Employment

WASHINGTON -- A panel of experts, recently convened by The Concord Coalition, a bipartisan political advocacy group, contend that near-term economic and fiscal damage caused by the current health crisis will make living standards more important than ever. They contend... Read More

WASHINGTON – A vote is expected in the House this week on the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, a bill that would require employers to provide “reasonable workplace accommodations for workers whose ability to perform the functions of a job are... Read More

OAKLAND, Calif.– Four plaintiffs in a recently-filed California lawsuit allege they endured verbal harassment and discrimination by their supervisors at Mitsubishi Electric U.S., Inc. LeiRoi Bowie, Gabriel Ross, Lavell Roberson and Craig Martin, all plaintiffs in the suit, were consistently... Read More

WASHINGTON — Senate Republicans plan to vote later this week on another economic relief package for Americans dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic, but the slimmed-down plan — which does not include new checks for individuals — is already a deal-breaker... Read More

U.S. unemployment claims figures gave a mixed picture of the labor market amid government changes to seasonal adjustments to account for distortions from the pandemic. Initial jobless claims in state programs totaled 881,000 in the week ended Aug. 29, according... Read More

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. unemployment rate fell sharply in August to 8.4% from 10.2% even as hiring slowed, with employers adding the fewest jobs since the pandemic began. Employers added 1.4 million jobs, the Labor Department said, down from... Read More

SPRINGDALE, Ark. - As part of its ongoing effort to protect its workers from COVID-19, Tyson Foods is launching a nationwide monitoring program at its facilities while extending its occupational health staff. The new monitoring strategy was designed with the... Read More

ATLANTA – In cooperation with the Mayo Clinic, Delta Air Lines is implementing a widespread COVID-19 testing program for its employees to fortify the safety of passengers and personnel. The partnership between Delta and the Mayo Clinic has been on-going... Read More

Applications for U.S. unemployment benefits unexpectedly increased last week, a stumble for the labor market in its long road to recovery. Initial jobless claims in regular state programs rose by 135,000 to more than 1.1 million in the week ended... Read More

WASHINGTON - As the House convenes for a rare Saturday session, over 100 Democrats are urging Speaker Nancy Pelosi to open the floor to consideration of a bill to extend an emergency bonus to unemployment benefits due to the coronavirus... Read More

SALEM, Ore. - Starting this week, those who are unemployed in the state of Oregon can apply for a one-time $500 stimulus check on a first-come-first-served basis at select financial institutions. As many as 77,000 Oregon residents will be eligible... Read More

Rep. Abigail Spanberger, D-Va., announced Monday the acquisition of $1.2 million in federal grant funds for the Virginia Health Workforce Development Authority’s recruitment efforts, continuing education and health care workforce development. The VHWDA grant will be issued to the organization’s... Read More

WASHINGTON — Applications for U.S. unemployment benefits unexpectedly fell last week to the lowest since March, offering a ray of hope for an economy still battered by the pandemic. Initial jobless claims in regular state programs fell by 249,000 to... Read More

WASHINGTON (AP) — Nearly 1.2 million laid-off Americans applied for state unemployment benefits last week, evidence that the coronavirus keeps forcing companies to slash jobs just as a critical $600 weekly federal jobless payment has expired. The Labor Department’s report... Read More

WASHINGTON - Americans left jobless due to the COVID-19 pandemic could soon gain greater economic peace of mind thanks to a bill introduced Monday by Reps. Don Beyer, D-Va., and Derek Kilmer, D-Wash. The Worker Relief and Security Act ties... Read More

WASHINGTON - More than 1.3 million Americans applied for unemployment benefits last week, a pace that suggests employers continue to lay people off in the face of a resurgent coronavirus. The Labor Department said Thursday that the number of jobless... Read More

WASHINGTON - June is always an anxious time for new graduates, but there’s never been a summer in memory as stark for new job seekers as this one. Since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, nearly 40 million have lost... Read More

WASHINGTON - Employers added 4.8 million jobs in June, pushing the nation's unemployment rate down to 11.1%, down from a peak of 14.7% in April, the Labor Department said Thursday. June was the second month in a row of payroll... Read More

WASHINGTON - A Coalition of Democratic and Republican House members have sent a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., to request Congressional funding to plug "orphan" oil and gas wells across the... Read More

WASHINGTON — A bipartisan effort to expand the employee retention tax credit has gained a significant endorsement from a coalition representing 130 small businesses and key industry organizations.  The bill, entitled the “Jumpstarting Our 5 Businesses’ Success Credit Act”, or... Read More

WASHINGTON - In a landmark ruling, the U.S. Supreme Court said Monday that the Civil Rights Act of 1964 protects gay, lesbian and transgender workers from workplace discrimination. The 6-3 ruling was considered something of a surprise, given the supposed... Read More

WASHINGTON - U.S. employers added 2.5 million jobs in May as businesses began to reopen following months of closures ordered at the outset of the coronavirus pandemic. The uptick in hiring dropped the unemployment rate to 13.3%, the Labor Department... Read More

WASHINGTON - The Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress held a virtual discussion late last week on the challenges faced by district staff working remotely and the steps federal agencies can take to protect staffers as they return to... Read More

WASHINGTON - A bipartisan bill introduced in both the House and Senate this week would create a flexible, $4,000 skills training credit for workers who have lost their job due to the coronavirus outbreak. The Skills Renewal Act affords these... Read More

WASHINGTON - The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits in the nine weeks since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic reached 38.6 million last week, just as states across the nation began to take decisive steps to reopen their... Read More

WASHINGTON - Nearly 3 million laid-off Americans applied for unemployment benefits last week, bringing the total job losses since the coronavirus pandemic took hold in mid-February to roughly 36 million, the Labor Department said Thursday. An additional 842,000 people applied... Read More

WASHINGTON - Industry and legal experts told the U.S. Senate Tuesday that the coronavirus pandemic is creating liabilities that are not adequately addressed by existing laws and regulations. As a result, business owners are running up against hundreds of lawsuits... Read More

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court justices sounded split Monday on whether to broadly deny civil rights protections to hundreds of thousands of teachers in religious schools, as they heard cases involving two who were fired from Catholic schools in Los... Read More

WASHINGTON - Rep. Derek Kilmer, chairman of the New Democrat Coalition, joined with Rep. Don Beyer this week to release a draft framework for the Workers’ Relief and Security Act, bicameral legislation that would tie ongoing expanded unemployment benefits to... Read More

WASHINGTON - A bipartisan group of House members led by Rep. Stephanie Murphy, D-Fla., is seeking to stem the stunning wave of layoffs across the country due to the coronavirus pandemic by expanding the employee retention tax credit. Roughly 33.5... Read More