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

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.