The U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Disability Employment Policy developed a series of free video vignettes as part of its "Skills to Pay the Bills: Mastering Soft Skills for Workplace Success" curriculum. Youth services programs, educators and others helping young job seekers prepare for employment are encouraged to view, display, share and lead discussions about the videos, which aim to help all youth, including those with disabilities, develop and strengthen six essential skills needed to succeed in today's workforce: communication, networking, enthusiasm and attitude, teamwork, problem-solving and critical thinking, and professionalism.

The U.S. Department of Labor announced grants to 30 States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands for Unemployment Insurance program integrity, performance and system improvement projects. The grants will support the integrity of the UI program through the prevention, detection and recovery of improper UI benefit payments by assisting States in addressing the core root causes of UI improper payments, updating information technology system infrastructures, and expanding their use of re-employment and eligibility.

The McKinsey Global Institute (MGI) recently released "The World at Work: Jobs, Pay and Skill for 3.5 Billion People." This report analyzes the dramatic shifts in the global labor markets that have occurred over the last several decades, causing increasingly stark skill and wage gaps across the world. This report estimates future levels of college educated workers, as well as solutions to future employment barriers that may arise due to education. Labor supply and demand, labor gaps, and a global agenda for skills and jobs are also addressed in this report.

This report provides a synthesis of research and existing ACF resources for serving at-risk youth. It describes what we know from research about at-risk youth. It then describes how at-risk youth are currently being served by ACF programs and by programs outside of ACF that have been shown to put youth on a path toward self-sufficiency. Based on the review of research and resources, it identifies issues to consider in creating conceptual frameworks for developing and enhancing ACF programs that can or do serve at-risk youth. In the remainder of this chapter, we state the key questions that guide the synthesis, define some key concepts, and describe a number of at-risk youth populations served by ACF programs. (author abstract)

Providing vital resources to homeless women veterans is a priority for the Women's Bureau U.S. Department of Labor. "Women in the Military: Resources for Benefits and Trauma-Informed Care" roundtable hosted by the bureau last week brought together 50 representatives from homeless shelters, medical centers, community-based organizations, and State and federal organizations. The bureau's Angela Rizzolo, who organized the roundtable with the Massachusetts Women's Veterans' Network, gave an in-depth presentation on how to use the "Trauma-Informed Care Guide." The bureau will continue to host a series of roundtables to educate service providers on the resources available to help homeless women veterans find a path to good jobs and financial security.

The Congressional Research Service released a report on October 02, 2012 that examined the work participation standards and requirements for cash assistance recipients of the TANF block grant, which was created in the 1996 Welfare Reform law. This report provides a short history of work requirements in programs that provide cash assistance to needy families with children; reviews the major studies that contribute to the knowledge of what types of welfare-to-work programs are effective; discusses the TANF work provisions that apply directly to individuals; discusses the TANF work participation standards that apply to States; and addresses future issues for Congressional discussion, such as how work standards can address changing circumstances and the difficulties of measuring performance of States in the context of a block grant.

The Urban Institute introduced the Low-Income Working Families (LIWF) project. This project tracks the well-being of low-income families over time and analyzes the risks families can face. The new Web site for the Low-Income Working Families project features the latest information on factors that contribute to poor outcomes for families and policy options that would reduce barriers and promote meaningful work for adults and positive outcomes for children.

The Office of Disability Employment Policy launched the Workplace Flexibility Toolkit. This Toolkit makes more than 170 resources easily accessible for workers and job seekers with complex employment situations, such as parents with young children, single parents, family caregivers, mature workers, at-risk youth, ex-offenders, individuals with disabilities, veterans, and people with HIV/AIDS. Visitors may access case studies, fact and tip sheets, issue briefs, reports, articles, websites and a list of frequently asked questions. This Toolkit is funded by the ODEP in partnership with the department's Women's Bureau.

From the John J. Heldrich Center for Workforce Development and the Kessler Foundation, this research brief outlines innovative practices by employers who operate warehouse distribution centers. Such strategies can be applied to increasing the quality of employment for people with disabilities. Authors highlight a paradigm shift in this area, which focuses on the importance of employer partnerships to meet the needs of both employers and potential employees with disabilities. Companies, such as Walgreens, Lowe's, Toys R Us, and Proctor and Gamble, have been successful in creating local partnerships to recruit people with disabilities.

In this article, Brookings discussed this month's release of the Census Bureau's latest round of Income, Poverty, and Health Insurance Coverage data, giving insight into poverty levels for 2011. Rates from the data show an increase in working full-time, year-round jobs in 2011; however, they also show a continual decrease in household income. This article touches upon important findings released, along with suggestions for various factors that will influence poverty levels in the future.