WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Department of Labor unveiled a flurry of policy updates last week against the backdrop of a tightening labor market, including eased jobless claims, new benefit filing forms, expanded apprenticeship incentives and cross-agency job training pacts aimed at lowering reliance on assistance programs.
In its weekly unemployment claims report, the Labor Department said Thursday that initial claims for unemployment insurance for the week ending December 13 fell by 13,000 to 224,000, marking a notable decline and a sign the labor market remains resilient even as seasonal pressures persist. The four-week moving average of claims ticked up slightly to 217,500, and the insured unemployment rate held at 1.2 percent. Continued claims — representing workers receiving ongoing benefits — rose to about 1.897 million. (DOL)
The figures come amid broader questions about labor dynamics after months of mixed data and delayed economic reporting. The claims were slightly above year-ago levels and reflected festering but contained unemployment pressures as employers balance cautious hiring against sustained resilience.
On December 15, the department’s Employee Benefits Security Administration joined the Internal Revenue Service and Pension Benefit Guaranty Corp. in releasing informational versions of the 2025 Form 5500 series and related instructions online, a key annual filing requirement for pension and welfare benefit plans. The forms — essential for reporting plans’ financial condition and compliance — include new plan characteristic codes to clarify reporting for multiemployer and variable-annuity benefit plans. Officials stressed that these informational versions should not yet be used for official filings and advised plan administrators to await the official electronic versions in early 2026.
Secretary of Labor Lori Chavez-DeRemer also responded to the November jobs report, highlighting gains in employment and rising wages as evidence of the economy’s ongoing momentum. In a statement, she credited the Trump administration’s policies with boosting private-sector job formation and wage growth, while pushing back against what she described as economic mismanagement under prior leadership. (DOL)
The department further announced updates from its Wage and Hour Division to improve compliance for contractors under the Davis-Bacon and Related Acts. New online, fillable versions of the certified payroll form WH-347 and an annotated guide aim to reduce errors, streamline reporting, and ensure consistent wage compliance on government-funded construction projects.
On December 19, Labor joined the Department of Agriculture in signing a Memorandum of Understanding to expand job training access for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients. The pact is designed to align SNAP work requirements with Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) programs, helping low-income workers access effective employment and training services and reduce dependence on benefits.
That same day, the department launched the American Manufacturing Apprenticeship Incentive Fund, a $35.8 million cooperative agreement with the State of Arkansas aimed at expanding advanced manufacturing apprenticeship programs nationwide. Employers will receive performance-based incentives — about $3,500 per new apprentice — to develop or grow registered apprenticeships aligned with industry needs, part of a broader strategy to ramp up skilled labor pipelines.
Taken together, the data and policy actions highlight a multifaceted approach by President Trump’s Labor Department: showcasing a labor market that remains relatively robust even as initial claims fluctuate with holiday seasonality, while rolling out regulatory and training initiatives intended to further strengthen workforce engagement and industry competitiveness heading into 2026.
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