Labor Department News Releases Update

The funds will provide employment services for approximately 100workers affected by layoffs at Woodgrain Millwork in Prineville, Oregon. A storm on Nov. 14, 2014 brought heavy snow and ice to the area and caused the roof of the Prineville facility to collapse. The individuals who worked in the affected areas of the mill were put on temporary layoff status, until the employer issued a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act notice on Nov. 25. The notice announced immediate layoffs for most workers, followed by smaller, rolling layoffs of individuals assisting with the shutdown process.

Four workers killed by a lethal gas in November 2014 would be alive today had their employer, DuPont, taken steps to protect them, a U.S. Department of Labor investigation found.

In the week ending May 9, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 264,000, a decrease of 1,000 from the previous week's unrevised level of 265,000. The 4-week moving average was 271,750, a decrease of 7,750 from the previous week's unrevised average of 279,500. This is the lowest level for this average since April 22, 2000 when it was 266,750.