Labor Department News Releases Update

The U.S. Department of Labor, the U.S. Department of State, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative and the U.S. Agency for International Development today issued the following statement on the first anniversary of the Rana Plaza building collapse:

The U.S. Department of Labor's Mine Safety and Health Administration today announced the release of a final rule to lower miners' exposure to respirable coal mine dust in all underground and surface coal mines. The final rule continues the department's efforts through its End Black Lung – Act Now! initiative to end black lung disease, a debilitating illness that continues to affect coal miners and their families. The final rule was announced during an event at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health facility in Morgantown, W.Va.

At today’s anniversary celebration of Joining Forces, First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden announced the launch of a new integrated employment tool to connect veterans and service members with employers, and to help translate military skills into the civilian workforce. The Veterans Employment Center, an integrated, online tool connecting veterans, transitioning service members and their spouses with both public and private-sector employers, is the result of an interagency effort to improve, simplify and consolidate the current array of employment resources for veterans. Additionally, this will provide one comprehensive database of resumes for employers who are seeking to leverage the skills and talents of veterans, service members, and their spouses.

The U.S. Departments of Labor, Education, and Health and Human Services today issued a Request for Information soliciting feedback to better align federal grants and services in order to develop high-quality career pathways programs for job training participants. This inter-agency collaboration builds on President Obama's focus on job-driven training to improve the federal workforce system for the 21st century.