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

"This past February, the economy lost 36,000 jobs, and the unemployment rate held at 9.7 percent.

U.S. Department of Labor’s ERISA Advisory Council announces first meeting of 2010

Washington – The Advisory Council on Employee Welfare and Pension Benefit Plans, also known as the ERISA Advisory Council, will hold its first meeting of 2010 on March 22 in Washington, D.C., at the U.S. Department of Labor, 200 Constitution Avenue NW, Room S-2508.

Suite of resources to level playing field for those applying for employment and training funds

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today launched an online suite of resources for grant applicants. Created by the department s Employment and Training Administration, the new site will introduce potential grantees to ETA grants and provide examples to guide people through the process of applying.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced that approximately 5,500 workers from companies in 12 states – California, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas and Vermont – are eligible to apply for Trade Adjustment Assistance.

SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA In the week ending Feb. 27, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 469,000, a decrease of 29,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 498,000. The 4-week moving average was 470,750, a decrease of 3,500 from the previous week's revised average of 474,250.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 3.5 percent for the week ending Feb. 20, a decrease of 0.1 percentage point from the prior week's revised rate of 3.6 percent.

LIMA, Ohio — Husky Energy Corp., a petroleum refinery located in Lima, has paid $969,182 in back wages to 173 workers for unpaid overtime compensation after the U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division determined the company had violated the overtime pay provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act.

Waupun, Wis. – The U.S. Department of Labor has sued a trustee of the Westra Construction Inc. Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) for alleged violations of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) that resulted in losses to the company-sponsored ESOP.

Las Vegas – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Employee Benefits Security Administration and the Nevada Division of Insurance will host a free health law compliance assistance seminar on March 16 and 17 in Las Vegas at the College of Southern Nevada, Charleston Campus, 6375 W. Charleston Blvd., Room D-101.

Cherry Hill, New Jersey — The U.S. Department of Labor has obtained a court order appointing Jacqueline Carmichael as the independent fiduciary of the 401(k) plan of ABC Wireless Inc., a defunct company formerly located in Cherry Hill. The court order gives Carmichael authority to terminate the plan and distribute plan assets to participants and beneficiaries.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor has announced a $2,497,927 National Emergency Grant supplemental award to Maine to continue to provide services to hundreds of federal civilian and secondarily-impacted workers affected by a 2005 Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) action.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today released state-by-state figures on the number of individuals who will lose their unemployment benefits in the coming days if Congress fails to extend unemployment insurance benefits.

Editors Note: The Senate recessed today, Feb. 26, without approving legislation that would have extended emergency unemployment insurance benefits for workers who have lost their jobs and health insurance subsidies under the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act. The current program is scheduled to expire on Feb. 28.

WASHINGTON – Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis today issued the following statement:

Washington – Today, at a White House forum hosted by Vice President Joe Biden, the U.S. Department of Labor announced two new rules designed to enhance retirement security and transparency for the millions of workers covered by 401(k), pension and other retirement arrangements. The announcement was part of the White House Middle Class Task Force's year-end report, which the vice president released at this morning's event.

U.S. Labor Department sues to protect Utah retirement assets in bankruptcy proceeding

Salt Lake City – The U.S. Department of Labor has filed an adversary complaint in federal bankruptcy court in Utah to prevent Victor Jay Miller from discharging $26,964.51 in employee contributions owed to the Allwest Sales & Service Salary Reduction Simplified Employee Pension Plan.

SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA In the week ending Feb. 20, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 496,000, an increase of 22,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 474,000. The 4-week moving average was 473,750, an increase of 6,000 from the previous week's revised average of 467,750.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 3.5 percent for the week ending Feb. 13, unchanged from the prior week's unrevised rate of 3.5 percent.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced that approximately 2,700 workers from companies in nine states Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, North Carolina and Ohio – are eligible to apply for Trade Adjustment Assistance.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor, along with the U.S. Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs, has re-launched a new and improved National Resource Directory Web site for America's wounded warriors, their caregivers, other members of the veteran community and employers. The directory provides access to thousands of services and other resources at the national, state and local levels to support recovery, rehabilitation and community reintegration.

Washington - The U. S. Department of Labor’s Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) today announced monetary results of $1.36 billion in fiscal year 2009 for retirement, health, and other employee benefits plans governed by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA).

EBSA closed 3,669 civil investigations in FY 2009. In over 72% of those cases, the agency found violations and obtained correction. Criminal offenses involving employee benefit plans led to indictment of 115 individuals.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced a $1,324,672 grant to assist about 275 workers affected by layoffs at Dell Computer's call center in Twin Falls, Idaho.

"This grant will provide important re-employment and retraining services to help workers in Idaho access job opportunities in expanding fields," said Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of International Labor Affairs (ILAB) today announced that it is publishing two related requests for information (RFIs) from the public in advance of developing reports to Congress and the president. One RFI seeks information on goods produced in foreign countries by child labor, forced labor, and/or forced or indentured child labor. The other focuses on certain countries' efforts to implement their international commitments to eliminate the worst forms of child labor.