WASHINGTON The U.S. Department of Labor today announced a $7,842,250 National Emergency Grant to assist more than 1,200 workers affected by layoffs that resulted from the closure of the Hovensa oil refinery on St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Hovensa was the largest private employer in the U.S. Virgin Islands and operated one of the largest oil refineries in the Western Hemisphere.

LOS ANGELES — The U.S. Department of Labor has reached an agreement with a California fruit and nut company to restore a total of $1,287,901 to the company's pension plan. In a consent judgment entered this month in the U.S. District Court's Central District in Los Angeles, officers of Los Angeles-based Western Mixers Inc. agreed to restore $802,901to participants' accounts within 10 days. During the course of the investigation leading up to the lawsuit, the company repaid to the plan $485,000 of the total funds identified as missing.

SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA In the week ending May 5, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 367,000, a decrease of 1,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 368,000. The 4-week moving average was 379,000, a decrease of 5,250 from the previous week's revised average of 384,250.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 2.5 percent for the week ending April 28, a decrease of 0.1 percentage point from the prior week's unrevised rate of 2.6 percent.

WASHINGTON – Unique, handcrafted awards honoring the service and dedication of U.S. Department of Labor employees nationwide have been created by students from the Gary Job Corps Center in San Marcos, Texas, with the first presentation of the awards made today by Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis during a ceremony at the department's headquarters in Washington.

WEST CALDWELL, N.J. The U.S. Department of Labor has cited Wilmington, Mass.-based UniFirst Corp., a uniform and laundry service, for three willful and four serious safety and health violations, including some involving bloodborne pathogen and lead exposure hazards, at its West Caldwell facility. A complaint alleging hazards prompted OSHA's inspection. Proposed penalties total $186,000.

Educational materials and mobile application available

HONOLULU – The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration has cited GM Logistics in Guam for five alleged serious and one other-than-serious safety violation following an inspection that was prompted by a Nov. 16, 2011, workplace fatality.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Disability Employment Policy today announced the official theme for October's National Disability Employment Awareness Month: "A Strong Workforce is an Inclusive Workforce: What Can YOU Do?" The theme promotes the benefits of a diverse workforce that includes workers with disabilities, who represent a highly skilled talent pool.

Enterprisewide settlement with US Labor Department follows legal actions

WASHINGTON The U.S. Department of Labor today awarded a National Emergency Grant supplement of $448,197 to provide re-employment services to about 713 workers affected by layoffs at Electrolux in Jefferson and Webster City, Iowa, and three of its suppliers in Ames and Webster City, Iowa.

Educational materials and mobile application available

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration has kicked off a national outreach initiative to educate workers and their employers about the hazards of working outdoors in hot weather. The outreach effort builds on last year's successful summer campaign to raise awareness about the dangers of too much sun and heat.

Increased funding to help speed job seekers return to work while maintaining integrity of UI system

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today awarded nearly $65.5 million in grants to 40 states, Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia to implement and/or continue re-employment and eligibility assessments for Unemployment Insurance beneficiaries.

Agreement supports increased hiring of individuals with disabilities in health care industry

WASHINGTON — Assistant Secretary of Labor for Disability Employment Policy Kathleen Martinez and National Organization of Nurses with Disabilities President Beth Marks have signed an alliance agreement during National Nurses Week to promote the employment of individuals with disabilities in the health care industry.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor's Employee Benefits Security Administration has issued guidance meant to help plan administrators and service providers comply with the requirements of new rules improving the transparency of fees and investment expenses in retirement plans. A set of frequently asked questions and answers is published in Field Assistance Bulletin No. 2012-02.

WASHINGTON – Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis issued the following statement on the April 2012 Employment Situation report released today:

"Our nation's labor market added 130,000 private sector jobs in the month of April, while the unemployment rate fell to 8.1 percent, its lowest level in three years.

"Over the last four months, we've added an average of 207,000 private sector jobs. Significantly, the labor market added 53,000 more private sector jobs in February and March than previously had been reported.

SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA In the week ending April 28, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 365,000, a decrease of 27,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 392,000. The 4-week moving average was 383,500, an increase of 750 from the previous week's revised average of 382,750.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 2.6 percent for the week ending April 21, unchanged from the prior week.

PHILADELPHIA – Today, Secretary Solis will join Mayor Nutter at Philadelphia's City Hall to announce that the administration has secured additional commitments from 95 companies and nonprofits, three cities, two federal agencies and the White House to provide 110,000 new summer jobs and other employment opportunities for low-income and disconnected youth this year as part of the Summer Jobs+ initiative for a total of nearly 300,000 opportunities.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced the availability of approximately $12 million in grants through the Veterans' Workforce Investment Program to provide job training and skills development services that will help approximately 6,000 veterans succeed in civilian careers.

Misapplied exemption resulted in pay violations; nearly $464,000 assessed in penalties

WASHINGTON — Wal-Mart Stores Inc., headquartered in Bentonville, Ark., has agreed to pay $4,828,442 in back wages and damages to more than 4,500 employees nationwide following an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division that found violations of the federal Fair Labor Standards Act's overtime provisions. Additionally, Wal-Mart will pay $463,815 in civil money penalties.

ARLINGTON, Va. – The U.S. Department of Labor's Mine Safety and Health Administration today announced that federal inspectors issued 249 violations during special impact inspections conducted at nine coal mines and two metal/nonmetal mines last month. The coal mines were issued 187 citations, 25 orders and two safeguards, while the metal/nonmetal operations were issued 35 citations.

WASHINGTON – Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis today issued the following statement on the observance of Workers' Memorial Day:

"Tomorrow, April 28, is Workers' Memorial Day, an occasion for reflection and remembrance of the thousands of workers who needlessly have suffered fatal injuries on the job every year. We also think of those workers who have been seriously injured or sickened as a result of preventable workplace hazards.