Labor

Hawaii’s wildfires led to fast tracking federal identity tools for unemployment claims 

Hawaii is the second state after Arkansas to employ Login.gov and U.S. Postal Service identity proofing options in its unemployment insurance system. 

  • By Natalie Alms

States need federal standards for tech used in unemployment programs, GAO says 

One of the senators that requested the new report from the Government Accountability Office — Finance Committee Chair Ron Wyden, D-Ore. — is tinkering with potential legislation on unemployment modernization. 

  • By Natalie Alms

Labor Dept. Watchdog Urges 'Extreme Caution' on Facial Recognition

Since the start of the pandemic and an upswing in fraudulent claims in the jobless aid systems, the use of facial recognition in identity checks has spread across states, raising OIG concerns about access and privacy.

  • By Natalie Alms

NLRB Looks to Modernize Its Legal Case Management System

The agency will use responses to a request for information to help form its acquisition strategy.

  • By Kirsten Errick

Labor Constructing a Virtual Data Enclave For Sensitive Microdata

The Bureau of Labor Statistics is aiming to use a new system to securely share workplace fatality and geographical data with researchers. 

  • By Alexandra Kelley

Senators Call for Removal of Facial Recognition Tech in Unemployment Services

The lawmakers asked the Department of Labor to help state unemployment agencies remove facial recognition technology from application forms. 

  • By Alexandra Kelley

Audit: Labor Department Information Security Program ‘Not Effective’

Auditors made 18 recommendations to remediate some of the agency’s longstanding issues.

  • By Frank Konkel

Labor Dept Issues Final Rule Requiring Federal Contractors to Pay $15 Minimum Wage

The ruling is expected to impact 327,300 workers.

  • By Courtney Bublé

EEOC Launches Initiative to Ensure AI Doesn’t Exacerbate Civil Rights Issues

The new program looks to educate employers and employees about how algorithms are used in hiring and other employment decisions.

  • By Aaron Boyd

Scammers Are Using Fake Job Ads to Steal People’s Identities

The U.S. Secret Service confirmed that it has seen a “marked increase” in sham job ads seeking to steal people’s personal data, often with the aim of filing bogus unemployment insurance claims.

  • By Cezary Podkul, ProPublica

Audit: Labor Department IT Governance ‘Ambiguous,’ Unorganized 

A report from the Office of the Inspector General showcases several weaknesses in the agency’s IT governance, particularly highlighting the lack of CIO oversight.

  • By Alexandra Kelley

Labor Department Awards Verizon $887M to Radically Revamp IT Backbone

No other Enterprise Infrastructure Solutions selections are planned by the department.

  • By Brandi Vincent

The Unemployment Insurance System Is Set to Get a Tech Makeover — but It Needs Much More, the Biden Administration Says

The U.S. Digital Service has embarked on a reconstruction that will cover the entire UI system, according to a memo and presentation obtained by ProPublica.

  • By Cezary Podkul, ProPublica

How to Make Unemployment Insurance Work for Gig Workers

The share of workers who have traditional full-time jobs is shrinking but the ways to verify identity and income have not kept up.

  • By Jane Oates
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Why Are So Many Americans Leaving Their Jobs Right Now?

A Microsoft survey of more than 30,000 global workers showed that 41% of workers were considering quitting or changing professions this year.

  • By University of Texas at Austin, Futurity

States Snag $240M to Combat Unemployment Fraud

The federal grant funding can be used to pay for identity verification services, cybersecurity, or other expenses related to fraud detection.

  • By Andrea Noble

How Unemployment Insurance Fraud Exploded During the Pandemic

Bots filing bogus applications in bulk, teams of fraudsters in foreign countries making phony claims, online forums peddling how-to advice on identity theft: Inside the infrastructure of perhaps the largest fraud wave in history.

  • By Cezary Podkul, ProPublica

63% of Workers Who File an EEOC Discrimination Complaint Lose Their Jobs

And about 40% of workers report experiencing employer retaliation.

  • By Donald T. Tomaskovic-Devey, Carly McCann and J.D. Swerzenski, The Conversation

OSHA Pandemic Safety Rules Only Cover Health Care Workers

OSHA also issued new guidance on COVID-19 measures for all employers, including paid time off for vaccinations, barriers and shields, and employer-provided face coverings.

  • By The Pew Charitable Trusts

TMF Board Announces New Award One Day After $1B Cash Infusion

The Labor Department snagged $9.6 million to improve its data management infrastructure.

  • By Aaron Boyd

IG: ‘Tens of Billions’ in Fraudulent Unemployment Claims in 2020

A Labor Department Inspector General memo suggests a massive uptick in fraudulent unemployment claims brought on by COVID-19.

  • By Frank Konkel