Federal Reserve policymakers said the labor market and housing have improved, moving closer to ending an unprecedented period of near-zero interest rates without providing a clear signal on the timing of liftoff.

President Obama signed an executive order last month that requires federal contractors to disclose their labor law violations, a move meant to boost employees’ rights in labor disputes.

Two large trucking companies received orders from the Labor Department’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration to compensate workers who said they were unable to drive because of illness.

Thomas Perez, currently head of the Civil Rights division of the U.S. Justice Department, is President Obama’s choice for labor secretary.

For labor and management, 2012 was short on contracts and long on rhetoric. During the year, the only agreement that affected trucking was between a division of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union and Southern California waterfront employers.

Congress has passed a short-term extension of the Federal Aviation Administration’s authorization, delaying until after the August recess further debate over a labor provision that has UPS Inc. and FedEx Corp. feuding.