Record Low Unemployment

12 states reported record low unemployment rates in December, including Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Oregon, South Carolina, Utah and Washington, which set new series lows. Alabama, Alaska, California and Nevada matched their series lows.

#OSHA50

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration will commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 with a yearlong celebration of past achievements, current efforts and future initiatives to protect the American workforce.

Keeping Miners Safe

The Department advanced mine safety and health in 2019 with a combination of enforcement, training, compliance assistance, grants and more.

In Case You Missed It

Coronavirus

OSHA has interim guidance and resources for workers and employers on the evolving coronavirus situation first identified in Wuhan, China.

Consent Judgment

Three New York restaurants must pay $365,000 in back wages and damages following a Department investigation and litigation.

Hurricane Relief

North Carolina received an additional $4 million in disaster recovery funding to continue Hurricane Florence recovery efforts.

Child Labor

Department investigators found child labor violations by an operator of 99 franchise restaurants in nine states, resulting in a $157,114 fine.

Refinery Hazards

OSHA has cited a Philadelphia refinery for serious safety and health violations and proposed $132,600 in penalties following a fire and explosions.

Back Wages

A South Carolina tobacco and vape retailer will pay $46,748 in back wages and damages to 31 workers to resolve overtime violations.

Stat of the Week

$8 Billion in Red Tape Cut

The Department delivered nearly $8 billion in regulatory cost savings in 2019 the second-most among all federal agencies.

Compliance Assistance Highlight

Form 5500 Search Tool

Employee benefit plans must file Form 5500 annually to meet reporting requirements. Employers can search for any Form 5500 series returns and reports filed since January 1, 2010, using our new search tool. Searches can be filtered by plan type, plan asset value, number of participants, form years and more.