H-2A Agricultural Guestworkers:
Status of Efforts to Improve Program Services
T-HEHS-00-134: Published: Jun 15, 2000. Publicly Released: Jun 15, 2000.
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Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO discussed the status of the Department of Labor's (DOL) efforts to improve the H-2A agricultural guestworker program services.
GAO noted that: (1) GAO believes that the principal conclusions of its December 1997 report continue to be valid; (2) a sudden, widespread farm labor shortage requiring the entry of large numbers of foreign workers continues to be unlikely now or in the near future, although localized shortages could emerge for specific crops or geographic areas; (3) although many farmworkers are not legally authorized to work in the United States, the Immigration and Naturalization Service's (INS) enforcement efforts are still unlikely to significantly reduce the aggregate number of unauthorized farm workers; (4) while comparatively few agricultural employers seek workers through the H-2A program, those that do continue to be generally successful in obtaining workers; (5) in 1997, GAO determined that poor information on H-2A program access and the involvement of many agencies in the program could result in redundant oversight and confuse employers that are considering participation and that DOL was not always processing applications in a timely manner; and (6) while DOL and INS have made progress in taking the steps to improve the program's operations, key changes remain to be implemented, particularly those that would permit DOL to assess the timeliness of its applications processing and to improve protections for domestic and H-2A agricultural workers.
Feb 26, 2021
Servicemember Rights:
Mandatory Arbitration Clauses Have Affected Some Employment and Consumer Claims but the Extent of Their Effects is UnknownGAO-21-221: Published: Feb 26, 2021. Publicly Released: Feb 26, 2021.
Feb 18, 2021
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Workplace Safety and Health:
Actions Needed to Improve Reporting of Summary Injury and Illness DataGAO-21-122: Published: Jan 27, 2021. Publicly Released: Feb 18, 2021.
Jan 27, 2021
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Military Spouse Employment:
DOD Should Continue Assessing State Licensing Practices and Increase Awareness of ResourcesGAO-21-193: Published: Jan 27, 2021. Publicly Released: Jan 27, 2021.
Oct 19, 2020
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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.
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