Fewer American teenagers are looking for summer jobs, despite more employers looking to hire seasonal workers. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) projects this summer’s teen workforce participation rate to be around 40% as compared with 70% in the late 1980s. The BLS has identified several potential causes for this drop-off including: (1) increased summer school requirements for teenagers; (2) more older Americans are remaining in the workforce; and (3) more immigrants competing with teenagers for jobs.
While many workers face wage theft (i.e. employers not paying minimum wage, overtime, or not paying workers at all), under the Trump Administration many undocumented workers are afraid to report these violations. Under President Obama, the Department of Labor and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agreed that ICE would not interfere with wage theft violations. While President Trump has not formally changed this policy, undocumented workers are nevertheless concerned about ICE potentially launching immigration proceedings against them if they report wage theft.
Dockworkers in Spain began a three-day strike to protest layoffs resulting from reform of the sector. After the Spanish Parliament passed a bill to end the monopoly that allows only certain workers to load and unload cargo, the national union launched a strike with approximately 6,000 workers.
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October 3
California legislation empowers state labor board; ChatGPT used in hostile workplace case; more lawsuits challenge ICE arrests
October 2
AFGE and AFSCME sue in response to the threat of mass firings; another preliminary injunction preventing Trump from stripping some federal workers of collective bargaining rights; and challenges to state laws banning captive audience meetings.
September 30
the NTEU petitions for reconsideration for the CFPB layoff scheme, an insurance company defeats a FLSA claim, and a construction company violated the NLRA by surveilling its unionized workers.
September 29
Starbucks announces layoffs and branch closures; the EEOC sues Walmart.
September 28
Canadian postal workers go on strike, and the Federal Bureau of Prisons cancels a collective bargaining agreement covering over 30,000 workers.
September 26
Trump’s DOL seeks to roll back a rule granting FLSA protections to domestic care workers; the Second Circuit allows a claim of hostile work environment created by DEI trainings to proceed; and a GAO report finds alarming levels of sexual abuse in high school Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps programs.