Employment and Training Administration 2013 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The U.S. Department of Labor (Department) produces trigger notices indicating which states qualify for EUC08 benefits, and provides the beginning and ending dates of payable periods for each qualifying state. The trigger notices covering state eligibility for this program can be found at: https://ows.doleta.gov/unemploy/claims arch.asp. The following changes have occurred since the publication of the last notice regarding states' EUC08 trigger status: Alaska has triggered ``off'' Tier 3 of EUC08 effective August 24, 2013. Based on data from Alaska for the week ending August 3, 2013, the 13 week insured unemployment rate in Alaska was 3.9 percent, falling below the 4.0 percent trigger rate threshold to remain ``on'' in Tier 3 of EUC08. The week ending August 24, 2013, was the last week in which EUC08 claimants in Alaska who had exhausted Tier 2, and were otherwise eligible, could establish Tier 3 eligibility. Mississippi has triggered ``off'' Tier 4 of EUC08 effective September 14, 2013. Based on data released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics on August 19, 2013, the three month average, seasonally adjusted total unemployment rate in Mississippi was 8.9 percent, falling below the 9.0 percent trigger rate threshold to remain ``on'' in Tier 4 of EUC08. The week ending September 14, 2013, was the last week in which EUC08 claimants in Mississippi who have exhausted Tier 3, and are otherwise eligible, could establish Tier 4 eligibility. Wisconsin has triggered ``off'' Tier 3 of EUC08 effective September 14, 2013. Based on data released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics on August 19, 2013, the three month average, seasonally adjusted total unemployment rate in Wisconsin was 6.9 percent, falling below the 7.0 percent trigger rate threshold to remain ``on'' in Tier 3 of EUC08. The week ending September 14, 2013, was the last week in which EUC08 claimants in Wisconsin who have exhausted Tier 2, and are otherwise eligible, could establish Tier 3 eligibility.

The Department of Labor (Department or we/us) is delaying indefinitely the effective date of the Wage Methodology for the Temporary Non-agricultural Employment H-2B Program final rule (2011 Wage Rule), in order to comply with recurrent legislation that prohibits us from using any funds to implement it, and to permit time for consideration of public comments sought in conjunction with an interim final rule published April 24, 2013, 78 FR 24047. The 2011 Wage Rule revised the methodology by which the Department calculates the prevailing wages to be paid to H-2B workers and United States workers recruited in connection with a temporary labor certification for use in petitioning the Department of Homeland Security to employ a nonimmigrant worker in H-2B status. The 2011 Wage Rule was originally scheduled to become effective on January 1, 2012, and the effective date has been extended a number of times, most recently to October 1, 2013. We are now delaying the effective date of the 2011 Wage Rule indefinitely. This rule does not affect the Interim Final Rule, 78 FR 24047, published on April 24, 2013, establishing the current prevailing wage methodology for the H-2B program; that rule remains in effect.

The Department of Labor, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, conducts a pre-clearance consultation program to provide the general public and federal agencies with an opportunity to comment on proposed and/or continuing collection 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 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. Currently, ETA is soliciting comments regarding the collection of data about OMB 1205-0030 (January 31, 2014).