U.S. Department of Labor

We’ve entered into an agreement with a Tennessee cleaning contractor requiring them to: • pay $400,000 in penalties • monitor and audit policies to prevent the employment of children in dangerous jobs • maintain a toll-free number for reporting concerns about the illegal employment of children. The agreement follows an investigation by our Wage and Hour Division that found QSI LLC illegally employed children on overnight sanitation shifts at 13 meat and poultry processing facilities in Alabama, California, Delaware, Indiana, Iowa, Ohio, Tennessee and Virginia. In fiscal year 2024, our investigators found more than 4,000 children had been employed in violation of federal child labor laws. We addressed those violations by assessing employers more than $15.1 million in civil money penalties, up 89% from the previous year. Workers and employers can ask questions in more than 200 languages at 866-4US-WAGE (487-9243). Calls are free and confidential.

Unemployment Insurance Weekly Claims Initial claims were 217,000 for the week ending 1/11 (+14,000). Insured unemployment was 1,859,000 for the week ending 1/4 (-18,000). https://lnkd.in/gcGh-G4

We've entered into an agreement with Perdue Farms Inc. and a separate agreement with temporary staffing agency SMX to address child labor violations found in an investigation of a Virginia poultry processing facility. Investigators with our Wage and Hour Division found that, as far back as 2020, Perdue Farms contracted with SMX to staff production-level jobs, and that they jointly employed children in hazardous occupations at the Accomac facility to debone and process chicken and other products using equipment such as electric knives and a heat-sealing press. The employers also permitted children to work after 7 p.m. during a regular school week. These conditions violate the Fair Labor Standards Act’s child labor hazardous orders and hours provisions. The division’s investigation also determined Perdue Farms violated the FLSA’s “hot goods” provision, which prevents employers from shipping goods produced in, or about an establishment where there was illegal child labor.

In our “I Am DOL” series, we’re highlighting employees who work in a wide range of roles at the Department of Labor. We asked Rob Robinson, a paralegal specialist in our legal office, a few questions about his career and what advice he has for people considering a federal job. Here’s what he had to say ⬇️ https://lnkd.in/e29THi4B #careers

We’ve entered into an agreement with JBS USA Food Co. in which the company will provide $4 million to help individuals and communities affected by unlawful child labor practices nationwide. The agreement commits JBS to holding key elements of its supply chain, third-party contractors and service providers accountable for illegal child labor. They are also creating a targeted advertising campaign to raise awareness about unlawful child labor practices. JBS will fund $4 million towards preventing illegal child labor and supporting victims of child labor nationwide while prioritizing its efforts in the communities of Guntersville, Alabama; Greeley, Colorado; Ottumwa, Iowa; Worthington, Minnesota; and Grand Island, Nebraska. The funds may provide direct assistance to affected individuals and community organizations in the form of scholarships, stipends and educational aid including assistance to community organizations to fund English as a Second Language teaching positions, literacy, job training and housing. Since 2022, the department has investigated various third-party contractors that provide sanitation services at meat packing establishments and service providers of poultry catching operations across the U.S. These investigations discovered that JBS’s third-party service providers employed children in dangerous jobs and during overnight shifts at the company’s facilities in Colorado, Iowa, Minnesota and Nebraska. In fiscal year 2024, department investigators found more than 4,000 children had been employed in violation of federal child labor laws. The division continues to prioritize protecting children and currently has over 1,000 open child labor investigations. Workers and employers can call the division confidentially with questions and the division can speak with callers in more than 200 languages at its toll-free helpline, 866-4US-WAGE (487-9243).

Please bookmark/screenshot! 1-866-4-USA-DOL (1-866-487-2365) is the U.S. Department of Labor's main toll-free telephone number. You can call us with your work-related question or concern from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET on weekdays, except federal holidays.

We're making at least $25 million in grants available to support training and employment services for incarcerated individuals before and after their release from state, county or local correctional facilities. By providing reentry services during incarceration and after release, these grants will help improve employment outcomes in the reentry process and reduce recidivism. The funding will help provide those reentering society from incarceration with legal assistance, counseling, job search strategies and other foundational skills and services before their release. Programs will support Registered Apprenticeships and occupational training that leads to industry-recognized credentials and supportive services upon release. https://lnkd.in/e8fatcrF

This November, we celebrated National Apprenticeship Week for the 10th time, with more than 1,500 events – a new record. Starting in 2025, we’ll be recognizing National Apprenticeship Week in the spring, kicking off with a one-day celebration on April 30, 2025. See some of the highlights from National Apprenticeship Week 2024 and start getting inspired for the coming year by reading our new report. https://lnkd.in/gqMr9qx9 #NAWDay2025

Our Bureau of International Labor Affairs has resources for companies, consumers, researchers, policymakers and others to help #EndTrafficking and labor exploitation. Explore them at https://lnkd.in/gZPzJCd

Ron Vargas, a federal project officer in our Employment and Training Administration, helps make sure workers can access the education and training they need for good careers. Find out what it’s like to have a mission-oriented career: https://lnkd.in/eCYFJi85 #careers