President Trump Releases 2019 U.S. Department of Labor Budget [Photo Gallery]

Feb. 13, 2018
Job creation and security are the focus of the $10.6 billion in proposed discretionary spending.

The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has released the details of President Donald Trump's Fiscal Year 2019 budget request for the agency.

The request, which totals $10.9 billion, targets investments and reforms aimed at securing the American workforce. The proposed funds are a 9.3 percent increase from the FY 2018 budget of $9.7 billion.

“The President’s budget provides a fiscally responsible framework to advance the Department of Labor’s mission of ensuring all Americans have access to family-sustaining jobs,” said U.S. Secretary of Labor Alexander Acosta in a statement. “From addressing the skills gap through apprenticeships to prioritizing workplace safety, this budget reflects a strong commitment to the American workforce. It also includes important reforms to ensure that taxpayer dollars are used to maximum effect.”

Worker safety laws and compliance assistance comprise a significant portion of the budget, which includes the following allocations:

  • $549 million to OSHA to help ensure workers are safe on the job, providing $135 million for federal and state compliance assistance activities to enhance employer outreach and training
  • $230 million for the Wage and Hour Division to protect wages and working conditions in U.S. workplaces, including a funding increase of $4 million to educate employers on how to comply with the law
  • $376 million for the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA), reflecting a strong commitment to enforcement, compliance assistance, training, and innovative technologies to protect the safety and health of the nation’s miners.
  • $190 million for the Employee Benefits Security Administration, providing a $2 million increase to provide interpretive guidance, enforcement, oversight activities and compliance assistance
  • $47 million for the Office of Labor-Management Standards to administer safeguards for labor union democracy and financial integrity, including a funding increase of $3 million to re-establish the International Compliance Audit Program

Additional highlights for the FY 2019 DOL budget can be viewed in the slideshow.

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