"U.S. Department of Labor"

Initial filings for unemployment insurance in Alaska nearly doubled in the week ending on March 28, with over 14,500 new filings, according to new data released from the U.S. Department of Labor.

Not everyone who has been affected by the coronavirus is covered. One glaring loophole in the state legislation is that it doesn’t cover people who are self-employed or contract work, such as hair and nail salon workers, unless they’re specially set up to pay unemployment taxes.

In the first five days of last week there were 4,046 new claims.

“I’ve been impressed with his level of attention to the details of his job,” Sen. Lisa Murkowski said Wednesday, two days before Labor Secretary Alex Acosta announced his resignation.

Some Alaskans with opioid addictions who are leaving prisons or juvenile justice facilities will receive federally funded job training. A grant also will pay to increase the number of people trained to provide opioid treatment.

The U.S. Department of Labor says the state ferry system is violating the Family and Medical Leave Act. It’s filed a civil complaint in federal court.

About 4 million workers would have become eligible to earn overtime under the new rule set to go into effect Dec. 1. Business groups and 21 states sued. A Texas judge has now put the rule on hold.

Bald Mountain Air Service is accused of suspending, firing and then essentially blacklisting a pilot who blew the whistle on the company for violating federal safety standards.

Alaska has model job training and employment programs, according to the head of the U.S. Department of Labor.