Justin Cassera is a student at Harvard Law School.
In today’s news and commentary, Amazon layoffs mount, Trump picks new head for the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and the Department of Labor authorizes additional H-2B visas.
Last week, Amazon announced plans to cut 16,000 corporate jobs in an effort to streamline the company’s bureaucracy and “increase ownership.” Affected workers will be given severance and 90 days to search for other roles within the company. The news follows widespread layoffs in October, which targeted approximately 14,000 employees. Beth Galetti, Amazon’s senior vice president of people experience and technology, said it is “not [their] plan” to announce mass layoffs every few months, but that the company would continue to “make adjustments as appropriate.”
On Friday, it was reported that President Trump plans to nominate Brett Matsumoto to head the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), a position that has been vacant since August. Matsumoto, who currently serves as a senior economist at the White House Council of Economic Advisers, will replace Biden appointee Erika McEntarfer, whom Trump dismissed after an underwhelming August jobs report. The BLS has been historically nonpartisan, focusing on accuracy and transparency. However, budget cuts and accusations by President Trump have undermined public trust in the agency’s credibility. On this point, President Trump expressed that he is “confident that Brett has the expertise to QUICKLY fix the long history of issues at the BLS on behalf of the American People.” Economists of all political stripes have disputed these accusations.
Also on Friday, the Department of Labor issued a rule authorizing more than 64,000 additional seasonal employment visas primarily in landscaping, hospitality, and seafood processing. These H-2B visas will help address labor shortages as the United States prepares for tourism increases associated with major events like the FIFA World Cup. The Department of Labor is allowed to issue up to 64,716 additional visas on top of the initial 66,000 cap if market conditions call for them. This is the fourth year in a row the agencies have authorized all available supplemental visas.
Daily News & Commentary
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May 24
A majority of House Representatives sign a discharge petition for the Faster Labor Contracts Act, and the House Transportation Committee adopts a railroad safety amendment in the Build America 250 Act.
May 22
U.S. employers spend $1.7B on union avoidance each year and the ICJ declares the right to strike a protected activity.
May 21
UAW backs legal challenge to Trump “gold card” visa; DOL requests unemployment fraud technology funding; Samsung reaches eleventh-hour union agreement.
May 20
LIRR strike ends after three-day shutdown; key senators reject Trump's proposed 26% cut to Labor Department budget; EEOC moves to eliminate employer demographic reporting requirement.
May 19
Amazon urges 11th Circuit to overturn captive-audience meeting ban; DOL scraps Biden overtime rule; SCOTUS to decide on Title IX private right of action for school employees
May 18
California Department of Justice finds conditions at ICE facilities inhumane; Second Circuit rejects race bias claim from Black and Hispanic social workers; FAA cuts air traffic controller staffing target.