Plant Closings:
Limited Advance Notice and Assistance Provided Dislocated Workers
HRD-87-105: Published: Jul 17, 1987. Publicly Released: Jul 17, 1987.
Additional Materials:
- Full Report:
Contact:
GAO surveyed 2,600 business establishments to determine the: (1) extent of business closures and permanent layoffs between January 1983 and December 1984; (2) length of advance notice businesses provided to affected workers; and (3) assistance employers offered to their dislocated workers.
GAO found that: (1) 1.3 million workers lost their jobs between 1983 and 1984 due to closures and permanent layoffs; (2) 60 percent of business closures and layoffs occurred in the manufacturing sectors; and (3) one-third occurred in industries which the Department of Labor certified as trade-impacted. GAO also found that: (1) although labor organizations and some business associations recognize the need for advance notice of an impending closure or layoff, 80 percent of the businesses it surveyed provide an average of only 7 days advance notice to their blue-collar and white-collar workers prior to layoffs; (2) while businesses usually provide their displaced workers with income maintenance benefits, few offer such benefits as continued health-insurance coverage, counseling, and job-search assistance; and (3) proposed legislation to expand federal assistance to dislocated workers would significantly increase the amount of available assistance and require states to establish rapid-response mechanisms to increase the potential for early intervention.
Oct 19, 2020
Fair Labor Standards Act:
Observations on the Effects of the Home Care RuleGAO-21-72: Published: Oct 19, 2020. Publicly Released: Oct 19, 2020.
Jun 22, 2020
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Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act:
Additional DOL Actions Needed to Help States and Employers Address Substance Use DisorderGAO-20-337: Published: May 21, 2020. Publicly Released: Jun 22, 2020.
Apr 14, 2020
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Job Corps:
DOL Should Provide Greater Transparency in Communicating Its Rationale for Closure DecisionsGAO-20-240R: Published: Apr 14, 2020. Publicly Released: Apr 14, 2020.
Feb 14, 2020
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National Mediation Board:
Additional Actions Needed to Fully Implement Prior GAO Recommendations and Improve Agency Management and OversightGAO-20-236: Published: Feb 14, 2020. Publicly Released: Feb 14, 2020.
Feb 10, 2020
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National Weather Service:
Information on Contractor Selection and Work Performed for Its Operations and Workforce Analysis ProjectGAO-20-271R: Published: Jan 30, 2020. Publicly Released: Feb 10, 2020.
Sep 9, 2019
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Job Corps:
Actions Needed to Improve Planning for Center Operation ContractsGAO-19-326: Published: Aug 8, 2019. Publicly Released: Sep 9, 2019.
Apr 10, 2019
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Priority Open Recommendations:
Department of LaborGAO-19-395SP: Published: Apr 3, 2019. Publicly Released: Apr 10, 2019.
Apr 9, 2019
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Military Spouse Employment:
Participation in and Efforts to Promote the My Career Advancement Account ProgramGAO-19-320R: Published: Apr 9, 2019. Publicly Released: Apr 9, 2019.
Apr 8, 2019
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Workforce Automation:
Better Data Needed to Assess and Plan for Effects of Advanced Technologies on JobsGAO-19-257: Published: Mar 7, 2019. Publicly Released: Apr 8, 2019.
Mar 28, 2019
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Employment and Training Programs:
Department of Labor Should Assess Efforts to Coordinate Services Across ProgramsGAO-19-200: Published: Mar 28, 2019. Publicly Released: Mar 28, 2019.
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