WASHINGTON (AP) – Thomas Perez, President Barack Obama's choice for Labor secretary, has used his perch as the nation's chief civil rights enforcer to crack down on voter suppression, discrimination and police brutality.

2. Poor Economy Worsens Social Security's Finances - Tuesday, April 24, 2012

WASHINGTON (AP) – High energy prices and an economy that has been slow to rebound are worsening Social Security's finances, shortening the life of the trust funds that support program by three years, the government said Monday.

3. FedEx to Pay $3M in Discrimination Case - Friday, March 23, 2012

U.S. Labor Secretary Hilda Solis and Patricia Shiu, director of the Labor Department’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs, unveiled the details Thursday, March 22, of a $3 million settlement with FedEx Ground related to thousands of workers turned down for jobs over the last several years.

4. FedEx to Pay $3M Settlement - Thursday, March 22, 2012

U.S. Labor Secretary Hilda Solis and Patricia Shiu, director of the Labor Department’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs, unveiled the details Thursday, March 22, of a $3 million settlement with FedEx Ground related to thousands of workers turned down for jobs over the last several years.

5. Fed Officials to Announce Settlement with FedEx Thurs. - Thursday, March 22, 2012

U.S. Labor Secretary Hilda Solis and Patricia Shiu, director of the labor department’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs, will host a conference call Thursday morning to “announce the settlement of a significant case involving systemic hiring discrimination” that involves the ground delivery unit of FedEx.

6. New Rules Compel Disclosure of 401(k) Fees - Friday, February 03, 2012

LOS ANGELES (AP) – The Obama administration is taking steps to make the fees charged in 401(k) plans more transparent and broaden the options retirees have for drawing on their nest egg.

7. Plan Would Lift Wages of Home Care Workers - Friday, December 16, 2011

WASHINGTON (AP) – Workers in the home health care industry – one of the country's fastest growing professions – would be guaranteed minimum wage and overtime protections under new rules proposed Thursday by the Obama administration.

8. Goodyear Plant in Union City Sold to Tire Maker - Monday, November 14, 2011

NASHVILLE (AP) – The former Goodyear tire plant in Union City has been sold to a maker of off-road equipment tires, officials said Friday.

The sale to Titan Tire Corporation is effective immediately, but the purchase price is not being disclosed, Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co. spokeswoman Amy Brei in Akron, Ohio, told The Associated Press on Friday morning.

9. Bioworks Awarded $3.7M Grant - Monday, October 10, 2011

Memphis Bioworks Foundation has been awarded a four-year, $3.7 million grant from the U.S. Department of Labor to deliver high-growth jobs training and jobs-placement assistance for long-term unemployed American workers.

10. Finances Look Worse for Medicare, Social Security - Monday, May 16, 2011

WASHINGTON (AP) – The bad economy has shortened the life of the trust funds that support Social Security and Medicare, the nation's two biggest benefit programs, the government reported Friday.

11. First Lady: Military Members, Spouses Need Jobs - Monday, April 18, 2011

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) – First lady Michelle Obama called on companies Thursday to recruit and hire members of the military and their spouses, saying they offer unique skills and qualities.

12. Labor Department Releases 401 (k) Fee Disclosure Rules - Friday, October 15, 2010

The Department of Labor says it will require companies providing 401(k) accounts to lay out all the fees and other charges in plain language beginning Jan. 1, 2012.

The new regulations, announced by Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis, will affect about 483,000 retirement plans. She said the 72 million workers enrolled in 401(k) plans will now have the detailed information they need to do comparisons of costs of their investment choices in their plan.

13. Despite Economy, Americans Don't Want Farm Work - Tuesday, September 28, 2010

VISALIA, Calif. (AP) – As the economy tanked during the past two years, a debate has raged over whether immigrants are taking jobs that Americans want. Here, amid the sweltering vineyards of the largest farm state, the answer is no.

14. Workplace Deaths Fall to Lowest Level Since 1992 - Friday, August 20, 2010

WASHINGTON (AP) – The number of workers who died on the job fell by 17 percent last year to the lowest level in nearly two decades, as workers logged fewer hours during the recession, the Labor Department said Thursday.

15. IRS, States Crack Down on Independent Worker Abuse - Friday, February 12, 2010

NASHUA, N.H. (AP) - The Internal Revenue Service and 37 states are cracking down on companies that try to trim payroll costs by illegally classifying workers as independent contractors, rather than as full employees, The Associated Press has learned. The practice costs governments billions in lost revenue and can leave workers high and dry when they are hurt at work or are left jobless.

16. Rules Unclear for Mental Health Act - Thursday, October 15, 2009

Insurance providers could be scratching their heads in bewilderment about how to comply with a new federal law that puts mental health benefits on equal terms with other medical benefits.

The Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act takes effect Jan.1 for most insurance plans, but the federal government has yet to issue the regulations to implement the law. Seventy-three members of Congress, including Democratic U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen of Memphis, recently sent a letter to three top cabinet secretaries with concerns about the delay.

17. Jobless Rate At 9.7 pct.; 216K Jobs Lost in Aug. - Tuesday, September 08, 2009

WASHINGTON (AP) – The national unemployment rate jumped almost half a point to 9.7 percent in August, the highest since 1983, reflecting a poor job market that will make the economy’s recovery more difficult.

18. Here Comes the Sun: Memphis’ cut of the state’s solar energy plan - Monday, July 20, 2009

The Sharp Manufacturing plant in Hickory Hill has always been a symbol as much as a working part of the city’s economic infrastructure.

The plant on South Mendenhall Road represents the city’s first truly international big business presence. It opened in 1978 after Japanese executives came to Memphis to negotiate directly with city leaders. And once the deal closed, a now-legendary picket line was thrown up by local union leaders. The picketing symbolized organized labor’s determination to have a voice in local economic development.

19. Labor Secretary Touts Green Jobs During Visit - Friday, June 26, 2009

U.S. Labor Secretary Hilda Solis toured Sharp Manufacturing Co. this week as she touted a green jobs movement across the country encouraged and supported by training programs.

20. Biden: Council Will Help Auto Workers Get New Jobs - Wednesday, June 24, 2009

PERRYSBURG, Ohio (AP) - A new government council will help auto industry workers transition to new manufacturing opportunities, including jobs in alternative energy, Vice President Joe Biden said Tuesday.

21. Cabinet Officials Head to Hard-Hit Auto States - Thursday, June 04, 2009

LANSING, Mich. (AP) - Officials in four Midwestern states badly hurt by the auto industry's woes are lining up to ask the Cabinet secretaries crisscrossing the region for a better deal when it comes to getting funds from the federal recovery act.

22. April Layoffs Slow to 539K - Monday, May 11, 2009

WASHINGTON (AP) – The pace of layoffs slowed in April when employers cut 539,000 jobs, the fewest in six months. But the unemployment rate climbed to 8.9 percent, the highest since late 1983, as many businesses remain wary of hiring given all the economic uncertainties.

23. Jobless Rate Jumps To 7.2 Percent in Dec. - Monday, January 12, 2009

WASHINGTON (AP) – The nation’s unemployment rate bolted to 7.2 percent in December, the highest level in 16 years, as nervous employers slashed 524,000 jobs, capping one of the worst years in modern history for American workers.

24. Economic Crisis, Obama Response Face New Congress - Wednesday, January 07, 2009

WASHINGTON (AP) - The new Congress opened for business at the stroke of noon on Tuesday, eager to join President-elect Barack Obama in tackling the worst economic crisis in generations. Democrats celebrated last fall's election gains in the House and Senate.