Employment and Training Administration February 2008 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Employment and Training Administration (ETA) of the Department of Labor (Department or DOL) is issuing this Notice to announce: The 2008 Adverse Effect Wage Rates (AEWRs) for employers seeking to employ temporary or seasonal nonimmigrant foreign workers to perform agricultural labor or services (H-2A workers) or logging (H-2B logging workers); the allowable charges for 2008 that employers seeking H-2A workers and H-2B logging workers may levy upon their workers when three meals a day are provided by the employer; and the maximum travel subsistence reimbursement which a worker with receipts may claim in 2008. AEWRs are the minimum wage rates the Department has determined must be offered and paid by employers of H-2A workers or H-2B logging workers to U.S. and foreign workers for a particular occupation and/or area so that the wages of similarly employed U.S. workers will not be adversely affected (20 CFR 655.100(b) and 655.200(b)). In this Notice the Department announces the AEWRs for 2008. The Department also announces the new rates for 2008 which agricultural and logging employers may charge their workers for three daily meals, and the minimum and maximum charge of travel subsistence expenses a worker may claim in 2008.

The Employment and Training Administration published a document in the Federal Register of January 23, 2008, announcing the availability of funds and solicitation for grant applications for the Energy Industry and Construction and Skilled Trades in the Energy Industry. This amendment will make changes to the January 23 document by clarifying and correcting this Solicitation.

As part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, the Department of Labor (Department) conducts a preclearance consultation program to provide the general public and Federal agencies with an opportunity to comment on proposed and/or continuing collections of information in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA95) [44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)]. This program helps to ensure that the requested data can be provided in the desired format, reporting burden (time and financial resources) is minimized, collection instruments are clearly understood, and the impact of collection requirements on respondents can be properly assessed. A copy of the proposed information collection request (ICR) can be obtained by contacting the office listed below in the addresses section of this notice or by accessing: https://www.doleta.gov/OMBCN/ OMBControlNumber.cfm.