WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor has issued policy guidance to grantees of the Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP) for the implementation of an additional $118,800,000 under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act). This critical investment is designed to increase services and training for unemployed, low-income seniors, and to invigorate and advance prosperity in the communities where they live.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced a $5,231,200 grant to the commonwealth of Kentucky to create approximately 503 temporary jobs related to cleanup after a severe winter storm.

"Today's grant will provide temporary jobs to assist in the necessary cleanup resulting from the severe winter storm that affected Kentucky communities," said Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced an $877,096 grant to assist approximately 150 workers affected by layoffs at Northwood Manufacturing located in LaGrande, Ore.

"Today's grant will aid affected workers in Oregon by providing job-search assistance and retraining, so workers can return to jobs in new industries," said Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis.

Calendar Year 2009 Seasonal Factors: Seasonal factors for CY 2009 and the revised historical series for CY 2004-2008 for both initial claims and continued claims will be made available on line on March 26, 2009, with the release of the Unemployment Insurance Weekly Claims Report.

UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE WEEKLY CLAIMS REPORT

Washington — The U.S. Department of Labor today released four model notice packages that will enable group health plans and employers to provide notice on the availability of premium reductions and additional election opportunities under the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA). The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) signed into law by President Obama on February 17, 2009, made available a premium reduction and the additional election period as part of the administration’s stimulus package.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today issued policy guidance to states and outlying areas for the implementation of American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) investments in core employment and training programs. This critical investment of $3,514,500,000 in the nation's workforce system and network of One-Stop Career Centers is intended to help unemployed Americans upgrade their skills and get back to work.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor today will make available to employers nationwide a free database of 1,921 job candidates with disabilities seeking employment in a wide variety of fields. Federal employers can tap into this ongoing recruitment resource online at http://WRP.gov, and private sector, other government and nonprofit employers can request unlimited searches by calling a toll-free telephone number.

Atlanta – The U.S. Department of Labor has sued Carolina Express Care P.A. of Knightdale, North Carolina, Dale Everett White and Howell Anderson Vaughan to recover more than $55,000 as restitution for their failure to fulfill their fiduciary duties to the Carolina Express Care P.A. 401(k) Plan and Trust.

WASHINGTON – Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis today announced the withdrawal of an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM) for occupational exposure to food flavorings containing diacetyl.

The withdrawal will facilitate the Labor Department's Occupational Safety and Health Administration's (OSHA) timely development of a standard to protect workers from bronchiolitis obliterans, a serious and potentially fatal lung disease associated with such an exposure.

Louisville, Kentucky – Bristol Bar and Grille and Kevin Wagner have agreed to restore $11,892 to the company’s 401(k) plan based on an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labors Employment and Training Administration (ETA) today announced the proposed suspension for nine months of a final rule implementing changes to the H-2A program, which allows U.S. agricultural businesses to employ foreign workers in temporary or seasonal agricultural jobs. The departments proposed action is open for public comment for 10 days.

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.