Employment and Training Administration – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The U.S. Department of Labor (Department) is publishing this final rule to adjust for inflation the civil monetary penalties assessed or enforced by the Department, pursuant to the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act of 1990 as amended by the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act Improvements Act of 2015 (Inflation Adjustment Act). The Inflation Adjustment Act requires the Department to annually adjust its civil money penalty levels for inflation no later than January 15 of each year. The Inflation Adjustment Act provides that agencies shall adjust civil monetary penalties notwithstanding Section 553 of the Administrative Procedure Act (APA). Additionally, the Inflation Adjustment Act provides a cost- of-living formula for adjustment of the civil penalties. Accordingly, this final rule sets forth the Department's 2024 annual adjustments for inflation to its civil monetary penalties.

Each year, the Department of Defense issues a Schedule of Remuneration used by states for UCX purposes. States must use the schedule to determine Federal military wages for UCX ``first claims'' only when the Federal Claims Control Center (FCCC) responds to a request for information indicating that there is no Copy 5 of the Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty (DD Form 214) for an individual under the social security number provided. A response from the FCCC that indicates ``no DD214 on file'' will prompt the state to start the affidavit process and to use the attached schedule to calculate the Federal military wages for an unemployment insurance or UCX monetary determination. The schedule applies to UCX ``first claims'' filed beginning with the first day of the first week that begins on or after January 1, 2024, pursuant to the UCX program regulations (see 20 CFR 614.12(c)). States must continue to use the 2023 schedule (or other appropriate schedule) for UCX ``first claims'' filed before the effective date of the revised schedule.

The Employment and Training Administration of the Department of Labor (DOL) is issuing this notice to announce the 2024 Adverse Effect Wage Rates (AEWR) for the employment of temporary or seasonal nonimmigrant foreign workers (H-2A workers) to perform agricultural labor or services other than the herding or production of livestock on the range. AEWRs are the minimum wage rates the DOL has determined must be offered, advertised in recruitment, and paid by employers to H-2A workers and workers in corresponding employment so that the wages and working conditions of workers in the United States (U.S.) similarly employed will not be adversely affected. The AEWRs established in this notice are applicable to H-2A job opportunities that are both: classified in one (or more) of the six Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) codes comprising the field and livestock workers (combined) category, and located in States or regions, or equivalent districts or territories, in which the United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Farm Labor Report (better known as the Farm Labor Survey, or FLS) reports wages. In this notice, DOL also announces an update to the average AEWR, which is used to calculate adjustments to required bond amounts for H-2A Labor Contractors.

The Department of Labor's (DOL) Employment and Training Administration (ETA) is soliciting comments concerning a proposed extension for the authority to conduct the information collection request (ICR) titled, ``Registration and Equal Employment Opportunity in Apprenticeship Programs.'' This comment request is part of continuing Departmental efforts to reduce paperwork and respondent burden in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA).

DHS, in consultation with DOL, is exercising time-limited Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 authority and increasing the total number of noncitizens who may receive an H-2B nonimmigrant visa by up to 64,716 for the entirety of FY 2024. These supplemental visas will be distributed in several allocations. 20,000 visas made available in this rule will be reserved for nationals of Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Haiti, Colombia, Ecuador, or Costa Rica. All visas will be available only to businesses that are suffering or will suffer impending irreparable harm, as attested by the employer. In addition, DHS is again providing temporary portability flexibility.

Notice is hereby given that the Workforce Information Advisory Council (WIAC or Advisory Council) will meet virtually December 4, 2023. Information for public attendance at the virtual meeting will be posted at www.dol.gov/agencies/eta/wioa/wiac/meetings several days prior to the meeting date. The meeting will be open to the public.

Notice is hereby given that the Workforce Information Advisory Council (WIAC or Advisory Council) will meet virtually November 6, 2023. Information for public attendance at the virtual meetings will be posted at www.dol.gov/agencies/eta/wioa/wiac/meetings several days prior to each meeting date. The meetings will be open to the public.

The Department of Labor's (DOL) Employment and Training Administration (ETA) is soliciting comments concerning a proposed extension for the authority to conduct the information collection request (ICR) titled, DOL-only Performance Accountability, Information, and Reporting. This comment request is part of continuing Departmental efforts to reduce paperwork and respondent burden in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA).

The Department of Labor (DOL) invites interested parties to submit nominations for individuals to serve on the Native American Employment and Training Council (NAETC) and announces the procedures for those nominations. When submitting nomination materials, please indicate the Region or Discipline for which the nominee would like to be considered. Information regarding the NAETC can be found at https:// www.dol.gov/agencies/eta/dinap/council.

The purpose of this notice is to announce the annual Labor Surplus Area (LSA) list for fiscal year (FY) 2024.

The Department of Labor's (DOL) Employment and Training Administration (ETA) is soliciting comments concerning a proposed revision to the information collection request (ICR) titled, ``Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP).'' This comment request is part of continuing Departmental efforts to reduce paperwork and respondent burden in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA).

The Department of Labor (Department) announces the renewal of the Workforce Information Advisory Council (WIAC) charter.

The Secretary of Labor (Department) announces the renewal of the Native American Employment and Training Council (NAETC) charter.

The Employment and Training Administration of the Department of Labor (DOL) is issuing this notice to announce updates to the Adverse Effect Wage Rates (AEWR) for the employment of temporary or seasonal nonimmigrant foreign workers (H-2A workers) to perform agricultural labor or services other than the herding or production of livestock on the range. AEWRs are the minimum wage rates DOL has determined must be offered, advertised in recruitment, and paid by employers to H-2A workers and workers in corresponding employment so that the wages and working conditions of workers in the United States (U.S.) similarly employed will not be adversely affected. In this notice, DOL announces the AEWRs based on wage data reported by DOL's Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey. The AEWRs established in this notice are applicable to H-2A job opportunities classified: in Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) codes other than the six SOC codes comprising the field and livestock workers (combined) group, and in the field and livestock workers (combined) occupational group that are located in States or regions, or equivalent districts or territories, for which the United States Department of Agriculture's Farm Labor Report (better known as the Farm Labor Survey, or FLS) does not report a wage.

The Department of Labor's (DOL) Employment and Training Administration (ETA) is soliciting comments concerning a proposed revision to the information collection request (ICR) titled, ``Unemployment Insurance (UI) State Quality Service Plan (SQSP) Planning and Reporting Guidelines.'' This comment request is part of continuing Departmental efforts to reduce paperwork and respondent burden in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA).

The Secretary of Labor (Secretary) has determined that the renewal of the Advisory Committee on Apprenticeship (ACA or Committee) is necessary and in the public interest. The Department of Labor (DOL) intends to renew the ACA charter with revisions which are not intended to change the Committee's purpose or original intent. The revisions update the charter to ensure its closer alignment with the Department's current apprenticeship priorities.

This notice announces allotments for PY 2023 for WIOA Title I Youth, Adult, and Dislocated Worker Activities programs; allotments for Employment Service (ES) activities under the Wagner-Peyser Act for PY 2023 and the allotments of Workforce Information Grants to States for PY 2023.

The Department of Labor's (DOL) Employment and Training Administration (ETA) is soliciting comments concerning a proposed extension for the authority to conduct the information collection request (ICR) titled, Agricultural Recruitment System Forms Affecting Migratory Farm Workers.'' This comment request is part of continuing Departmental efforts to reduce paperwork and respondent burden in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA).

The Workforce Innovation Opportunity Act (WIOA), requires the Secretary of Labor (Secretary) to conduct reallotment of certain WIOA formula allotted funds based on ETA-9130 financial reports submitted by states at of the end of the prior Program Year (PY). This notice publishes the Dislocated Worker PY 2022 funds for recapture by state and the amount to be reallotted to eligible states.

The Department of Labor's (DOL) Employment and Training Administration (ETA) is soliciting comments concerning a proposed extension for the authority to conduct the information collection request (ICR) titled, ``Migrant and Seasonal Farmworker (MSFW) Monitoring Report and Complaint/Apparent Violation Form.'' This comment request is part of continuing Departmental efforts to reduce paperwork and respondent burden in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA).

The Department of Labor (Department or DOL) is amending its regulations governing the certification of agricultural labor or services to be performed by temporary foreign workers in H-2A nonimmigrant status (H-2A workers). Specifically, the Department is revising the methodology by which it determines the hourly Adverse Effect Wage Rates (AEWRs) for non-range occupations (i.e., all occupations other than herding and production of livestock on the range) using a combination of wage data reported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Farm Labor Reports (better known as the Farm Labor Survey, or FLS), and the Department's Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, formerly the Occupational Employment Statistics (OES) survey prior to March 31, 2021. For the vast majority of H-2A job opportunities represented by the six Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) codes comprising the field and livestock worker (combined) wages reported by USDA, the Department will continue to rely on the FLS to establish the AEWRs where a wage is reported by the FLS. For all other SOC codes, the Department will use the OEWS survey to establish the AEWRs for each SOC code. Additionally, in circumstances in which the FLS does not report a wage for the field and livestock workers (combined) occupational group in a particular State or region, the Department will use the OEWS survey to determine the AEWR for that occupational group. These regulatory changes are consistent with the Secretary of Labor's (Secretary) statutory responsibility to certify that the employment of H-2A workers will not adversely affect the wages and working conditions of workers in the United States similarly employed. The Department believes this methodology strikes a reasonable balance between the statute's competing goals of providing employers with an adequate supply of legal agricultural labor and protecting the wages and working conditions of workers in the United States similarly employed.

The Department of Labor's (DOL) Employment and Training Administration, pursuant to the Council on Environmental Quality Regulations) implementing procedural provisions of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), gives final notice of the proposed disposal of two tracts at the Gary Job Corps Center totaling 244.91 acres and that this project will not have a significant adverse impact on the environment.

The Department of Labor's (DOL or Department) Employment and Training Administration (ETA) is soliciting comments concerning a proposed extension for the authority to conduct the information collection request (ICR) titled, ``Job Corps Health Questionnaire.'' This comment request is part of continuing Departmental efforts to reduce paperwork and respondent burden in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA).

The Department of Labor's (DOL or Department) Employment and Training Administration (ETA) is soliciting comments concerning a proposed extension for the authority to conduct the information collection request (ICR) titled, ``Job Corps Enrollee Allotment Determination.'' This comment request is part of continuing Departmental efforts to reduce paperwork and respondent burden in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA).