Department of Labor News Updates

The Labor Department reported July 15 that its producer price index — which captures inflation before it reaches consumers — dropped 0.3% from May, biggest decline since April 2025.

Prices dropped 0.4% in June from May, the largest monthly drop in four years, the Labor Department said July 14.

The current enforcement environment reflects a return to a rule that dates to 1937 but was unevenly applied for much of the past decade.

ATA has urged the Senate to confirm acting Labor Secretary Keith Sonderling, praising his record on the independent contractor rule and workforce policy.

The index rose 1.9% in May after a similar advance in April. From a year ago, it increased 6.7%, marking the fastest pace in almost four years.

The Labor Department reported June 11 that its producer price index — which captures inflation before it reaches consumers — jumped 6.5% from May 2025. 

The Labor Department reported June 5 that job growth was down last month from a revised 179,000 in April. The unemployment rate stayed at a low 4.3%

DOL said its ELP mandate will take effect mid-June “to allow the regulated community time to review and will be applied prospectively to filings thereafter.”

Heather Long, chief economist at Navy Federal Credit Union, wrote, “For the first time in three years, inflation is eating up all wage gains."

The Iran war has caused the biggest disruption of global oil supplies in history. But the conflict hasn’t done much damage to the American job market so far.