News and reports from the Department of Labor.

The U.S. Department of Labor has announced the allocation of $6 million in grants aimed at increasing the participation of women in pre-apprenticeship and Registered Apprenticeship programs, as well as nontraditional occupations. These funds are intended to support training initiatives across eight states and the District of Columbia, focusing on skilled building trades, advanced manufacturing, and information technology.

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division and the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development have initiated a joint strategic enforcement initiative to address violations of federal and state child labor laws. This effort aims to prevent children from working in hazardous jobs, which is a priority for both agencies.

Acting Secretary of Labor Julie Su has issued a statement regarding the ongoing negotiations between the United States Maritime Alliance (USMX) and the International Longshoremen’s Association.

The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has restructured its regional operations, creating a new region based in Birmingham to improve services in several southeastern states. This change aims to better protect workers and educate employers as businesses expand and workforces grow.

The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has completed a restructuring of its regional operations. This initiative includes the creation of a new region based in Birmingham, which will serve Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, and the Florida Panhandle.

The U.S. Department of Labor has announced the availability of up to $20 million in grants aimed at national out-of-school time organizations. These funds are intended to expand local work-based learning opportunities, job training, and career pathways for underserved youth during after-school hours and summer periods.

The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has completed a restructuring of its regional operations, aiming to enhance worker protection and employer education in expanding businesses and growing workforces across several southeastern states.

The U.S. Department of Labor's Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) announced it completed impact inspections at 14 mines across 10 states in August 2024, issuing a total of 253 violations.

The U.S. Department of Labor has recovered $154,009 in back wages and liquidated damages from an international plastics manufacturer that failed to include bonus payments when calculating overtime for 743 workers.

Workers in American Samoa employed in industries covered by the Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2007 will receive a 40-cent increase in their hourly wage starting September 30. The Fair Labor Standards Act generally applies to employment in American Samoa as it does to employment in the U.S. The Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2007, amended by Public Law 114-61, sets industry-specific minimum wage rates for American Samoa and mandates that these rates increase by $0.40 per hour every three years on September 30 until all minimum wages equal the federal minimum wage. The last increase was...

The U.S. Department of Labor has initiated legal action against Optimus Service Group LLC, a security guard company based in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and its principal Jorge Rivera Berrios. The lawsuit, filed on September 24, 2024, alleges that the company misclassified at least 254 current and former security guards as independent contractors rather than employees. This misclassification allegedly led to the denial of overtime pay and incomplete record-keeping of wages and working conditions.

The U.S. Department of Labor has introduced a new tool to assist workers with disabilities and their employers in identifying potential workplace accommodations. This announcement coincides with National Disability Employment Awareness Month.

The U.S. Department of Labor has secured a court order against the operator of a farm in Rosedale, Louisiana, mandating the payment of $12,000 in civil penalties and barring the employers from applying for H-2A certification for one year. This decision follows an investigation that revealed the farm's operator had threatened and intimidated workers.

The U.S. Department of Labor has secured a permanent injunction and court order against Cargomatic Inc., a California transportation company, prohibiting it from retaliating against drivers and shifting liability for labor law violations onto workers who exercised their federally protected rights.

The U.S. Department of Labor has recovered $24,783 in fringe benefits and paid sick leave for 13 employees at Wonder City Rehabilitation and Nursing Center in Hopewell, Virginia. This recovery followed an investigation by the Wage and Hour Division.