WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Labor announced today that its Veterans' Employment and Training Service is accepting applications for the 2021 HIRE Vets Medallion Award, presented annually to employers that meet standards for excellence in the recruitment, hiring and retention of America’s military veterans.

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Labor announced today that its Occupational Safety and Health Administration has issued stronger worker safety guidance to help employers and workers implement a coronavirus prevention program and better identify risks which could lead to exposure and contraction. Last week, President Biden directed OSHA to release clear guidance for employers to help keep workers safe from COVID-19 exposure.

In the week ending January 23, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 847,000, a decrease of 67,000 from the previous week's revised level. The previous week's level was revised up by 14,000 from 900,000 to 914,000. The 4-week moving average was 868,000, an increase of 16,250 from the previous week's revised average. The previous week's average was revised up by 3,750 from 848,000 to 851,750.

In the week ending January 16, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 900,000, a decrease of 26,000 from the previous week's revised level. The previous week's level was revised down by 39,000 from 965,000 to 926,000. The 4-week moving average was 848,000, an increase of 23,500 from the previous week's revised average. The previous week's average was revised down by 9,750 from 834,250 to 824,500.

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Labor announced today the award of $145 million in the H-1B One Workforce Grant Program to invest in training for key sectors of the U.S. economy. Grant recipients, listed below, will focus on upskilling the current workforce and training the workforce of the future for critical industries such as IT, advanced manufacturing and transportation.

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced four opinion letters that address compliance issues related to the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). An opinion letter is an official, written opinion by the Department’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD) on how a particular law applies in specific circumstances presented by the person or entity that requested the letter.

The opinion letters issued today are:

WASHINGTON, DC – Today the U.S. Department of Labor announced the appointment of five members and leadership for the 2021 Advisory Council on Employee Welfare and Pension Benefit Plans, also known as the ERISA Advisory Council.

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Secretary of Labor Eugene Scalia issued the following statement regarding Martin Luther King Jr. Day:

WASHINTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration (ETA) and Wage and Hour Division (WHD) today announced a new interpretation of their regulations and accompanying guidance in ongoing efforts to protect American jobs and ensure employers pay temporary foreign workers admitted under the H-1B visa program as the law requires.

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced the award of $40 million through the Strengthening Community College Training Grants program to build the capacity of community colleges to meet labor market demand for a skilled workforce.

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced its intent to award up to $10,058,000 million in grant funding to address labor violations in illegal, unregulated and unregistered fishing in the Latin American and Caribbean regions.

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced its intent to award up to $11,711,500  million in grant funding for a regional project to enhance labor compliance in key export sectors in the Republic of Kenya, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and one other African trade partner country.

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced its intent to award up to $8 million in grant funding to address labor violations in illegal, unregulated and unregistered fishing in the Latin American and Caribbean regions.

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced its intent to award up to $10 million in grant funding for a regional project to enhance labor compliance in key export sectors in the Republic of Kenya, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and one other African trade partner country.

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced the award of a contract to Eckerd Youth Alternatives Inc. for operations of the Potomac Job Corps Center in southwest Washington, D.C. The award is a first-of-its-kind total set-aside as part of a pilot program to enhance Job Corps participation by non-profit entities. 

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced three opinion letters that address compliance issues related to the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). An opinion letter is an official, written opinion by the Department’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD) on how a particular law applies in specific circumstances presented by the person or entity that requested the letter.

The opinion letters issued today are:

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced a final rule that modernizes the H-2A Temporary Agricultural Labor Certification Program.  

Furthering the Trump Administration’s agenda to help American farmers, the Department’s Employment and Training Administration, and Wage and Hour Division are issuing this final rule in response to the extensive public comments received from farmers, farmworkers, as well as advocates and associations for both groups from across the country.

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced approximately $40 million in H-1B Rural Healthcare Grant Program funds awarded to partnerships of public and private entities to address rural healthcare workforce shortages in communities across the country.

DALLAS, TX – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD) has launched an outreach and enforcement initiative to improve compliance with the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) among businesses in the child care industry in its Southwest region.

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Secretary of Labor Eugene Scalia issued the following statement regarding unemployment insurance claims:

“Unemployment claims are increasing due to shutdowns and other responses to rising coronavirus cases, and likely due in part to enhanced unemployment benefits. California and New York continue to exhibit particularly high unemployment rates, with the nation’s two highest rates of continuing claims.