WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced a $1,891,738 grant to assist approximately 651 trade-affected workers of Hynix Semiconductor Manufacturing America Inc. in Eugene, Ore.

"This $1.9 million grant will provide these Oregonians with skills training that will help them attain positions in the health care and information technology industries," said Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced nearly $5.5 million in awards to 18 faith-based and community organizations (FBCOs) as part of the President's Prisoner Re-entry Initiative (PRI). Each chosen group was awarded more than $300,000.

"These $5.5 million in grants will advance local faith-based and community organization efforts to equip ex-prisoners with basic job skills, counseling and opportunities to earn an honest living in our communities," said Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao.

UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE WEEKLY CLAIMS REPORT

SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA In the week ending Jan. 10, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 524,000, an increase of 54,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 470,000. The 4-week moving average was 518,500, a decrease of 8,000 from the previous week's revised average of 526,500.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 3.4 percent for the week ending Jan. 3, unchanged from the prior week's unrevised rate of 3.4 percent.

SAN FRANCISCO — Nestle Prepared Foods Co., a division of Nestle U.S.A., has paid nearly $5.1 million in back wages to more than 6,000 current and former workers following an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division.

"The department during this administration has achieved record recoveries for workers who had not been paid all the wages they were owed," said Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao. "This case has resulted in over $5 million in back wages being paid to 6,000 workers."

WASHINGTON — Deputy Undersecretary for International Affairs Charlotte M. Ponticelli today announced that the U.S. Department of Labor is presenting the first annual Iqbal Masih Award for the Elimination of Child Labor to Maria Cecilia Flores-Oebanda of the Philippines. Flores-Oebanda, president and executive director of the Visayan Forum Foundation Inc.

Archived News Release — Caution: Information may be out of date.

Washington – The U.S. Department of Labor and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) today released a new publication to help small employers understand automatic enrollment for 401(k) plans offered to their employees. Automatic Enrollment 401(k) Plans for Small Businesses provides a comprehensive overview of the advantages of starting and operating this type of 401(k) arrangement.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced a $528,722 grant to assist workers affected by layoffs at Prime Tanning Co. Inc. in Berwick, Maine. Layoffs occurred on Sept. 29, 2008, and all production has since ceased at the Berwick facility.

"Today's grant will provide affected Maine workers with the necessary training and employment services to help their re-employment prospects in area industries," said Deputy Assistant Secretary for Employment and Training Brent R. Orrell.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced a $720,000 grant to the state of Indiana to create temporary jobs for cleanup and recovery efforts as a result of storms and flooding in September.

"The storms that hit Indiana this fall continue to affect Hoosiers up and down the state," said Deputy Assistant Secretary of Labor for Employment and Training Brent R. Orrell. "Today's grant will provide those affected with temporary jobs to help communities recover from the damage caused by the storms and flooding."

Archived News Release — Caution: Information may be out of date.

Minneapolis – The U.S. Department of Labor has filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court in Minneapolis to appoint an independent fiduciary to oversee the Nat Joseph Catering Inc. 401(k) Plan.

Archived News Release — Caution: Information may be out of date.

Atlanta – The U.S. Department of Labor has sued Mark Possein and National Marketing and Entertainment Group Inc. (NMEG) in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, for misusing $68,424 of plan assets to benefit the company and other entities between January 2003 and May 2005 in violation of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA).

Awards will go to 20 projects in 16 states

WASHINGTON – U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao today announced $10 million in grants to increase access to technology-based learning. Twenty projects were selected from a pool of 193 applications.

"These $10 million in grants will increase workers' access to skills training through the Internet, video teleconferencing and other technology-based learning media," said Secretary Chao.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) today announced the selection of five federal contractor establishments as the first recipients of the Good Faith Initiative for Veterans Employment (G-FIVE) program.

Archived News Release — Caution: Information may be out of date.

Atlanta – The U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of South Carolina has agreed with U.S. Labor Department that Carl E. Reid may not use bankruptcy to avoid repaying $44,993 plus any lost earnings to the SIMPLE IRA plan of American Fittings Inc.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) today published in the Federal Register final changes to its Voluntary Protection Programs (VPP) that, among other enhancements, allow participation by companies with mobile workforces.

WASHINGTON – U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao issued the following statement on the December 2008 employment situation report released today:

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Sandia Corp., doing business as Sandia National Laboratory in Albuquerque, has agreed to pay $2,077,248 in overtime back wages to 2,657 research employees after a U.S. Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division investigation found violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).

"Among the department's highest priorities is ensuring that workers are paid all the wages they are owed," said Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao. "In this case, we have succeeded in securing more than $2 million in back wages for these workers."

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Labor-Management Standards (OLMS) today announced its criminal enforcement data for December 2008. During the month, OLMS obtained six convictions and nine indictments, and payments or orders of restitution totaled more than $57,700. The office's December results bring its totals for fiscal year 2009, which began on October 1, 2008, to 31 indictments, 24 convictions and payments or orders of restitution of $1,585,872. The bulk of the cases involved the embezzlement of union funds.

Agency also makes available business case on value of employees with disabilities

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) today released findings of the most extensive survey in history of employers' actions and attitudes toward employing people with disabilities. The report is available at www.dol.gov/odep.

ARLINGTON, Va. – Preliminary data from the U.S. Department of Labor's Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) released today show that mine fatalities in 2008 fell to an all-time low recording a 31 percent drop from 2007. Metal/nonmetal mines recorded the lowest level of fatalities in that sector of mining since statistics were first recorded in 1910, and the fatality level in coal mines was the lowest recorded number since 2005.

UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE WEEKLY CLAIMS REPORT

SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA In the week ending Jan. 3, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 467,000, a decrease of 24,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 491,000. The 4-week moving average was 525,750, a decrease of 27,000 from the previous week's revised average of 552,750.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 3.4 percent for the week ending Dec. 27, unchanged from the prior week's unrevised rate of 3.4 percent.