• U.S. Jobless Rates Down In 46 States In 2012; Employment-Population Ratios Up In 26 States

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“Annual average unemployment rates in 2012 declined in 46 states and the District of Columbia, rose in 2 states, and were unchanged in 2 states. ”Employment-population ratios increased in 26 states and the district, decreased in 18 states, and were unchanged in 6 states.” Source: USDOL

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• America's Youth At 25: School Enrollment, Number of Jobs Held and Labor Market Activity

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“Thirty percent of women and 22 percent of men earned a bachelor's degree by age 25. ”Men averaged 6.2 jobs and women averaged 6.4 jobs from ages 18 to 25. ”Five percent of male high school graduates who never attended college were in the military at age 25.” Source: USDOL

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• FMLA: 2013 Final Rule Changes

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The U.S. Department of Labor issued amendments to the Family and Medical Leave Act on February 5 that become effective March 8. ”There’s a host of changes, so let’s cover those that BLR’s resident FMLA expert, Susan Schoenfeld, JD, believes are the most important: ”(1) The definition of a “serious injury or illness” for military caregiver leave has been formalized by regulation that became effective March 8; ”(2) An eligible family member who has a qualifying exigency reason for taking “Rest and Recuperation” leave can now take up to 15 days; the former limit was 5; ”(3) Covered servicemembers now have more choices of physicians to certify a serious injury or illness; under the former rules the doctor had to be from the military healthcare system (Department of Defense, the Veterans Administration, or TRICARE); now private physicians who otherwise authorize FMLA serious conditions can also certify qualifying conditions for covered servicemembers. "And there’s lot’s more….” Source: HR.BLR.com

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• “Recruiters Challenged to Manage New Technologies”

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“No function of human resources is more affected by disruptive technologies than recruiting, a trend that promises to hold true in 2013. "From mobile to social to video interviewing platforms, rapid evolution has recruiting leaders rethinking their technology options.” Source: SHRM

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• Connecticut’s Union Membership Plummeted in 2012

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At the same time that union membership nationwide decreased from 11.8% of wage and salary workers to 11.3%, in Connecticut membership dropped from 16.8% to 14.0%. Source: SOURCE: USDOL-BLS

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• U.S. Union Membership Declined Again in 2012

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In 2012, the union membership rate--the percent of wage and salary workers who were members of a union--was 11.3 percent, down from 11.8 percent in 2011. The number of wage and salary workers belonging to unions, at 14.4 million, also declined over the year. In 1983, the first year for which comparable union data are available, the union membership rate was 20.1 percent, and there were 17.7 million union workers. Public-sector workers had a union membership rate (35.9 percent) more than five times higher than that of private-sector workers (6.6 percent). Workers in education, training, and library occupations and in protective service occupations had the highest unionization rates, at 35.4 and 34.8 percent, respectively. Black workers were more likely to be union members than were white, Asian, or Hispanic workers. Among states, New York continued to have the highest union membership rate (23.2 percent), and North Carolina again had the lowest rate (2.9 percent). Source: SOURCE: USDOL-BLS

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• OFCCP Rescinds Restrictions On Investigating Pay Discrimination

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The U.S. Department of Labor says its Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs is rescinding two enforcement guidance documents on pay discrimination originally issued in 2006, commonly known as the "Compensation Standards" and "Voluntary Guidelines.” The notice of final rescission withdrawing these two documents also includes new guidance for employers and other interested stakeholders setting forth the procedures, analysis and protocols OFCCP will utilize going forward when conducting compensation discrimination investigations. OFCCP will supplement the guidance with frequently asked questions, technical assistance, webinars, and other resources and materials to ensure that contractors have ample information about how to comply with the law. For more information, including copies of the notice of final rescission and supporting materials, visit: USDOL-OFCCP

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