Perez is Sworn in as 26th Secretary of Labor

Vice President Joe Biden administered the oath of office to Secretary of Labor Thomas E. Perez during a ceremony on September 4th.  Mr. Perez, who was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on July 18, is the 26th secretary of labor. Vice President Biden remarked he is "the embodiment" of the American Dream, who has devoted his life to providing others with an opportunity to succeed. Mr. Perez spoke of mentors and encounters that shaped his life, including the belief that "you can make it if you try." He called for closing "the skills gap" by investing in the nation's workforce, ensuring a safe and level playing field for workers, reforming the immigration system, and increasing the minimum wage

Happy Labor Day

Labor Day, the first Monday in September, is a creation of the labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. It constitutes a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country.

Celebrate 50 Years

"I have a dream this afternoon that my four little children will not come up in the same young days that I came up within, but they will be judged on the basis of the content of their character, not the color of their skin."  Martin Luther King, Jr - 1963

FMLA Turns Twenty

Monday, August 5, marked the 20-year anniversary of the Family and Medical Leave Act. As a result, many people have the liberty, security and legal right to take time off the job to care for a family member without risking their job.

Grants to Improve State UI Programs

The U.S. Department of Labor announce that grants are available to improve state Unemployment Insurance programs.  The funding will help states implement strategies to prevent, reduce and recover improper payments and to modernize the UI tax and benefit systems. In order to qualify for funding, states must implement a set of core integrity strategies, such as the implementation or expansion of the State Information Data Exchange System to reduce improper payments. This round of funding also provides an opportunity for states to go beyond improper payments to focus on additional UI technology system improvements, data exchange enhancements for UI for Ex-military Service members, and integration of state UI, Employment Service, and Workforce Investment Act IT systems.

Eric Seleznow Named as Acting Assistant Secretary

Eric Seleznow was named U.S. Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration Deputy Assistant Secretary this week. Mr. Seleznow brings more than 30 years of experience in the workforce development system and served as state policy director for the National Skills Coalition for the past three years. Before joining the coalition, he served as executive director of the Governor's Workforce Investment Board in Maryland. Mr. Seleznow also served as local WIB director for the Montgomery County (MD) Department of Economic Development. At ETA, Seleznow also will assume the role of acting assistant secretary.

Senate Approves Perez as 26th Secretary of Labor

On July 18th, the U.S. Senate approved the nomination of Thomas E. Perez to be the nation's 26th Secretary of Labor.   Mr. Perez has spent his entire career in public service, and will join the department on July 23 after an impressive tenure as the assistant attorney general for the Civil Rights Division at the U.S. Department of Justice.   He previously served as the secretary of Maryland's Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation.