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According to the US Department of Labor, in the week ending September 18, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 465,000, an increase of 12,000 from the previous week’s revised figure of 453,000. The 4-week moving average was 463,250, a decrease of 3,250 from the previous week’s revised average of 466,500.

Advance Seasonally Adjusted Insured Unemployment Rate Decreases

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 3.5% for the week ending September 11, a decrease of 0.1 percentage points from the prior week’s revised rate of 3.6%.

Advance Seasonally Adjusted Insured Unemployment Decreases

The advance number for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment during the week ending September 11 was 4,489,000, a decrease of 48,000 from the preceding week’s revised level of 4,537,000. The 4-week moving average was 4,519,500, an increase of 2,500 from the preceding week’s revised average of 4,517,000.

According to the US Department of Labor, in the week ending September 11, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 450,000, a decrease of 3,000 from the previous week’s revised figure of 453,000. The 4-week moving average was 464,750, a decrease of 13,500 from the previous week’s revised average of 478,250.

Advance Seasonally Adjusted Insured Unemployment Rate Decreases

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 3.5% for the week ending September 4, a decrease of 0.1 percentage points from the prior week’s revised rate of 3.6%.

Advance Seasonally Adjusted Insured Unemployment Decreases

The advance number for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment during the week ending September 4 was 4,485,000, a decrease of 84,000 from the preceding week’s revised level of 4,569,000. The 4-week moving average was 4,503,000, a decrease of 7,500 from the preceding week’s revised average of 4,510,500.

In its spring 2010 Regulatory Agenda, the US Department of Labor (DOL) had issued a new regulatory and enforcement strategy for all businesses referred to as “Plan/Prevent/Protect.” While the specifics of program are still being defined, the new program involves the following:

• Plan: The DOL will propose a requirement that employers create a plan for identifying and remedying risks of legal violations and other risks to workers.
• Prevent: The DOL will propose a requirement that employers completely implement the plan in a manner that prevents legal violations.
• Protect: The DOL will propose a requirement that employers ensure that the plan’s objectives are met on a regular basis.

Find Out More About Plan/Prevent/Protect Now

For more information on each of these topics, be sure to read the featured article by the HR pros at MyHRSupportCenter, Plan, Prevent, Protect—Sooner Better than Later. If you’re not yet signed up or would like a free trial of MyHRSupportCenter, contact Vision Payroll today.

According to the US Department of Labor, in the week ending September 4, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 451,000, a decrease of 27,000 from the previous week’s revised figure of 478,000. The 4-week moving average was 477,750, a decrease of 9,250 from the previous week’s revised average of 487,000.

Advance Seasonally Adjusted Insured Unemployment Rate Remains Unchanged

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 3.5% for the week ending August 28, unchanged from the prior week’s unrevised rate of 3.5%.

Advance Seasonally Adjusted Insured Unemployment Decreases

The advance number for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment during the week ending August 28 was 4,478,000, a decrease of 2,000 from the preceding week’s revised level of 4,480,000. The 4-week moving average was 4,488,000, a decrease of 3,250 from the preceding week’s revised average of 4,491,250.

Seasonally Adjusted Weekly Insured Unemployment

The fiscal year-to-date average of seasonally adjusted weekly insured unemployment, which corresponds to the appropriated AWIU trigger, was 4.986 million.

Nonfarm payroll employment changed little (-54,000) in August, and the unemployment rate was about unchanged at 9.6%, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics reported recently. Government employment fell, as 114,000 temporary workers hired for the decennial census completed their work. Private-sector payroll employment continued to trend up modestly (+67,000).

Household Survey Data

The number of unemployed persons (14.9 million) and the unemployment rate (9.6% percent) were little changed in August. From May through August, the jobless rate remained in the range of 9.5 to 9.7 percent.

Major Work Groups Data

Among the major worker groups, the unemployment rate for adult men (9.8%), adult women (8.0%), teenagers (26.3%), whites (8.7%), blacks (16.3%), and Hispanics (12.0%) showed little change in August. The jobless rate for Asians was 7.2%, not seasonally adjusted.

Decline in Long-term Unemployed

The number of long-term unemployed (those jobless for 27 weeks and over) declined by 323,000 over the month to 6.2 million. In August, 42.0 percent of unemployed persons had been jobless for 27 weeks or more.

Civilian Labor Force Increases Slightly

In August, the civilian labor force participation rate (64.7%) and the employment-population ratio (58.5%) were essentially unchanged.

Increase in Involuntary Part-time Workers

The number of persons employed part time for economic reasons (sometimes referred to as involuntary part-time workers) increased by 331,000 over the month to 8.9 million. These individuals were working part time because their hours had been cut back or because they were unable to find a full-time job.

Little Change in Marginally Attached Labor Force

About 2.4 million persons were marginally attached to the labor force in August, little changed from a year earlier. (The data are not seasonally adjusted.) These individuals were not in the labor force, wanted and were available for work, and had looked for a job sometime in the prior 12 months. They were not counted as unemployed because they had not searched for work in the 4 weeks preceding the survey.

Discouraged Workers up 47% in One Year

Among the marginally attached, there were 1.1 million discouraged workers in August, an increase of 352,000 from a year earlier. (The data are not seasonally adjusted.) Discouraged workers are persons not currently looking for work because they believe no jobs are available for them. The remaining 1.3 million persons marginally attached to the labor force had not searched for work in the 4 weeks preceding the survey for reasons such as school attendance or family responsibilities.

According to the US Department of Labor, in the week ending August 28, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 472,000, a decrease of 6,000 from the previous week’s revised figure of 478,000. The 4-week moving average was 485,500, a decrease of 2,500 from the previous week’s revised average of 488,000.

Advance Seasonally Adjusted Insured Unemployment Rate Remains Unchanged

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 3.5% for the week ending August 21, unchanged from the prior week’s unrevised rate of 3.5%.

Advance Seasonally Adjusted Insured Unemployment Decreases

The advance number for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment during the week ending August 21 was 4,456,000, a decrease of 23,000 from the preceding week’s revised level of 4,479,000. The 4-week moving average was 4,485,250, a decrease of 28,500 from the preceding week’s revised average of 4,513,750.

Seasonally Adjusted Weekly Insured Unemployment

The fiscal year-to-date average of seasonally adjusted weekly insured unemployment, which corresponds to the appropriated AWIU trigger, was 4.994 million.

According to the US Department of Labor, in the week ending August 21, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 473,000, a decrease of 31,000 from the previous week’s revised figure of 504,000. The 4-week moving average was 486,750, an increase of 3,250 from the previous week’s revised average of 483,500.

Advance Seasonally Adjusted Insured Unemployment Rate Decreases

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 3.5% for the week ending August 14, a decrease of 0.1 percentage points from the prior week’s revised rate of 3.6%.

Advance Seasonally Adjusted Insured Unemployment Decreases

The advance number for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment during the week ending August 14 was 4,456,000, a decrease of 62,000 from the preceding week’s revised level of 4,518,000. The 4-week moving average was 4,508,750, a decrease of 28,000 from the preceding week’s revised average of 4,536,750.

Seasonally Adjusted Weekly Insured Unemployment

The fiscal year-to-date average of seasonally adjusted weekly insured unemployment, which corresponds to the appropriated AWIU trigger, was 5.001 million.

According to the US Department of Labor, in the week ending August 14, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 500,000, an increase of 12,000 from the previous week’s revised figure of 488,000. The 4-week moving average was 482,500, an increase of 8,000 from the previous week’s revised average of 474,500.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 3.5% for the week ending August 7, unchanged from the prior week’s unrevised rate of 3.5%.

The advance number for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment during the week ending August 7 was 4,478,000, a decrease of 13,000 from the preceding week’s revised level of 4,491,000. The 4-week moving average was 4,526,750, a decrease of 1,500 from the preceding week’s revised average of 4,528,250.

The fiscal year-to-date average of seasonally adjusted weekly insured unemployment, which corresponds to the appropriated AWIU trigger, was 5.010 million.

According to the US Department of Labor, in the week ending August 7, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 484,000, an increase of 2,000 from the previous week’s revised figure of 482,000. The 4-week moving average was 473,500, an increase of 14,250 from the previous week’s revised average of 459,250.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 3.5% for the week ending July 31, a decrease of 0.1 percentage points from the prior week’s unrevised rate of 3.6%.

The advance number for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment during the week ending July 31 was 4,452,000, a decrease of 118,000 from the preceding week’s revised level of 4,570,000. The 4-week moving average was 4,518,500, a decrease of 64,500 from the preceding week’s revised average of 4,583,000.

The fiscal year-to-date average of seasonally adjusted weekly insured unemployment, which corresponds to the appropriated AWIU trigger, was 5.018 million.

The US Department of Labor’s Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) recently announced that Kansas City Chiefs’ running back Thomas Jones has become a spokesman for the agency’s annual “Stay Out-Stay Alive” public safety campaign, launched in 1999 to warn outdoor enthusiasts, especially children, about the dangers of playing on mine property. Each year, dozens of people are injured or killed in recreational accidents at active and abandoned mine sites.

Jones, who grew up in the coalfields of southwestern Virginia, has recorded a series of audio and video public service announcements describing the hidden dangers that exist in abandoned mines and quarries. He played college football at the University of Virginia and was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals. His former teams include the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Chicago Bears, and the New York Jets. His brother Julius Jones plays for the Seattle Seahawks. “Both my parents were coal miners, and they instilled in me a respect for the hazards they often encountered while working underground,” said Jones. “If you haven’t been properly trained as a miner, you have no business being anywhere near a quarry, gravel pit or mine.”

“We are pleased that Thomas has dedicated his time to help MSHA spread this very important safety message, especially to young people,” said Joseph A. Main, assistant secretary of labor for mine safety and health. “Since professional athletes often serve as role models for our children, and he comes from a coal mining family, Thomas is the ideal spokesperson for this campaign.”

Each spring, MSHA field personnel visit schools, scouting groups and other venues around the country to talk to young people about the dangers of playing on active and abandoned mine property.

Drowning is by far the most common cause of non-occupational fatal mining accidents, accounting for three out of five fatalities over the past 10 years. Abandoned water-filled quarries harbor slippery slopes and unstable rock ledges. The water can conceal old machinery and sharp objects left behind after a mining operation closes. Even expert swimmers may encounter trouble in the dangerously cold and deceptively deep waters. Since 1999, nearly half of all drowning victims were between 15 and 25 years old.

Old surface mines, popular spots for all-terrain vehicles and motorcycle enthusiasts, often contain hills of loose materials or refuse heaps that can easily collapse and cause deadly rollovers. Surface mining landscapes are constantly changing, resulting in poor visibility of cliffs and steep ledges. These hazardous conditions make vehicle accidents at surface mines the second most common cause of fatalities on mining properties.

Underground mines can have hidden shafts, flooded or airless sections, or deadly gases. Tunnels are susceptible to cave-ins, and unused or misfired explosives can be set off by the slightest disturbance or touch.

To listen to the PSAs, click the links below:

Thomas Jones PSA #1

Thomas Jones PSA #2

Thomas Jones PSA #3

Thomas Jones PSA #4