Trump Signs Executive Order Mandating US Worker Preference In Federal Contracts

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 03rd August, 2020) President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Monday mandating that agencies using Federal funds give preference to US workers.

The executive order requires US federal agencies to perform audits and reviews to ascertain that competitive service positions are filled by US nationals, the White House said in a press release.

Additionally, the executive order is aimed at discouraging outsourcing of roles in federal agencies to foreign nationals.

The White House highlighted the decision by the federally-owned Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) to outsource 20 percent of its technology workforce, as an example of what the White House wants to curb.

Earlier in the day, Trump dismissed the company's chair and another board member in response to TVA's announcement.

The executive order comes as the Trump administration takes steps to alleviate growing hardship amid the coronavirus-induced economic downturn. US weekly unemployment claims rose for the second straight week with some 1.43 million US workers filing for first-time unemployment benefits, the Labor Department said on Thursday.

According to the Labor Department, more than 55 million have applied for unemployment benefits in the 18 weeks since the onset of the pandemic.