UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE WEEKLY CLAIMS REPORT

SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA In the week ending March 7, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 654,000, an increase of 9,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 645,000. The 4-week moving average was 650,000, an increase of 6,750 from the previous week's revised average of 643,250.

BRIDGEPORT, Pa. – The U.S. Department of Labor has sued Penn-Mont Benefit Services Inc. of Bridgeport; its owner, John Koresko V; Koresko's law firms; and an attorney for the firms over alleged improper administration of death benefit plans marketed nationwide. The defendants allegedly underpaid benefits to participants, improperly withdrew more than $1 million in plan assets from the plans' trust, and illegally used assets to pay unreasonable and unnecessary lobbying expenses.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced a $299,232 grant to assist approximately 52 workers affected by layoffs at Bayliner Marine in Roseburg, Ore.

"Today's grant will allow affected workers to access employment and training services so they can begin new careers in Roseburg and surrounding areas," said Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis. "With the unemployment rate above eight percent, it is vital that the Labor Department use every resource at its disposal to assist workers who have lost their jobs."

McHenry, Illinois – The U.S. Department of Labor has sued the owner and profit sharing plan fiduciaries of the Forms Corporation of America 401(k) Profit Sharing Plan and Trust for allegedly failing to forward to the plan contributions withheld from employees’ pay, in violation of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA).

New York – The U.S. Department of Labor has filed a lawsuit asking the U.S. District Court for the Western District of New York to appoint an independent fiduciary to oversee the abandoned 401(k) plan of defunct Bonnie Optical Inc. of Rochester, New York.

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

"Today we learned that our economy lost another 651,000 jobs in February, bringing the unemployment rate to 8.1 percent. Four-point-four million Americans have now lost their jobs since this recession began last year, and there are now nearly three million Americans who have been unemployed for six months or more.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced to states and outlying areas their allotment levels for Labor Department-administered employment and training programs funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. The workforce investment system will use the $3,514,500,000 to help Americans get back to work through the national network of One-Stop Career Centers.

Award committee lauds accessibility and visibility through digitization, lecture series efforts

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor's Wirtz Labor Library has been selected by the American Library Association as the winner of the 2009 John Sessions Memorial Award, which honors a library or library system’s significant work with the labor community that has brought recognition to the history and contributions of the labor movement toward the development of the United States.

Atlanta – The U.S. Department of Labor has obtained a settlement agreement with Consulting Services Group (CSG) of Memphis, Tennessee, and its affiliated broker-dealer providing for restitution to plan clients as well as implementation of reforms and disclosures on compensation and fee arrangements with plan clients in the future. CSG already has paid $277,802.78 and agreed to pay a $27,780 in civil penalty.

UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE WEEKLY CLAIMS REPORT

SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA In the week ending Feb. 28, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 639,000, a decrease of 31,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 670,000. The 4-week moving average was 641,750, an increase of 2,000 from the previous week's revised average of 639,750.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 3.8 percent for the week ending Feb. 21, unchanged from the prior week's unrevised rate of 3.8 percent.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor would like to notifyformer Vitro Manufacturing workers about a new class of employees added to the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act’s (EEOICPA) Special Exposure Cohort (SEC). The EEOICPA provides compensation and medical benefits to employees who became ill as a result of working in the nuclear weapons industry. Survivors of qualified employees may also be entitled to benefits.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor today announced its notification to former Metallurgical Laboratory workers about a new class of employees added to the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act's (EEOICPA) Special Exposure Cohort (SEC). The EEOICPA provides compensation and medical benefits to employees who became ill as a result of working in the nuclear weapons industry. Survivors of qualified employees may also be entitled to benefits.

Portland, Oregon – The U.S. Department of Labor has sued Hans Van der Meer, president and owner of the defunct Parati Co. Inc. of Hillsboro, Oregon, a civil engineering company, to recover more than $147,679 in employee contributions owed to the company’s 401(k) retirement plan.

Chesterfield, Michigan – The U.S. Department of Labor has filed a lawsuit in federal district court in Detroit, Michigan, to obtain appointment of an independent fiduciary to terminate the profit-sharing trust of Constitution Mold & Engineering Inc. (CME) and distribute its assets to eligible plan participants. CME was formerly a business operated in Chesterfield.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced an $880,286 grant to assist approximately 165 workers affected by layoffs at Foxwoods Resort Casino in Ledyard, Conn.

"Today's grant will give affected workers access to re-employment services, allowing them to return to work faster," said Deputy Assistant Secretary for Employment and Training Douglas F. Small.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced a $523,935 grant to assist approximately 130 workers affected by layoffs at JD Lumber Inc. in Priest River, Idaho; Sterling Mining Co. in Kellogg, Idaho; and U.S. Silver Corp. in Wallace, Idaho.

"The layoffs in Idaho's natural resource industry have had significant impact on the local economy," said Deputy Assistant Secretary for Employment and Training Douglas F. Small. "Today's grant will provide necessary services and allow affected workers to return to work faster."

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced a $2,199,132 grant to assist approximately 574 workers affected by layoffs from automotive industry suppliers across Missouri and in nearby Kansas.

"Today's grant will allow affected Missourians to receive skills assessment, training and job search assistance to transition into new occupations within the local area," said Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced a $500,000 grant to assist approximately 275 workers affected by layoffs at International Paper in Bastrop, La.

"Today's grant will aid affected Louisianians by providing training and employment services to help prepare them for new careers," said Deputy Assistant Secretary for Employment and Training Douglas F. Small.

Recovery Act also extends Emergency Unemployment Compensation

WASHINGTON – Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis today announced a weekly increase in unemployment compensation, as provided for in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, enacted on Feb. 17.

The new temporary Federal Additional Compensation program will provide a $25 weekly increase in unemployment compensation for eligible workers. These extra benefits are 100 percent federally-funded.