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U.S. Department of Labor

From Ballotpedia
Department of Labor
US-DeptOfLabor-Seal.svg
Secretary:Lori Chavez-DeRemer
Year created:1913
Official website:DOL.gov



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Executive Departments of the United States

Executive Departments
Department of StateDepartment of the TreasuryDepartment of DefenseDepartment of JusticeDepartment of the InteriorDepartment of AgricultureDepartment of CommerceDepartment of LaborDepartment of Health and Human ServicesDepartment of Housing and Urban DevelopmentDepartment of TransportationDepartment of EnergyDepartment of EducationDepartment of Veterans AffairsDepartment of Homeland Security

Department Secretaries
Marco RubioScott BessentPete HegsethPam BondiDoug BurgumBrooke RollinsLori Chavez-DeRemerRobert F. Kennedy Jr.Scott TurnerHoward LutnickSean DuffyChris WrightLinda McMahonDoug CollinsKristi Noem

TheDepartment of Labor (DoL) is a United States executive department formed in 1913 to help workers, job seekers, and retirees by creating standards for occupational safety, wages, hours, and benefits and by compiling economic statistics.[1]

The secretary of labor isLori Chavez-DeRemer.Click here to learn more about her confirmation process.

History

The Bureau of Labor Statistics, originally part of theDepartment of the Interior, began collecting data in 1884. In 1913, President William Howard Taft created the Labor Department in 1913, which absorbed the BLS. On President Taft's last day in office, he signed the Organics Act, officially creating the U.S. Department of Labor as an executive department of the United States.[1] President Woodrow Wilson then appointed the first secretary, William B. Wilson, to head the department.

The following is a list of notable events throughout the history of the Department of Labor:[1]

  • 1915: U.S. Employment Service formed, placing immigrants into jobs
  • 1916: Office of Workers' Compensation Programs formed, providing benefits to those injured or made ill due to poor working conditions
  • 1930: Bureau of Labor statistics begins recording unemployment numbers
  • 1935:National Labor Relations Board is formed, codifying unfair labor practices and protecting collective bargaining rights
  • 1935: Social Security Board is formed, paying benefits to retirees and disabled and unemployed workers from payroll taxes
  • 1938:Fair Labor Standards Act is passed, codifying the 40-hour work week and paid overtime guidelines
  • 1959: Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act is passed to combat corruption due to the rumored presence of organized crime in unions
  • 1962: Manpower Development and Training Act is passed, forming the first federal job training program
  • 1963: Equal Pay Act of 1963 is passed, establishing equal pay for the same jobs done by men and women
  • 1964: Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits employment discrimination based on race, religion, color, sex or national orientation
  • 1970:Occupational Safety and Health Administration is formed, mandating safe and healthy working conditions
  • 1977: Mine Safety and Health Administration is formed, mandating regular mine inspections and enforcing employment standards in the mining industry
  • 1990: Americans with Disabilities Act is passed, prohibiting discrimination against those with mental, physical or emotional disabilities and creating guidelines for accessibility

Mission

The official department mission statement is as follows:

To foster, promote, and develop the welfare of the wage earners, job seekers, and retirees of the United States; improve working conditions; advance opportunities for profitable employment; and assure work-related benefits and rights.[2]
—Department of Labor[3]

Leadership

U.S. Secretary of Labor Full History
Secretary of LaborYears in officeNominated byConfirmation vote
William B. Wilson1913-1921Woodrow Wilson
James J. Davis1921-1930Warren G. Harding
William N. Doak1930-1933Herbert Hoover
Frances Perkins1933-1945Franklin D. Roosevelt
Lewis B. Schwellenbach1945-1948Harry Truman
Maurice J. Tobin1948-1953Harry Truman
Martin P. Durkin1953Dwight D. Eisenhower
James P. Mitchell1953-1961Dwight D. Eisenhower
Arthur Goldberg1961-1962John F. Kennedy
W. Willard Wirtz1962-1969Lyndon B. Johnson
George P. Shultz1969-1970Richard Nixon
James D. Hodgson1970-1973Richard Nixon
Peter J. Brennan1973-1975Gerald Ford
John Thomas Dunlop1975-1976Gerald Ford
W. J. Usery, Jr.1976-1977Gerald Ford
Ray Marshall1977-1981Jimmy Carter
Raymond J. Donovan1981-1985Ronald Reagan
William E. Brock1985-1987Ronald Reagan
Ann Dore McLaughlin1987-1989Ronald Reagan
Elizabeth Dole1989-1990George H. W. Bush
Lynn Morley1991-1993George H. W. Bush
Robert Reich1993-1997Bill Clinton
Alexis Herman1997-2001Bill Clinton
Elaine Chao2001-2009George W. Bush
Hilda Solis2009-2013Barack Obama
Tom Perez2013-2017Barack Obama
R. Alexander Acosta2017-2019Donald Trump60-38
Eugene Scalia2019-2021Donald Trump53-44
Marty Walsh2021-2023Joe Biden68-29
Julie Su (acting)2023-2025Joe Biden-
Vincent Micone (acting)2025-2025Donald Trump-
Lori Chavez-DeRemer2025-PresentDonald Trump67-32

Note: Votes marked "N/A" represent voice votes or unrecorded votes. Missing votes will be filled as they are researched.

Organization

Administrative State
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Read more about theadministrative state on Ballotpedia.

Click here to view the DOL organizational chart.

Recent news

The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the termsUnited States Department of Labor. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.

See also

External links

Footnotes

  1. 1.01.11.2U.S. Department of Labor, "U.S. Department of Labor Historical Timeline," accessed August 29, 2013
  2. Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
  3. U.S. Department of Labor, "About Us," accessed June 21, 2025
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