Labor Dept.

06/02/2009 -- PERRYSBURG, Ohio — While in Perrysburg with Gov. Ted Strickland today, Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis announced that the U.S. Department of Labor has certified for release $88,169,529 in unemployment insurance (UI) modernization incentive funds for the state of Ohio. The state qualified for the funds available under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (Recovery Act) by allowing workers to use their more recent earnings to qualify for benefits.

Ohio's approved application will be posted at the department's Employment and Training Administration Web site at http://www.doleta.gov/recovery.    » read more »

June 2, 2009 -- WASHINGTON — U.S. Senators Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) and Carl Levin (D-MI) today applauded the announcement that Michigan will receive a total of $49.9 million in additional Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) from the Department of Labor (DOL) to provide career training for workers who have lost their jobs due to unfair trade. The additional funding brings the total amount of TAA funding allocated to Michigan in Fiscal Year 2009 to over $59.5 million.    » read more »

June 02, 2009 -- WASHINGTON -- United States Senator Daniel K. Inouye announced today that the City and County of Honolulu will receive a $1 million grant from the U.S. Department of Labor to help underprivileged young parents obtain education and occupational skills training that lead to employment.

The grant will allow mothers, expectant mothers, and fathers ages 16 to 24 to receive training that will help provide a better future for themselves and their children. Support services, which include child care, transportation and health care, will also be available to participating young parents.”    » read more »

May 27, 2009 -- Denver — U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan announced the Department's participation in new agency partnerships to foster job growth for a new green economy at Tuesday's meeting of the Middle-Class Task Force in Denver. Along with the Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis, Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Shaun Donovan and Secretary of Energy Steven Chu, the Department of Education has committed to developing new policies, proposals and ideas to help America's middle class.    » read more »

Department of Labor Announces $500 Million in Recovery Act Funds for Green Job Training

DENVER, CO – As part of their commitment to developing new policies, proposals and ideas to help America’s middle class, Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis, Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Shaun Donovan, Secretary of Energy Steven Chu and Secretary of Education Arne Duncan announced new agency partnerships to foster job growth for a new green economy at today’s meeting of the Middle Class Task Force in Denver.    » read more »

05/26/2009 -- WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor today announced that it has paid more than $1 billion in compensation and medical benefits to 9,134 Tennessee residents under the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act (EEOICPA).

The act was created to assist those individuals who became ill as a result of working in the atomic weapons industry. Survivors of such individuals may also be eligible for benefits. Since the implementation of the act, the Labor Department has paid 51,331 claimants more than $4.8 billion in compensation and medical benefits nationwide.    » read more »

Payments Made Under Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act

05/26/2009 -- WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor today announced that it has paid more than $500 million in compensation and medical benefits to 4,798 current and former employees of the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant and their survivors under the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act (EEOICPA).

The EEOICPA was created to assist individuals who became ill as a result of working in the atomic weapons industry. Survivors of such individuals may also be eligible for benefits.

The U.S. Department of Energy's Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant, located in Paducah, Ky., produced more than one million tons of uranium during the plant's Cold War history.    » read more »

05/26/2009 -- WASHINGTON — U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis today issued the following statement on President Obama's nomination of Judge Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court of the United States:

"I applaud President Obama's choice to nominate Judge Sonia Sotomayor to the United States Supreme Court. Today's announcement demonstrates the president's commitment to bring greater diversity of thought, perspective and experience to the nation's legal system. The daughter of working-class Puerto Rican parents, Judge Sotomayor grew up in public housing reading Nancy Drew books, which sparked her interest in the law profession.    » read more »

Department of Labor releases funds from American Recovery and Reinvestment Act

May 19, 2009 -- WASHINGTON – Senate Appropriations Chairman Daniel K. Inouye and Senator Daniel K. Akaka confirmed last week that Hawaii will receive $10.2 million in unemployment insurance (UI) modernization funds, which was certified by the U.S. Department of Labor. Hawaii qualified for the funds under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) by meeting the federal requirements of allowing workers to use their more recent earnings to be eligible for benefits.

The Hawaii Department of Labor and Industrial Relations can use the funds to pay unemployment benefits or, if appropriated by the legislature, for administering its unemployment insurance program or delivering employment services.    » read more »

Department of Labor releases funds from American Recovery and Reinvestment Act

May 15, 2009 -- WASHINGTON - Senate Appropriations Chairman Daniel K. Inouye and Senator Daniel K. Akaka confirmed today that Hawaii will receive $10.2 million in unemployment insurance (UI) modernization funds, which was certified by the U.S. Department of Labor.

Hawaii qualified for the funds under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) by meeting the federal requirements of allowing workers to use their more recent earnings to be eligible for benefits.

The Hawaii Department of Labor and Industrial Relations can use the funds to pay unemployment benefits or, if appropriated by the legislature, for administering its unemployment insurance program or delivering employment services.    » read more »

Seasonally Adjusted Data

May 14, 2009 -- In the week ending May 9, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 637,000, an increase of 32,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 605,000. The 4-week moving average was 630,500, an increase of 6,000 from the previous week's revised average of 624,500.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 4.9 percent for the week ending May 2, an increase of 0.1 percentage point from the prior week's unrevised rate of 4.8 percent.    » read more »

$137 Million in Federal Stimulus Funds Will Go to Help New York Modernize the Unemployment System

May 14, 2009 -- New York Governor David A. Paterson and U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis today announced that New York State will receive $137 million from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) to modernize the State’s unemployment system.

The funding represents the culmination of months-long effort by Governor Paterson, as he led a coalition of governors who called on the federal government to include increased unemployment insurance funding in the ARRA legislation.    » read more »

05/12/2009 -- WASHINGTON —U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis released the following statement after today's Social Security and Medicare Board of Trustees meeting:

"Today's report is a wake-up call and reminder of the importance to ensure that this social safety-net is available to all Americans and future generations.

"The high costs for health care are draining the budgets of families, business and government. It is no secret that families are struggling in this economy.    » read more »

National Emergency Grant provided during 1st Michigan trip for Secretary Solis

05/11/2009 -- TROY, Mich. — The U.S. Department of Labor today announced the release of $4,125,000 in National Emergency Grant funds to continue helping approximately 1,500 workers affected by permanent closures and mass layoffs in Michigan's automotive industry.

Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis announced the funding increment during a visit to Compact Power Inc., a Troy company that is bringing the power of lithium-ion poly battery technology to North America for hybrid electric and plug-in electric vehicles in the automotive, commercial and military markets.    » read more »

05/11/2009 -- WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor today announced that it has paid more than $400 million in compensation and medical benefits to Colorado residents under the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act (EEOICPA). The act was created to assist those individuals who became ill as a result of working in the atomic weapons industry.

Survivors of such individuals may also be eligible for benefits. Since the implementation of the act, the Labor Department has paid 50,574 claimants more than $4.7 billion in compensation and medical benefits nationwide.    » read more »