WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) today announced that it will address problems identified in its Voluntary Protection Programs (VPP) in response to a new Government Accountability Office (GAO) report, OSHA's Voluntary Protection Programs: Improved Oversight and Controls Would Better Ensure Program Quality. The report recommends improved oversight and additional controls to ensure participating companies maintain effective workplace safety and health management systems.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor has certified for release $69,427,524 in unemployment insurance (UI) modernization incentive funds to the state of Michigan. Michigan qualified for the funds available under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (Recovery Act) by allowing workers to use their more recent earnings to qualify for benefits.

UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE WEEKLY CLAIMS REPORT

SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA In the week ending June 13, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 608,000, an increase of 3,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 605,000. The 4-week moving average was 615,750, a decrease of 7,000 from the previous week's revised average of 622,750.

New rule calls for more teams, additional training

Washington — The U.S. Department of Labor’s Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) jointly will hold a public hearing on June 18 to hear testimony on the investment of 401(k) and other retirement plans in target date funds. The hearing will begin at 9 a.m. EDT in the department’s auditorium, 200 Constitution Ave. N.W. in Washington.

WASHINGTON – Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis has announced the award of approximately $114 million to 183 community groups to provide education and training to young people across the United States. This amount is an initial increment for two years of grant operations. A remaining increment may be awarded pending the availability of additional funding. Among today's awardees, 62 are current Department of Labor YouthBuild grantees, and 121 are new to the department.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced a $4,768,700 grant to assist approximately 1,109 workers affected by layoffs at five companies in the manufacturing and retail industries.

Charlotte, North Carolina – The U.S. Department of Labor will sponsor free workshops to assist employers and service providers in understanding and complying with federal regulations regarding employee pension and health benefit plans governed by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA).

Representatives from the department’s Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) will conduct the seminars at the Hilton Charlotte Executive Park, 5624 Westpark Drive in Charlotte, on June 17 and 18.

WASHINGTON – Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis today issued the following statement on the death of Stephen Tyrone Johns:

"For the past six years, Stephen Tyrone Johns put on his uniform and went to work as a security guard at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum. But yesterday, while performing his duties to serve and protect, he lost his life and before doing so, saved countless others.

"Stephen Tyrone Johns is among the 5,700 American workers, good men and women, who die every year just doing their jobs.

UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE WEEKLY CLAIMS REPORT

SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA In the week ending June 6, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 601,000, a decrease of 24,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 625,000. The 4-week moving average was 621,750, a decrease of 10,500 from the previous week's revised average of 632,250.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 5.1 percent for the week ending May 30, unchanged from the prior week's revised rate of 5.1 percent.

San Francisco – The U.S. Department of Labor has entered into settlement agreements with Aloha Airlines Inc., Bank of Hawaii and First Hawaiian Bank, which agreed to pay $9,545,454 to the airline’s three pension plans for losses the plans suffered on investments in stock of the airline’s holding company. Both Aloha and its holding company are bankrupt. The money will be paid to the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corp., the trustee of the plans.

WASHINGTON – Oil refineries nationwide have received letters from the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) emphasizing the need to comply with all applicable OSHA standards, particularly the Process Safety Management of Highly Hazardous Chemicals (HHCs).

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today released more than $450 million in Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) funding to states to provide career training, and employment and case management services to workers who lose their jobs due to outsourcing and foreign trade.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced a $720,000 grant to create approximately 40 temporary jobs for eligible workers to assist in clean-up and recovery efforts resulting from flooding in southern West Virginia.

"The southern West Virginia region has been severely impacted by recent flash flooding," said Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis. "Today's grant will provide temporary employment and help the area recover from the disaster."

WASHINGTON — U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis today marked the 2009 World Day Against Child Labor by hosting a roundtable discussion at the department with Sen. Tom Harkin; Tina Tchen, executive director of the White House Council on Women and Girls; representatives of many U.S. companies, unions, employer groups, nongovernmental and international organizations, and academia; and dozens of other experts and activists. The event focused on this year's World Day theme of "Give Girls a Chance — End Child Labor."

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is soliciting applications for nearly $7 million in Susan Harwood Training Grants available to nonprofit, community and faith-based organizations.

OSHA awards funds to provide training and education programs on safety and health topics for workers and their employers. For fiscal 2009, the program offers 24 targeted topic areas including crane safety, combustible dust, emergency preparedness and response, and the OSHA recordkeeping process.

Washington – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) will host a free webcast to assist plan sponsors and service providers with upcoming changes to the Form 5500 and electronic filing requirements that start with the 2009 plan year filings.

WASHINGTON – U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis issued the following statement on the May 2009 Employment Situation report released today:

"This past May, our economy lost 345,000 jobs, bringing the total number of jobs lost since this recession began to 6 million. The overall unemployment rate increased to 9.4 percent.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor has certified for release $28,524,880 in unemployment insurance (UI) modernization incentive funds to the state of Oregon. Oregon qualified for the funds available under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (Recovery Act) by allowing workers to use their more recent earnings to qualify for benefits.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor has certified for release $25,645,804 in unemployment insurance (UI) modernization incentive funds to the state of Nevada. Nevada qualified for the funds available under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (Recovery Act) by allowing workers to use their more recent earnings to qualify for benefits.