Latest U.S. Department of Labor News
Wholesale price increases accelerated in April as inflation remains sticky
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. wholesale prices rose sharply last month, a sign that inflation pressures remain stubbornly high after three elevated readings in consumer prices to start the year. The Labor Department said Tuesday that its producer price index — which tracks price...
This Week: Producer prices, inflation check, April retail sales
Inflation foresight The Labor Department releases producer price data for April on Tuesday. The producer price index measures inflation at the wholesale level, before businesses pass costs on to consumers. Wholesale inflation jumped in March, the latest sign that...
US weekly jobless claims hit highest level since August of 2023, though job market is still hot
The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits jumped to its highest level in more than eight months last week, another indication that the red hot U.S. labor market may be softening. Unemployment claims for the week ending May 4 rose by 22,000 to 231,000, up from...
A US company is fined $650,000 for illegally hiring children to clean meat processing plants
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A Tennessee-based sanitation company has agreed to pay more than half a million dollars after a federal investigation found it illegally hired at least two dozen children to clean dangerous meat processing facilities in Iowa and Virginia. The U.S. Department...
Number of Americans applying for jobless claims remains historically low
The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits was unchanged last week and remains historically low as the labor market continues to show resiliency in the face of high interest rates and elevated inflation. The Labor Department reported Thursday that unemployment claims...
US job openings fall to 8.5 million in March, the lowest level in more than 3 years
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. jobs openings slid in March to the lowest level in more than three years, but stayed at historically high levels in a sign that the job market remains resilient in the face of higher interest rates. The Labor Department reported Wednesday that employers...
Temporary farmworkers get more protections against retaliation and other abuses under new rule
SANTA ROSA, Calif. (AP) — Temporary farmworkers will have more legal protections against employer retaliation, unsafe working conditions, illegal recruitment practices and other abuses under a Labor Department rule announced Friday. Each year about 300,000 immigrants, mostly from...
Biden administration finalizes rule to grant overtime for millions more salaried workers
NEW YORK (AP) — The Biden administration has finalized a new rule set to make millions of more salaried workers eligible for overtime pay in the U.S. The move marks the largest expansion in federal overtime eligibility seen in decades. Starting July 1, employers will be required...
America’s child care crisis is holding back moms without college degrees
AUBURN, Wash. (AP) — After a series of lower-paying jobs, Nicole Slemp finally landed one she loved. She was a secretary for Washington’s child services department, a job that came with her own cubicle, and she had a knack for working with families in difficult situations. Slemp...
Trump called this visa 'very bad' for Americans. Truth Social applied for one
MIAMI (AP) — The social media company founded by former President Donald Trump applied for a business visa program that he sought to restrict during his administration and which many of his allies want him to curtail in a potential second term. Trump Media & Technology Group,...
