Ohio minimum wage won’t rise in 2010

Ohio’s minimum wage will remain unchanged at $7.30 per hour in 2010, according to the state Department of Commerce.

For tipped employees , the minimum wage remains at $3.65 per hour. Under state law, if the employee’s tips plus wages don’t average $7.30 per hour, the employer must pay the difference.

The constitutional amendment passed by voters in November 2006 states that Ohio’s minimum wage shall increase on January 1 of each year by the rate of inflation. The wage is tied to the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for urban wage earners and clerical workers for the 12-month period prior to September. Since the index declined by 0.2 percent from Sept. 1, 2008 to Aug. 31, 2009, so the state minimum wage will not be increased in 2010.

The state minimum wage will continue to apply to employers who gross more than $267,000 per year. For employers grossing less than $267,000 per year the state minimum wage is $7.25 per hour-- an amount equal to the federal minimum wage.

DOL announces grant exceeding $1 million to assist Iowa layoff workers

Last month, the U.S. Department of Labor announced a $1,096,423 grant to assist approximately 178 workers affected by layoffs at Alcoa North American Rolled Products in Bettendorf, Iowa, took place between January and June 2009, and John Deere Davenport Works in Davenport, Iowa, began in February 2009.

On Sep 8, the U.S. Department of Labor announced a $1,096,423 grant to assist approximately 178 workers affected by layoffs at Alcoa North American Rolled Products in Bettendorf, Iowa, took place between January and June 2009, and John Deere Davenport Works in Davenport, Iowa, began in February 2009.

This grant will be funded by resources made available for National Emergency Grants under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. National Emergency Grants are part of the secretary of labor's discretionary fund and are awarded based on a state's ability to meet specific guidelines.

This grant was awarded to Iowa Workforce Development, and will be operated by Iowa@Work, a division of Eastern Iowa Community College. It will allow affected workers to access services including skills assessment, basic skills training, individual career counseling and occupational skills training.

"Iowa workers affected by these layoffs need and deserve support," said Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis. "The grant will provide retraining, job search assistance and other services to help them prepare for career track positions in promising regional industries."

Employment Numbers of Last August

On Sep 4, secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis issued the August 2009 Employment Situation report, on which, she stated that during past August, the economy lost 216,000 jobs, fewer than what most experts expected. Now the overall unemployment rate is 9.7 percent.

Since this administration took office, the economy had been losing average 700,000 jobs every month, so the job loss of last month is an improvement, “but is still by no means acceptable”, said Hilda L. Solis, "These numbers are a sobering reminder that our economic conditions continue to cause pain for many Americans and that families are having a difficult time simply covering their daily necessities, much less planning for the future.”

One of the Department of Labor’s principal goals is to help those people that have lost their jobs until there is a full recovery that includes sustained job growth. They have taken some measures to protect workers, such as extending the number of weeks available for unemployment insurance, increasing the monthly benefit amount by an extra $25 a week, strengthening social safety net by subsidizing 65 percent of COBRA premiums and providing new training opportunities for workers, so that the unemployed can more easily access health insurance.

At the same time, the Recovery Act has also provided much needed aid to states and has spurred work on shovel-ready projects. Sep 3 marked the 200-day milestone of the Recovery Act, and Vice President Biden announced that all 10 agencies met or exceeded their commitments in our roadmap to recovery.

Hilda L. Solis also mentioned that “We still have a long way to go until we can say that the economy is back on track and everyone has access to a good job, but I am confident that we will reach that goal. And I will make sure that the Department of Labor is standing by, supporting workers every step of the way."