Tag Archives: Department of Labor

Continued Surge in COVID Cases Highlights Need for Urgent Federal Action

Posted on November 30, 2020 by WatchBlog

COVID-19 cases have been increasing since mid-September, further highlighting the importance of federal public health and economic response efforts. Today’s WatchBlog looks at our fourth report on the federal pandemic response, which describes the status of ongoing efforts and outlines … Continue reading →

Posted in About GAO, Collections, Coronavirus | Tagged Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Coronavirus, Department of Labor, FDA, Federal Emergency Management Agency, FEMA, Food and Drug Administration, IRS, Nikki Clowers, pandemic, pandemic response | Leave a comment

As economy turns, unemployment insurance may once again play an important role

Posted on March 25, 2020 by WatchBlog

During the last recession, from 2007-2009, about half of the 15 million U.S. workers who lost their jobs received unemployment insurance benefits. As another potential recession looms because of COVID-19 (the coronavirus), unemployment insurance programs may once again play an … Continue reading →

Posted in About GAO, Coronavirus | Tagged Cindy Brown Barnes, Coronavirus, Department of Labor, Education Workforce and Income Security, employment, Employment assistance programs, pandemic, workforce | Leave a comment

Federal Information Security: There’s Work to Do

Posted on December 3, 2019 by WatchBlog

Just about every federal government operation—from processing taxes and protecting national parks to coordinating military operations and delivering foreign aid—relies in some way on computers. Protecting government computer systems and the information stored in them is vital, and a 2014 … Continue reading →

Posted in Government Operations, Information Security | Tagged cybersecurity, Department of Agriculture, Department of Commerce, Department of Education, Department of Homeland Security, Department of Housing and Urban Development, Department of Justice, Department of Labor, Department of State, Department of the Treasury, Environmental Protection Agency, Federal Communications Commission, Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board, Greg Wilshusen, High Risk List, High-risk issues, information security, Information security management, Information security regulations, information systems, information technology, Information technology and cybersecurity, Merit Systems Protection Board, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Office of Management and Budget, Presidio Trust, Small Business Administration, Social Security Administration | Leave a comment

Helping Serve Those Who Have Served

Posted on November 7, 2019 by WatchBlog

Approximately 200,000 servicemembers transition from military service to civilian life each year. Part of the government’s commitment to military members is helping them achieve their education and career goals. This investment in servicemembers continues after they leave the military and … Continue reading →

Posted in Veterans | Tagged Cindy Brown Barnes, Coast Guard, Department of Defense, Department of Labor, Department of Veterans Affairs, Education Workforce and Income Security, Employment and training, Employment and training programs, Employment assistance programs, higher education, Resume, Self-employed, veterans affairs, Veterans education, Veterans education benefits, Veterans employment, Veterans employment programs, Vocational education | Leave a comment

What is the U.S. Government Doing to Combat Human Trafficking?

Posted on July 30, 2019 by WatchBlog

Human trafficking is a pervasive crisis throughout the world. Millions of women, men, and children—often held against their will in slave-like conditions—have been forced into servitude, forced labor, or the commercial sex trade. It is a multi-billion dollar industry that … Continue reading →

Posted in International Affairs, Worker and Family Assistance | Tagged child labor, Department of Labor, Department of State, forced labor, human trafficking, IAT, sex trafficking, USAID | Leave a comment

Trucking Shifts into the Future

Posted on May 30, 2019 by WatchBlog

Will there come a day when the big rig in the lane next to you doesn’t have a driver? Trucks that have some automated features—or that even drive themselves—are on the horizon, and they have the potential to improve efficiency … Continue reading →

Posted in Podcast, Science and Technology, Transportation | Tagged automated trucks, automated vehicle technologies, automated vehicles, cars, Cindy Brown Barnes, commercial trucking workforce, commercial trucks, Department of Labor, Department of Transportation, DOL, DOT, employment trends, EWIS, highway safety, highways, long-haul trucking, mechanics, PI, self-driving vehicles, Susan Fleming, technicians, tractor-trailer truck, truck drivers, truckers, trucking jobs, trucking technology, trucks, vehicle-to-infrastructure technologies, vehicle-to-vehicle technologies, vehicles, workforce | Leave a comment

What’s Trending in Gig Employment

Posted on March 4, 2019 by WatchBlog

Millions of American workers no longer have traditional, full-time, year-round employment. Instead, they’re joining the ‘gig’ economy—stringing together various jobs to make ends meet. Today’s WatchBlog discusses what is and isn’t known about this evolving group of nontraditional workers. Read … Continue reading →

Posted in Employment | Tagged alternative employment, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Cindy Brown Barnes, contingent workers, Department of Labor, electronically-mediated workers, EWIS, gig economy, gig worker, Labor, labor trends, nontraditional employment | Leave a comment

Women in Tech

Posted on March 6, 2018 by WatchBlog

Research has shown that diversity brings new information and perspectives to a group, leading to better decision-making. But women comprise less than a quarter of the tech workforce, despite the fact that the tech sector continues to grow. Why? And … Continue reading →

Posted in Employment, Podcast, Science and Technology | Tagged Cindy Brown Barnes, Department of Labor, EWIS, U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, women, women in science, women in tech, women's history month | Leave a comment

Who Let the Watchdogs Out? We’re on Location Discussing the Internet of Things (video podcast)

Posted on May 16, 2017 by WatchBlog

Have you ever used a fitness tracker to measure your daily steps? Or adjusted your home thermostat from your phone? If you answered yes, then you’ve experienced the Internet of Things. If you haven’t heard the term before, the Internet … Continue reading →

Posted in About GAO, Information Technology, Podcast, Science and Technology, Technology Assessment, Video | Tagged ARM, automation, Dave Wise, Department of Labor, fitbit, future of work, Greg Wilshusen, internet of things, IOT, IT, Mark Goldstein, Naba Barkakati, nest, Oliver Richard, PI, robots, self driving cars, smart cars | Leave a comment

Human Trafficking in the United States

Posted on August 23, 2016 by WatchBlog

Human trafficking— using force, fraud or coercion to exploit a person for the purposes of commercial sex or to work against their will—happens in the United States. But it’s not always easy to recognize the victims or understand the scope … Continue reading →

Posted in Homeland Security, International Affairs, Justice and Law Enforcement, Worker and Family Assistance | Tagged arrests, Blue Campaign, convictions, Department of Homeland Security, Department of Justice, Department of Labor, HSJ, human trafficking, investigations, State Department, trafficking | Leave a comment