Acting Secretary Sonderling statement on April jobs report

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Acting Secretary Sonderling statement on April jobs report 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 work...
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US Labor Department orders Texas companies to pay more than $200K in back wages, damages to workers fired after raising asbestos concerns

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US Labor Department orders Texas companies to pay more than $200K in back wages, damages to workers fired after raising asbestos concerns
HOUSTON – The U.S. Department of Labor has ordered two Houston-based construction companies and their owners to reinstate and compensate two workers who were fired for raising asbestos concerns during repair of a hotel after Hurricane Beryl.The department’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration investigated a whistleblower complaint by the terminated employees of Rise Construction LLC, owned by Jivar Foty, and Niko Group LLC, owned by Jessica Foty. The two employees alleged they were fired after raising concerns to the owners about lack of training, asbestos certification, personal protective equipment, and illegal dumping of asbestos. OSHA found that the terminations were in retaliation for making protected complaints under the Clean Air Act, the Solid Waste Disposal Act, and Toxic Substances Control Act, and ordered reinstatement of the two employees and payment of more than $200,000 in back wages and interest, as well as compensatory and punitive damages. OSHA enforces 25 whistleblower statutes that protect employees from retaliation for reporting potential violations involving safety, health, environmental protection, and other public interest concerns. For information on whistleblower protections, visit OSHA's Whistleblower Protection Programs webpage.                                                                                                               # # #Editor's note: The U.S. Department of Labor does not release the names of employees involved in whistleblower complaints.

Published at February 12, 2026 at 04:00AM
Read more at https://dol.gov

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