Last year Frank VanderSloot made a sizable donation to a super PAC supporting Mitt Romney. He signed up as a national co-chairman on Romney’s finance committee. And then the Idaho businessman got hit by one of the most ruthless political attacks not seen since the Nixon era. VanderSloot’s story was …
Should government agencies use the best information possible? For more than 80 years, the Labor Department has answered that question in the negative. The Davis–Bacon Act (DBA) of 1931 requires federal construction contractors to pay their workers at least the “prevailing wage” in their locality. The Act charges the Labor …
Identity verification systems that allow employees of the U.S. Department of Labor to access secure information systems are woefully lacking in security measures, according to DOL’s Office of the Inspector General. A September 7 letter from DOL’s assistant inspector general for audit, obtained by Scribe through a Freedom of Information …
What’s behind the seemingly sudden drop in the unemployment rate? While the economy stumbles along, no one would expect a sudden jump in employment. Job growth has averaged about 100,000 per month over the past six months, roughly consistent with other economic indicators suggesting slow growth. But the Labor Department …
Job training programs created by Congress have resulted in overlap and duplication, according to a new report from Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK) that focuses on workforce development initiatives in Oklahoma. Coburn used his home state as a case study for the effectiveness of federal job training efforts. His office found numerous …
Taxpayers will likely shell out another $14.3 million in federal aid to the 1,100 people formerly employed by defunct solar company Solyndra. The Labor Department announced Monday that it had approved Trade Adjustment Assistance payments for those former employees, which may pay out about $13,000 for each. TAA is designed …
President Obama promised to run the most open and transparent Administration in history. However, his Department of Labor (DOL) just announced more regulations rolling back financial transparency for labor unions. Congress passed the Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act (LMRDA) in 1959 following hearings documenting links between labor unions and organized …
While the Energy Department’s efforts to create “green jobs” have received significant attention – and criticism – since the collapse of solar company Solyndra, another federal agency may soon be in the spotlight for its lackluster performance in stimulating the economy through employment in the green technology sector. The Labor …
