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Congressional Research Service Reports
- Computer Services Personnel: Overtime Pay Under the Fair Labor Standards Act
- The Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (FLSA), as amended, is the primary federal statute in the area of minimum wages and overtime pay. Through administrative rulemaking, the Secretary of Labor has established two tests through which to define eligibility under the Section 13(a)(1) exemption: a duties test and an earnings test. In the 106th Congress, legislation was introduced by Representatives Andrews and Lazio that would have increased the scope of the exemption: first, by expanding the range of exempt job titles, and then, through a relative reduction in the value of the earnings threshold or test. For example, were the minimum wage increased to $6.15 per hour, as pending proposals would do, the value of the computer services exemption threshold would be 4.5 times the federal minimum wage. Ultimately, neither bill was enacted, but the issue has re-emerged as H.R. 1545 (Andrews) and H.R. 546 (Quinn). digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metacrs5102/
- Older Workers: Employment and Retirement Trends
- No Description digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metacrs7258/
- Immigration: The "H-2A" Temporary Agricultural Worker Program
- No Description digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metacrs718/
- Immigration: The Effects on Low-Skilled and High-Skilled Native-Born Workers
- The report opens with a discussion of how to analyze the impact of immigrants on the pay and job opportunities of native-born workers. It then uses this framework to examine and interpret the empirical literature on the subject. The report concludes with a discussion of policy implications. digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc26088/
- Temporary Extension of Unemployment Benefits: Emergency Unemployment Compensation (EUC08)
- In July 2008, a new temporary unemployment benefit, the Emergency Unemployment Compensation (EUC08) program, began. The most recent legislation, P.L. 111-205, extended the authorization of the EUC08 program, but did not change the structure of the program or augment benefits. This temporary unemployment insurance program provides up to 20 additional weeks of unemployment benefits to certain workers who have exhausted their rights to regular unemployment compensation (UC) benefits. This report discusses the various tiers of the EUC08 program, as well as related legislation. This report will be updated to reflect current congressional action or programmatic changes. digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc29756/
- Winter Fuels Outlook 2010-2011
- This report discusses findings gleaned through the Energy Information Administration's (EIA) publication titled Short-Term Energy and Winter Fuels Outlook (STEWFO) for the 2010-2011 winter heating season. STEWFO projects how much American consumers should expect to see heating expenditures rise during the 2010-2011 winter season. These findings take into account the currently slow economic growth, high unemployment numbers, and uncertainty regarding the federal funding of the Low Income Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc29625/
- The Male-Female Wage Gap: A Fact Sheet
- No Description digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metacrs1262/
- The Minimum Wage: An Overview of Issues Before the 106th Congress
- No Description digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metacrs1264/
- Farm Labor Shortages and Immigration Policy
- No Description digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metacrs1378/
- Unemployment Insurance: Available Unemployment Benefits and Legislative Activity
- No Description digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metacrs8956/
- Eliminating International Child Labor: U.S. and International Initiatives
- In November 1999, during the World Trade Organization (WTO) conference in Seattle, hundreds of protestors took to the street to protest a number of issues, including the international use of child labor, which has become increasingly important in discussions on international trade, human rights and international assistance. While awareness of the issue has increased, the ability to address the complex problem has been complicated by a number of related factors including rising poverty, surging HIV/AIDS infection rates, and a lack of relevant education. This report will outline the scope of the international child labor problem, explain the difficulties in eliminating it, describe U.S. and international child labor programs, and present some issues Congress may consider. digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metacrs9080/
- Homeland Security and Labor-Management Relations:
- No Description digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metacrs9401/
- Farm Labor Shortages and Immigration Policy
- No Description digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metacrs8639/
- Job Training Programs: Reauthorization and Funding Issues
- No Description digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metacrs8828/
- Navy Ship Deployments: New Approaches - Background and Issues for Congress
- No Description digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metacrs9889/
- Worker Relocation Assistance: Moving People to Jobs
- One characteristic of the dislocated worker problem is that a mismatch exists between the number and kinds of jobs offered by employers and the number and kinds of skills possessed by workers in the same geographic area. At the same time, other geographic areas have unfilled job openings and relatively low unemployment rates. Government-assisted worker relocation is one tool of employment policy that might be used to reduce these regional imbalances in labor supply and demand. This report describes the U.S. experience with both unassisted and Government-assisted worker relocation. It examines the applicability of this experience to the current dislocated worker problem, as well. In addition, the report evaluates the feasibility of establishing a nationwide worker relocation program. digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metacrs8813/
- Farm Labor Shortages and Immigration Policy
- No Description digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metacrs8573/
- Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA)
- The Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA) program provides monetary assistance to individuals unemployed as a direct result of a major disaster and who are not eligible for regular Unemployment Compensation (UC) benefits. DUA is funded through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). DUA is administered by the Department of Labor (DOL) through each state’s UC agency. In the 109th Congress, P.L. 109-176 was signed into law on March 6, 2006, extending the duration of DUA benefits from 26 to 39 weeks for victims of the Hurricane Katrina and Rita disasters. digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metacrs7500/
- Farm Labor Shortages and Immigration Policy
- No Description digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metacrs5729/
- Unemployment Related to Terrorist Attacks: Proposals to Assist Affected Workers in the Airlines and Related Industries
- No Description digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metacrs7571/
- Unemployment Compensation (UC) and the Unemployment Trust Fund (UTF): Funding UC Benefits
- No Description digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metacrs7340/
- The U.S. Income Distribution and Mobility: Trends and International Comparisons
- This report looks at the causes and effects of the recent United States low unemployment rate. digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc86603/
- Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation: A Fact Sheet
- The Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC) is a federal government agency established in 1974 by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) (P.L. 93- 406). It was created to protect the pensions of participants and beneficiaries covered by private sector, defined benefit (DB) plans. These pension plans provide a specified monthly benefit at retirement, usually either a percent of salary or a flat dollar amount multiplied by years of service. Defined contribution plans, such as §401(k) plans, are not insured. The PBGC is chaired by the Secretary of Labor, with the Secretaries of Treasury and Commerce serving as board members. digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc26069/
- Federal Labor Relations Statutes: An Overview
- This report provides a brief history and overview of the aims of these statutes: the Railway Labor Act (RLA) enacted in 1926, the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA), and the Federal Service Labor-Management Relations Statute (FSLMRS). It also discusses key statutory provisions for each statute. digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc85427/
- Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC): A Fact Sheet
- The Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC) is a federal government agency established in 1974 by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA; P.L. 93-406). It was created to protect the pensions of participants and beneficiaries covered by private sector, defined benefit (DB) plans. The PBGC is chaired by the Secretary of Labor, with the Secretaries of the Treasury and Commerce serving as board members. In the 112th Congress, an amendment offered by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid to S. 1813, Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century (MAP-21), contains provisions that would address the use of excess defined benefit pension plan assets and the interest rates that defined benefit plans use to value plan liabilities. digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc85364/
- Federal Labor Relations Statutes: An Overview
- This report provides a brief history and overview of the aims of these statutes: the Railway Labor Act (RLA) enacted in 1926, the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA), and the Federal Service Labor-Management Relations Statute (FSLMRS). It also discusses key statutory provisions for each statute. digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc98019/
- Compensated Work Sharing Arrangements (Short-Time Compensation) as an Alternative to Layoffs
- This report describes short-term compensation (STC) as a beneficial alternative to layoffs. It also describes the status of STC (or work sharing) in the U.S., particularly as it varies from state to state. digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc103062/
- Temporary Extension of Unemployment Benefits: Emergency Unemployment Compensation (EUC08)
- In July 2008, a new temporary unemployment benefit, the Emergency Unemployment Compensation (EUC08) program, began. The most recent legislation, P.L. 111-205, extended the authorization of the EUC08 program, but did not change the structure of the program or augment benefits. This temporary unemployment insurance program provides up to 20 additional weeks of unemployment benefits to certain workers who have exhausted their rights to regular unemployment compensation (UC) benefits. This report discusses the various tiers of the EUC08 program, as well as related legislation. This report will be updated to reflect current congressional action or programmatic changes. digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc31503/
- Antipoverty Effects of Unemployment Insurance
- This report examines the antipoverty effects of unemployment insurance (UI) benefits during the past recession and the economic recovery. It includes estimates of the effects on the poverty rate for the unemployed, for those receiving UI, and for families that report at least one family member receiving UI. It also estimates how much of reported UI benefits went directly to decreasing family poverty levels. This report's analysis shows that UI benefits appear to reduce the prevalence of poverty significantly among the population that receives them. digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc122208/
- Unemployment Insurance: Programs and Benefits
- This report describes three kinds of unemployment benefit programs: regular Unemployment Compensation (UC), Extended Benefits (EB), and Emergency Unemployment Compensation (EUC08) . The report explains their basic eligibility requirements, benefits, and financing structure. digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc122298/
- Unemployment: Issues in the 112th Congress
- This report briefly reviews the situation in the 2012 labor market, expands on the policy steps taken to date, and analyzes policy issues that typically arise during consideration of stimulus legislation. Three policy issues are examined: whether to take additional measures to increase jobs, what measures might be most effective, and how job creation proposals should be financed. digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc122205/
- Extending Unemployment Compensation Benefits During Recessions
- This report describes the history of temporary federal extensions to unemployment benefits from 1980 to the present. It has five sections which discuss: [1] background information on unemployment compensation (UC) benefits, [2] a definition of a recession and the process of declaring a recession, [3] a summary of the legislative history of federal extensions of unemployment benefits, [4] figures examining the statistics of recessions, and [5] previous methods for financing temporary recession programs. digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc122320/
- Proposed U.S.-Colombia Free Trade Agreement: Labor Issues
- This report examines three labor issues and arguments related to the pending U.S.-Colombia free trade agreement (CFTA; H.R. 5724 and S. 2830): violence against trade unionists; impunity (accountability for or punishment of the perpetrators); and worker rights protections for Colombians. digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc29719/
- Trafficking in Persons in Latin America and the Caribbean
- This report looks at instances of trafficking in persons (TIP) in Latin America. It looks at current legislation in the U.S. to combat this problem. digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc94019/
- Proposed U.S.-Colombia Free Trade Agreement: Labor Issues
- This report examines three labor issues and arguments related to the pending U.S.-Colombia free trade agreement (CFTA; H.R. 5724 and S. 2830): violence against trade unionists; impunity (accountability for or punishment of the perpetrators); and worker rights protections for Colombians. digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc40240/
- Trafficking in Persons: The U.S. and International Response
- No Description digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metacrs6667/
- Social Security Benefits for Noncitizens: Current Policy and Legislation
- No Description digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metacrs6476/
- Trafficking in Women and Children: The U.S. and International Response
- No Description digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metacrs6517/
- Immigration: Legislative Issues on Nonimmigrant Professional Specialty (H-1B) Workers
- No Description digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metacrs1825/
- Immigration: Legislative Issues on Nonimmigrant Professional Specialty (H-1B) Workers
- No Description digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metacrs1824/
- A Shortage of Registered Nurses: Is It on the Horizon or Already Here?
- The largest, traditionally female-dominated health care occupation is registered nurses (RNs). It has been asserted that there are too few RNs available today to meet employers’ needs, that is, there is a shortage of nurses at the present time. It also has been estimated that there could well be a shortage of RNs in the not-too-distant future. This report will analyze the labor market conditions facing RNs and their employers. digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metacrs1872/
- Trafficking in Persons: The U.S. and International Response
- Trafficking in people for prostitution and forced labor is one of the most prolific areas of international criminal activity and is of significant concern to the United States and the international community. The overwhelming majority of those trafficked are women and children. In December 2005, Congress adopted the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2005. The State Department, on June 5, 2006, issued a mandate that categorized countries into four groups according to the efforts they were making to combat trafficking. Those countries (Tier Three) that do not cooperate in the fight against trafficking have been made subject to U.S. sanctions since 2003. In the second session of the 109th Congress, both chambers are expected to continue to address the human trafficking issue as part of their authorization, appropriations, and oversight activities. digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metacrs10488/
- Does Trade Reduce Wages of U.S. Workers?
- This report examines in some detail the hypothesis that trade is undermining the economic status of the American worker. Two questions are addressed: one, Has trade tended to reduce the average level of wages? and, two, Has trade increased the inequality of wages? The general conclusion reached is that poor wage performance is largely a problem of the domestic economy, that would have occurred with or without trade. digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metacrs141/
- Emergency Unemployment Compensation
- The Emergency Unemployment Compensation (EUC) program is a temporary unemployment insurance program that provides up to 13 additional weeks of unemployment benefits to certain workers who have exhausted their rights to regular unemployment compensation (UC) benefits. The program effectively begins July 6, 2008, and will terminate on March 28, 2009. No EUC benefit will be paid beyond the week ending July 4, 2009. digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metacrs10770/
- Trafficking in Women and Children: The U.S. and International Response
- No Description digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metacrs2377/
- Trafficking in Women and Children: The U.S. and International Response
- No Description digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metacrs2376/
- Trafficking in Women and Children: The U.S. and International Response
- No Description digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metacrs4128/
- Trafficking in Women and Children: The U.S. and International Response
- No Description digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metacrs4129/
- A Shortage of Registered Nurses: Is It on the Horizon or Already Here?
- The largest traditionally female-dominated health care occupation is registered nurses (RNs). It has been asserted that there is an ongoing nationwide shortage of RNs of various kinds and in various sectors of the health care services industry. Before the latest (mid-2002) release of supply-demand projections from the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), it was estimated, based in whole or part on 1996 HRSA projections, that there would likely be a shortage of RNs in 2007 or shortly thereafter. This report first will analyze recent trends in the RN labor market and then examine HRSA’s new projections, which moved up the date of an RN shortage to 2000. digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metacrs3260/
- Trafficking in Persons: The U.S. and International Response
- No Description digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metacrs9751/