| Job growth, paid leave progress and child labor enforcement |
U.S. Department of Labor | | February 8, 2024 |
| Latest jobs report shows strong economic growth The U.S. economy added 353,000 jobs in January, making 14.8 million jobs since President Biden took office. With the unemployment rate at 3.7%, this continues the longest stretch of the jobless rate staying below 4% in more than 50 years. Watch: Acting Secretary of Labor Julie Su on the economy Watch: Chief Economist SJ Glynn on the jobs report |
| Acting Secretary Su: Companies must protect children from dangerous jobs In a Newsweek op-ed, Acting Secretary Su challenged companies to ramp up efforts to protect children from dangerous jobs. âWhen we go shopping â whether for groceries, gifts, or supplies â we should not have to question if the products were made with illegal child labor,â she wrote. |
| A win for workers at Goodyear plant in Mexico After workersâ rights were denied at a Goodyear tire plant in San Luis PotosÃ, Mexico, the matter was successfully remediated under the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreementâs Rapid Response Labor Mechanism. The company has paid more than 1,300 workers approximately $4 million in back wages, among other actions. |
| Funding opportunity will support local organizations that help prepare and empower young workers Weâve announced an $85 million funding opportunity to improve job opportunities for young people in communities affected by violence, crime and poverty. The grants will fund education, skills training, supportive services and paid work experience. |
| Popeyes weak on compliance Investigators found 63 teens at a Michigan Popeyes franchise working longer and later hours than permitted for 14- and 15-year-olds. A separate investigation found a California Popeyes franchisee hired children as young as 13 and had minors working later and longer than permitted. Investigators also found overtime violations. |
| Retirement savings recovered for California dental employees Weâve obtained a judgment to recover $100,000 from a Bay Area dentist who unlawfully withdrew more than $85,000 of employeesâ retirement money from an employer-sponsored plan and abandoned the plan, preventing two participants from accessing roughly $160,000 in retirement savings. |
| | Discrimination resolution Michael Baker International Inc. has agreed to pay $122,299 in back wages and interest to resolve alleged pay discrimination against female employees. | | |
| | Protecting Super Bowl Workers The low-wage workers who make the Super Bowl possible are often at risk of wage theft, trafficking and other labor violations. We're staying vigilant in Las Vegas as the big game approaches. | | |
| | Heat fatality leads to citations OSHA has cited an Alabama construction employer after an investigation into a 2023 heat illness fatality found the company exposed workers to extreme heat hazards. | | |
| Black History Month heroes During Black History Month we'll be honoring the many Black Americans throughout our nation's history who have carved paths for workers from all backgrounds to more fully experience the benefits of American society. |
| Love, labor and a touch of fun! ð At the Labor Department, we love work â especially when itâs good for workers. Check out our themed #valentines, download your favorites and share them with your work besties, friends and family.
-@USDOL |
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