• U.S. Employer Health Benefits Costs Rise 3.0 Percent In Year Ending - December 2013

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Employer costs for health benefits in private industry increased 3.0 percent from December 2012 to December 2013. In the prior year, the increase was 2.1 percent. The 12‑month increases in employer costs for health insurance for private industry workers ranged from 2.1 to 3.0 percent in 2012 and 2013. That compares with increases that ranged from 3.4 to 11.4 percent from 2001 to 2011. See the complete report at this link: USDOL-BLS

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• U.S. Employment Situation – January 2014

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Total nonfarm payroll employment rose by 113,000 in January. Both the number of unemployed persons, at 10.2 million, and the unemployment rate, at 6.6 percent, changed little in January. Since October, the jobless rate has decreased by 0.6 percentage point. Among the major worker groups, the unemployment rates for adult men (6.2 percent), adult women (5.9 percent), teenagers (20.7 percent), whites (5.7 percent), blacks (12.1 percent), and Hispanics (8.4 percent) showed little change in January. The jobless rate for Asians was 4.8 percent (not seasonally adjusted), down by 1.7 percentage points over the year. Employment grew in construction, manufacturing, wholesale trade, and mining. See the complete report at this link: USDOL-BLS

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• U.S. Initial Unemployment Claims – 11 January 2014

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In the week ending February 1, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 331,000, a decrease of 20,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 351,000. The 4-week moving average was 334,000, an increase of 250 from the previous week's revised average of 333,750. The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 2.3 percent for the week ending January 25, unchanged from the prior week's unrevised rate. The highest insured unemployment rates in the week ending January 18 were in Alaska (5.9), Pennsylvania (4.1), Delaware (4.0), New Jersey (3.9), Illinois (3.7), Montana (3.7), Michigan (3.6), Puerto Rico (3.6), Rhode Island (3.6), and Wisconsin (3.6). The largest increases in initial claims for the week ending January 25 were in Indiana (+5,407), Massachusetts (+1,050), and Nebraska (+12), while the largest decreases were in New York (-7,083), Texas (-4,152), Michigan (-3,929), Florida (-3,879), and New Jersey (-3,605). Note: “Insured unemployment rate” refers to individuals who are unemployed and receiving UC benefits. See the complete report at this link: USDOL-BLS

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• U.S. Productivity and Labor Costs – Q4 2013

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Productivity increased 3.2 percent in the nonfarm business sector in the fourth quarter of 2013; unit labor costs decreased 1.6 percent (seasonally adjusted annual rates). In manufacturing, productivity increased 2.0 percent and unit labor costs decreased 1.0 percent. See the complete report at this link: USDOL-BLS

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• U.S. Major Metropolitan Area Employment – December 2013

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Jobless rates were lower in December than a year earlier in 339 of the 372 metropolitan areas, higher in 25, and unchanged in 8. Nonfarm payroll employment was up in 294 metropolitan areas over the year, down in 67, and unchanged in 11. See the complete report at this link: USDOL-BLS

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• Educational Attainment in the U.S. - 2013

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This provides a portrait of academic achievement by demographic characteristics, such as age, sex, average earnings, and Hispanic origin. The number of adults who have completed some graduate school, increased 24 percent from 2008 to 2013, from 29 million to 36 million, according to the Educational Attainment in the United Sates 2012 data release. The report also includes detailed information on years of school completed, showing how many years of education adults have completed for each level of attainment. A variety of historical time series tables going back to 1940 are also provided, as are graphs illustrating historical data. See the complete report at this link: USDOC – Census

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• “What did employers pay for FLSA violations in 2013?”

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”Regional maps provide a closer look” ”Over 35,000 employees contact the Wage & Hour Division (WHD) of the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) each year--and most of them are seeking assistance with overtime and minimum wage claims against their employer. These 5 regional infographics U.S. maps show FLSA-related enforcement actions throughout the country in 2013. ”Each map lists the city and state of each employer fined, the type of company involved, the specific violation(s) and the amount of money the employer ultimately had to pay. See the complete report at this link: HR.BLR.com

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