DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

The employment report for April indicates that an important driver of rising prices is moderating.

Fidelity Investments will enable investors to put bitcoin in their 401(k)s, the first retirement-plan provider to offer crypto for retirement savings.

The latest numbers from the Labor Department show Americans are calling into work sick nearly twice as much as they did throughout last year.

The farm also didn't meet housing health and safety standards, provide wage statements to workers, and pay wages on time, the DOL said.

The restaurant and its owner admitted the charges and were ordered to pay staff $344,798 in back wages, tips, and damages, legal filings show.

Most types of occupational deaths dropped amid the pandemic, but unintentional drug overdoses on the job spiked.

The four-week jobless claims average fell by 16,000 to less than 204,000, the lowest level since November 1969 according to the Department of Labor.

The four-week jobless claims average fell by 16,000 to less than 204,000, the lowest level since November 1969 according to the Department of Labor.

The Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division and the Department of Labor’s Veterans’ Employment and Training Service (VETS) today signed a new Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to enshrine the collaboration between the agencies to protect the employment rights provided to servicemembers by the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994 (USERRA). The new MOU between DOL and Department of Justice is the first between the two agencies since 2004. “They are guaranteed the right to civilian employment free from discrimination based on their military service and prompt reemployment following their military deployments. “This Memorandum of Understanding further cements our long-standing relationship with the Department of Justice to ensure that service members, veterans and employers fully understand their respective rights and obligations under the law. The Department of Justice gives high priority to the enforcement of servicemembers’ rights under USERRA.

South Dakota lawmakers are readying to issue a subpoena on Gov. Kristi Noem’s administration to hand over a document regarding her daughter's attempt to win a state appraisal license.

South Dakota lawmakers are pressing Gov. Kristi Noem’s administration to hand over a document that could prove whether there was a plan in place to give her daughter another chance to win a real estate appraiser license prior to a meeting last year that has spurred conflict-of-interest questions. The Legislature's Government Operations and Audit Committee is readying to initiate a subpoena on Monday if the Department of Labor and Regulation doesn't hand over a signed agreement between the governor’s daughter, Kassidy Peters, and state regulators. Peters won her appraiser certification after a state agency moved to deny it last year.

Jobless claims continue to edge lower, with 267,000 people applying for benefits last week.

The Department of Labor also reports the nation's unemployment rate fell to 4.6%.

Roughly 269,000 Americans sought unemployment benefits last week, a sign the job market continues to heal.

OTTAWA COUNTY, MI -- Ottawa County leaders have passed a resolution opposing an expected vaccine mandate from the federal government. There currently is no federal vaccine mandate. I’m encouraging people to educate others,” Ottawa County Commissioner Greg DeJong, who voted in support of the resolution, said Tuesday. The Ottawa County Health Department, nor the county board, plan to mandate vaccinations, county officials said Tuesday. “The (vaccine mandate) resolution focuses on a particular action that would affect the board, namely a vaccine mandate, or testing mandate in the alternative, that the federal government is right now considering,” Van Essen told commissioners.

South Dakota lawmakers will be taking a look at a state agency that has been at the center of questions about whether Gov. Kristi Noem used her influence to aid her daughter's application for a real estate appraiser license. At first glance, the first item of business for the Legislature's Government Operations and Audit Committee on Thursday appears routine: “Department of Labor and Regulation to discuss the Appraiser Certification Program.” Peters received her certification four months later.

Social Security benefits are going up 5.9%, getting their biggest boost in more than 40 years, the Social Security Administration (SSA) announced Wednesday. The increase comes as the cost of rent, food, and other goods keeps rising due to inflation. RELATED: New Social Security increase: What 5.9% more means per monthThe increase, also called a cost of living adjustment, is the largest since 1982, when Social Security benefits went up 7.4%, according to data from the agency. About 70 million Americans who receive these benefits will receive on average $1,657 next year, up $92 from 2021. According to the SSA, SSI recipients will receive their first increase on Dec. 30, 2021, while regular Social Security recipients will receive their first check in Jan. 2022.

The funds will be spent on helping families with quality childcare and children’s savings accounts.

Americans are still quitting their jobs en masse.

Number of Americans applying for unemployment aid remains about 60% higher than before the pandemic.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration announced it will push to protect workers against rising temperatures, including a federal rule to safeguard workers from heat-related illnesses.

"Have at it," President Biden said of legal challenges.

"Have at it," President Biden said of legal challenges.

Where did this three-day-weekend come from anyway?

Yet while layoffs are easing, economists say the latest COVID-19 surge is weighing on job growth.

Consumer prices increased 5.4% in the year ending July, according to a report released on Wednesday by the Department of Labor.

Employers topped forecasts by adding 943,000 jobs last month as the economic recovery went into overdrive.

Feds claim facility in Gainesville, Georgia, failed to implement safety procedures needed to prevent nitrogen leak.

PepsiCo and Conagra Brands both said on Tuesday that the plan is to pass along higher input costs to customers as inflation accelerates.

While the number of Americans filing for unemployment aid last week ticked up to 373,000, the job market remains solid.

A Washington lawmaker apologized for wearing a yellow Star of David, a symbol that the Nazis forced upon Jews as an identification marker during the Holocaust, while giving a speech in which he railed against vaccine mandates.

Walberg bill would tackle human trafficking

Labor Department watchdog finds that California and other state unemployment systems were unequipped for COVID-related jobless claims.

The head of a Miami demolition company disputed a Friday U.S. Department of Labor news release that claimed the company missed three payrolls and owed $533,778 in back wages after an investigation.

Many jobless Americans were supposed to get free health insurance from their former employer beginning April 1. They're running into problems instead.

The unemployment rate has also been falling, dropping to 6.3% in January. Signs of improvement in the labor market may create the appearance that the economy is gaining strength amid increasing vaccinations for Covid-19. Experts warn, however, that focusing on only one metric — like the headline unemployment rate — won't tell the whole story. "It doesn't tell you what the pain is in the labor market completely," said Rebecca Dixon, executive director of the National Employment Law Project. For example, in the May 2020 jobs report, the unemployment rate without this type of error would have been closer to 16.3%, a big difference from the 13.3% rate reported.

According to Dingell, Ramadan will become the first Arab American to serve in the Office of Congressional and Intergovernmental Affairs. Ahmad will also be the first Arab American to serve in the Office of Congressional and Intergovernmental Affairs and I have no doubt he will continue to build broad coalitions throughout our federal government. It is with tremendous gratitude to both Rep. Debbie Dingell and my colleagues that I look back on my two years as a member of team Dingell. I’m honored to serve in the Biden administration and hope to make you proud. I can’t wait to celebrate the success and appointments of many more individuals in the near future,” said Ramadan.

President Joe Biden is calling on the Department of Labor to make this clear: Workers are entitled to refuse employment that jeopardizes their health, without sacrificing unemployment benefits. "It's a huge issue" impacting hundreds of thousands of workers, Stettner said. "The issue that this executive order is trained on is the upwards of 40 million people who went onto unemployment benefits after the pandemic," Stettner said. "Then people started being called back to work, or offered jobs, so there was no guidance on this question. Biden's order comes a day after another order directing the Labor Department to revise worker health and safety guidance within two weeks.

LANSING, Mich. – Michigan has started making the $300 weekly COVID-19 unemployment payments to eligible residents who were affected by the pandemic. The Pandemic Unemployment Compensation payments run from Dec. 27, 2020, through March 13, 2021. They offer an additional $300 in benefits per week to Michigan claimants who were negatively affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. PEUC provides 11 additional weeks of benefits for those who have exhausted regular state unemployment benefits. PUA provides unemployment benefits to those not typically eligible for unemployment including self-employed and gig workers.

President-elect Joe Biden will issue a memo on his first day in office to "halt or delay" last-minute actions by the Trump administration, Biden's transition team announced Thursday. The Biden administration will quickly address changes made during this period, as other administrations have done, Psaki said. The freeze will apply to both regulations and also guidance documents, which agencies issue to explain or clarify rules and policies. Independent contractors give up most benefits that employees get, such as overtime or minimum-wage protections, paid sick time, family leave and the right to start or join a union. If it takes effect, the rule will make it easier to misclassify employees as independent contractors, costing workers nearly $3.7 billion annually," she said.

President-elect Joe Biden will issue a memo on his first day in office to "halt or delay" last-minute actions by the Trump administration, Biden's transition team announced Thursday. The Biden administration will quickly address changes made during this period, as other administrations have done, Psaki said. The freeze will apply to both regulations and also guidance documents, which agencies issue to explain or clarify rules and policies. Independent contractors give up most benefits that employees get, such as overtime or minimum-wage protections, paid sick time, family leave and the right to start or join a union. If it takes effect, the rule will make it easier to misclassify employees as independent contractors, costing workers nearly $3.7 billion annually," she said.

The Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) program, which covers gig workers and self-employed workers; and the Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC) program, which provides additional weeks of jobless aid to those who have run out of their regular state unemployment benefits, both expired December 26. Because the bill was signed a day after those two unemployment programs ended, concerns have been raised that jobless workers may suffer from a gap in aid payments. But since August, he's been living on just $275 a week in state unemployment benefits, "which is kind of not survivable," he told MoneyWatch recently. Unemployment programs are run independently by each state, and jobless workers apply for aid through their state labor departments. This likely means lawmakers may be debating more jobless aid in 2021.

The Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) program, which covers gig workers and self-employed workers; and the Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC) program, which provides additional weeks of jobless aid to those who have run out of their regular state unemployment benefits, both expired December 26. Because the bill was signed a day after those two unemployment programs ended, concerns have been raised that jobless workers may suffer from a gap in aid payments. But since August, he's been living on just $275 a week in state unemployment benefits, "which is kind of not survivable," he told MoneyWatch recently. Unemployment programs are run independently by each state, and jobless workers apply for aid through their state labor departments. For instance, 8 of 10 jobless workers in Wyoming receive their jobless benefits within 14 days of being deemed eligible for the benefits, according to the Century Foundation.

The Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) program, which covers gig workers and self-employed workers; and the Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC) program, which provides additional weeks of jobless aid to those who have run out of their regular state unemployment benefits, both expired December 26. Because the bill was signed a day after those two unemployment programs ended, concerns have been raised that jobless workers may suffer from a gap in aid payments. But since August, he's been living on just $275 a week in state unemployment benefits, "which is kind of not survivable," he told MoneyWatch recently. Unemployment programs are run independently by each state, and jobless workers apply for aid through their state labor departments. For instance, 8 of 10 jobless workers in Wyoming receive their jobless benefits within 14 days of being deemed eligible for the benefits, according to the Century Foundation.

The Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) program, which covers gig workers and self-employed workers; and the Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC) program, which provides additional weeks of jobless aid to those who have run out of their regular state unemployment benefits, both expired December 26. Because the bill was signed a day after those two unemployment programs ended, concerns have been raised that jobless workers may suffer from a gap in aid payments. But since August, he's been living on just $275 a week in state unemployment benefits, "which is kind of not survivable," he told MoneyWatch recently. Unemployment programs are run independently by each state, and jobless workers apply for aid through their state labor departments. For instance, 8 of 10 jobless workers in Wyoming receive their jobless benefits within 14 days of being deemed eligible for the benefits, according to the Century Foundation.

Jobless claims rise again, with 885,000 filing last week Unemployment is on the rise as coronavirus cases surge nationwide. According to the latest figures released by the Department of Labor, 885,000 Americans filed for first-time unemployment the second week in December. Frances Stacy, director of portfolio strategy at Optimal Capital, joined CBSN to discuss what these latest numbers mean for the U.S. economy.

At the same time, states also are underpaying those workers displaced because of the business restrictions associated with the pandemic. The GAO also took issue with the way the Labor Department has been reporting weekly claims, which have run above the pre-pandemic record every week since mid-March. A primary issue in the weekly reporting has been with case backlogs, resulting in counts that are too low. At the same time, the department is sometimes counting people repeatedly who file multiple claims, resulting in some counts that are too high. "DOL has continued to collect and report claims data in the ways it has historically, which provides some valuable information about the volume of claims submitted," the report stated.

click to enlarge Courtesy of Union JointsAs if running a small business during a global pandemic wasn't difficult enough, add Michigan's impenetrable winter weather and climbing coronavirus cases to the mix and it's enough to want to throw in the artisanal pretzel towel for good.Well, there's good news for small business owners by way of Michigan's Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity and the Small Business Association of Michigan. The partnership means there's $3 million in grant money available to aid businesses in extending and winterizing outdoor spaces to reduce exposure to the elements and indoor traffic,reports.“Throughout the pandemic, Michigan's small businesses have done their part to keep our economy open by following proper safety regulations,” Susan Corbin, Labor and Economic Opportunity acting director said in a release. “These federal grants will help them fund temporary outdoor facilities and increase customer capacity while ensuring their workplaces are safe during our cold winter ahead.”Grants, which are made possible thanks to cash from the federal CARES Act earlier this year, are available to businesses with less than 50 full-time employees, and each business is eligible to receive anywhere between $1,000-$10,000 to help construct temporary outdoor amenities, as well as pay for heaters, furniture, or other necessary equipment. Meanwhile, $15,000 grants may be distributed to eligible municipalities and organizations.Interested applicants may begin applying next week at miwintergrants.org/submit Many metro Detroit businesses have already begun to creatively pivot to heated outdoor services, like individual dining igloos, tents, and yurts Earlier this week, the city of Northville announced the upcoming construction of heated pods and walk-up stands to assist shops in the downtown district weather the winter months.

NEW YORK – Three civil rights groups filed a lawsuit Thursday challenging President Donald Trump's executive order that prohibits federal agencies, contractors and grant recipients from offering certain diversity training that the president deems “anti-American." The lawsuit argued that Trump's order violates free speech rights and strangles workplace attempts to address systemic race and sex discrimination. The National Urban League and the National Fair Housing Alliance both have federal contracts and plan to apply for future ones. Critics say Trump's order twists President Lyndon B. Johnson’s 1965 initiative into vehicle for white grievances. The lawsuit, however, said the wording of the order is overly broad and is already having a chilling effect on diversity training.

WASHINGTON – The Trump administration announced plans Tuesday to sharply limit visas issued to skilled workers from overseas, a move officials said was a priority amid job losses caused by the coronavirus pandemic. President Donald Trump in June issued an order temporarily suspending the H-1B program until the end of the year. workers are being ousted from good paying, middle-class jobs and replaced with non-U.S. workers,” Pizzella said. There would also be increased workplace inspections and additional oversight of the H-1B program, Cuccinelli said. The U.S. can issue up to 85,000 H-1B visas per year in technology, life sciences, health care and other sectors.

DETROIT After an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labors Wage and Hour Division, the City of Highland Park has paid $49,181 in back wages to four current employees for violations of the overtime requirements of the Fair Labor Standards Act. WHD investigators determined the city violated FLSA overtime provisions after it failed to combine the hours worked by some employees who worked in both fire protection and law enforcement activities. This practice resulted in violations when those employees worked overtime hours, but because the employer did not add together time spent in both tasks, the city failed to recognize and pay the overtime. Employers must understand the laws that apply to their employees, and ensure that workers are paid all the wages they have legally earned, said Wage and Hour Division District Director, Timolin Mitchell. The outcome of this investigation should remind other municipalities and employers to review their pay practices to ensure they comply with the law.

Published: May 29, 2020, 9:49 am Updated: May 29, 2020, 10:29 amLANSING, Mich. – Michigan’s government has launched a new site to help reopening businesses keep employees and customers safe and prevent further spreading the coronavirus (COVID-19). The site was developed by the Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration within the Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity. Click here to visit the new COVID-19 Workplace Safety site. The site includes MIOSHA guidelines, posters for employees and customers, factsheets, educational videos and a reopening checklist. Anyone with questions about workplace safety and health can call MIOSHA’s new hotline at 855-723-3219.

Oliver Douliery | AFP | Getty ImagesThe number of workers who continued to collect unemployment benefits rose to a greater-than-expected 22.6 million last week, reinforcing economists' estimates for massive April job losses totaling more than 20 million. After the shocking numbers that show 33.5 million workers have now filed new claims in the past seven weeks, markets are increasingly turning their focus to the number of workers who continue to collect unemployment benefits. The continuing claims data is lagging, as are the reports of new claims, because state unemployment offices have been overwhelmed by the record job losses in such a short period of time. Continuing claims represent those who filed within at least the last two weeks and are still on the rolls. The number of workers filing first-time claims was 3.17 million last week, the Labor Department reported Thursday, below 3.8 million the week earlier and the fifth-straight week of decline.

Here's the good news: though no one knows how long this crisis will last, small business owners say the jobs will be there again when it is over. Nearly all of the small business owners who have had to lay off or furlough employees intend to hire again once things return to normal. Just over half (52%) expect to hire everyone back who has been let go, and 37% expect to hire some back. Fewer than one in 10 (9%) say they don't expect to re-hire anyone who has been furloughed or laid off. Among those who have not applied, 48% expect to hire back all and 37% expect to hire back some of their lost workers.

While the number of Americans without jobs keeps rising, more states are stepping in to provide expanded unemployment benefits. Only Connecticut, Idaho, Kansas, Ohio, Washington and Wisconsin have not yet implemented the additional payments for those seeking unemployment benefits. This is on top of what out-of-work employees can claim under their state's unemployment benefits. Last year, the Department of Labor reported the unemployment benefits replaced about 45% of a worker's pay nationally. In terms of dollars, the Brookings Institution estimates that the national average weekly payment was $387 prior to the coronavirus pandemic.

Update on Michigan unemployment system, federal CARES Act -- April 14, 2020Published: April 14, 2020, 12:45 pmMichigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity Director Jeff Donofrio provided an update Tuesday morning on the state’s implementation of the unemployment benefits outlined in the federal CARES Act for self-employed, gig, 1099-contract and low-wage workers. For information and help, go here: https://www.clickondetroit.com/news/michigan/2020/04/09/michigan-unemployment-help-and-resources-updated-list/

A help wanted sign is displayed in the window of a Brooklyn business in New York. That would be a slowdown from November, when the economy added 266,000 jobs with an unemployment rate of 3.5%. November's jobs growth was boosted by a rise in manufacturing employment, due partially to the end of a strike by the United Automobile Workers. The manufacturing sector as a whole added 53,000 jobs in November, with health care sector and the leisure and hospitality sector each adding 45,000. Mining was the worst performing sector in November, shedding 7,000 jobs.

Are investment pros required to act in your best interest? The fiduciary standard has received a lot of attention recently. The Supreme Court, President Obama and the Department of Labor have all recently discussed it and how it impacts ordinary investors. Jill Schlesinger reports.