Federal News

Office of the Spokesperson Secretary Rubio’s Meeting with Qatari Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Al Thani Readout

Marco Rubio, Secretary of State Disrupting Iran’s Overseas Military Procurement Networks Press Statement. May 8, 2026 Today, the Trump Administration is imposing sanctions on 11 entities and three individuals based in Iran, China, Belarus, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) involved in Iran’s efforts to acquire or use arms and

ATLANTA – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division is hosting a webinar series in May to provide information and resources on how to comply with regulations affecting youth employment, ahead of the summer hiring season.Employers, young workers, parents, school counselors, and human resources specialists are invited to attend the webinars to learn about federal protections under the Fair Labor Standards Act that govern youth employment.During the seminars, representatives from the division will explain the jobs and tasks off-limits for anyone under 18-years-old, explain how young workers can have safe and rewarding work experiences, share how many hours youth are legally permitted to work, and offer information on the child labor laws in each of the state-specific seminars. Attendance is free, but registration is required for all events.In addition, division representatives will provide information about tools available for employers to understand their obligations, should they choose to hire youth, and share the division’s free compliance assistance toolkits.State-specific youth employment webinars will be hosted on the following days: Kentucky (May 12)Tennessee (May 13)Alabama and Mississippi (May 14)Georgia (May 19)North and South Carolina (May 20)Florida (May 21)In fiscal year 2025, the department investigated 976 cases with child labor violations that affected 5,272 children nationwide. The department addressed those violations by assessing employers more than $37.2 million in civil money penalties.The Department of Labor’s YouthRules initiative provides information about protections for young workers to youth, parents, employers, and educators. Through this initiative, the department and its partners promote work experiences that help prepare young workers to enter the workforce. The Wage and Hour Division has also published Seven Child Labor Best Practices for Employers to help employers comply with the law.Employers and workers can call the division with questions and requests for compliance assistance through the agency’s toll-free helpline at 866-4US-WAGE (487-9243). Download the agency’s free Timesheet App for iOS and Android devices to track hours and pay.

WASHINGTON – U.S. Acting Secretary of Labor Keith Sonderling issued the following statement regarding the April 2026 Employment Situation Report:“Despite doom-and-gloom rhetoric from pundits and economists, America’s economic comeback is clearly accelerating under President Trump, with job growth now shattering expectations two months in a row. 115,000 jobs were added in April, doubling expectations and proving 94% of Bloomberg economists wrong. The unemployment rate remained steady and total private sector job growth under this Administration now stands at more than 700,000 new jobs.“Thanks to President Trump’s Working Families Tax Cuts, job creators were clearly feeling empowered this tax season and are investing in American workers. Our skilled workforce is seeing the benefits, with continued job growth in construction and a strong 5.2% year-over-year increase in manufacturing weekly earnings.“The President is bringing workers off the sidelines – growing the private sector while continuing to right-size the federal government, saving taxpayers billions of dollars per year. The Department of Labor remains fully committed to advancing commonsense workforce development policies to prepare American workers for the good-paying, in-demand jobs being created by President Trump’s America First policies.”