SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA In the week ending June 26, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 472,000, an increase of 13,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 459,000. The 4-week moving average was 466,500, an increase of 3,250 from the previous week's revised average of 463,250.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 3.6 percent for the week ending June 19, unchanged from the prior week's revised rate of 3.6 percent.

WASHINGTON – U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis today accompanied President Obama during a speech at American University in Washington, where the president called for comprehensive immigration reform. Secretary Solis issued the following statement in support of the president's message:

"There are defining moments in a nation's history, when its leaders are called upon to act decisively and irrespective of party or geography. This is such a moment.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor announced a grant of $1,573,542 to assist about 385 migrant and seasonal farmworkers affected by layoffs at numerous orchards and farms in New Jersey, New York, Ohio and Pennsylvania, as well as in the territory of Puerto Rico.

"This grant will help ensure that migrant and seasonal farmworkers do not fall through the cracks, and give them access to the re-employment and retraining services needed to find jobs in emerging local industries," said Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis.

Fresno, California – The U.S. Department of Labor has sued Explore General Inc. and its officers for allegedly failing to forward more than $70,000 in employee contributions and to collect more than $100,000 in employer contributions owed to the company’s 401(k) plan in violation of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act.

ARLINGTON, Va. – The U.S. Department of Labor's Mine Safety and Health Administration today responded to last week's alert memorandum issued by the department's Office of Inspector General, which highlights flaws in MSHA's past implementation of its Pattern of Violations authority, including setting limits on the number of mines the agency targeted for potential POV because of resource limitations. The Pattern of Violations process looks at mines with an inspection history of recurrent significant and substantial violations of mandatory safety or health standards.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced a $1,376,673 grant that will assist about 507 dislocated workers who either are currently receiving intensive services and training from the state of Ohio or are on waiting lists due to funding shortages.

"This grant will ensure that Ohioans who are now on waiting lists will be able to receive the kind of re-employment and re-training services they need and deserve and that will help them secure good jobs in emerging industries," said Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced a $2,031,400 National Emergency Grant increment to continue to provide services to workers affected by layoffs that occurred throughout multiple industries in the state of Louisiana.

"Today's grant will allow continued job placement assistance, skills training and other re-employment services for these Louisianans and will help them get started in new careers," said Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor's Veterans' Employment and Training Service today announced more than $5 million in grants to aid homeless female veterans and veterans with families. Twenty-six grants in 14 states and the District of Columbia will provide job training, counseling and placement services (including job readiness, and literacy and skills training) to expedite the reintegration of homeless female veterans and veterans with families into the labor force through the Homeless Veterans Reintegration Program.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced a $906,538 grant to assist about 400 dislocated workers who either are currently receiving intensive services and training from the state of New York or are on waiting lists for services and training due to funding shortages.

"As our nation's economic recovery takes hold, New Yorkers deserve access to training and other services that will lead to jobs with family supporting wages, stability and a real chance for advancement," said Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced a $1,377,250 grant to assist about 1,680 dislocated workers who either are currently receiving intensive services and training from the state of Wisconsin or are on waiting lists due to funding shortages.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced a $6,255,784 grant to assist about 800 workers affected by layoffs at John Morrell and Co. as well as four secondarily-affected companies, all located in Sioux City, Iowa.

"Today's grant will help Iowans receive the re-training and re-employment skills necessary to find new jobs in emerging industries," said Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced a $2.2 million National Emergency Grant supplemental award to provide an estimated 2,400 unemployed individuals in North Carolina with partial premium payments for health insurance coverage. The announcement bolsters an initial award of $2 million made by the Labor Department to the Tar Heel State on Aug. 11, 2009. Those funds were used to serve about 1,800 unemployed North Carolinians who were eligible to participate in the Health Coverage Tax Credit program.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced a $2,545,084 grant to assist about 200 workers affected by layoffs across multiple industries in eastern Texas.

"This grant will help these Texans receive the re-employment and re-training services that are crucial to successfully finding new jobs in emerging industries," said Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor has announced a total of $27 million in National Emergency Grant awards to four key states to assist workers along the Gulf Coast who have been displaced as a result of the ongoing Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The states are Alabama, Florida, Louisiana and Mississippi.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced a $240,000 National Emergency Grant increment to help continue clean-up and recovery efforts in the wake of flooding that struck southern West Virginia in May 2009.

"These funds will provide additional assistance to support clean up and repair efforts in the communities affected by last year's flooding," said Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis. "The floodwaters may have receded, but West Virginia is still cleaning up and we are committed to helping."

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced a $470,835 National Emergency Grant supplemental award to the Citrus Levy Marion Regional Workforce Development Board Inc. to provide services to about 575 workers affected by layoffs from the manufacturing industry.

"Today's supplemental funds will continue to help Floridians with job placement assistance, skills training and other re-employment services to help them get started in new careers," said Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced a $2,571,600 grant to assist about 370 workers affected by documented and projected layoffs from multiple companies in a defined regional economy in rural Oregon. This region is comprised of Baker, Clatsop, Columbia, Coos, Crook, Curry, Deschutes, Douglas, Gilliam, Grant, Harney, Hood River, Jefferson, Klamath, Lake, Malheur, Morrow, Sherman, Tillamook, Umatilla, Union, Wallowa, Wasco and Wheeler counties.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today awarded $125 million in grants to 41 community colleges and organizations. This round is the fifth and final of Community-Based Job Training Grant awards. Awardees were chosen from among 323 applications received in response to a competition first announced on March 15. Of the full amount, nearly $74 million is dedicated to applicants that have never received a Community-Based Job Training Grant.

WASHINGTON – U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis today issued the following statement on the death of Sen. Robert Byrd:

"Few people ever really earn the right to be called a legend; however, Sen. Robert Byrd earned it every day. For decades, the people of the Mountain State knew they had a true friend and someone who would fight for them and their families.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor's Veterans' Employment and Training Service has awarded $4 million in Incarcerated Veterans Transition Program grants designed to aid veterans "at risk" of homelessness. The 16 grants will serve more than 1,400 formerly incarcerated veterans in 13 states.