring discrimination at the company’s Palo Alto facility.

BATON ROUGE, La.  – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration will recognize Workers’ Memorial Day on April 28 by holding various events throughout the country.