Labor Department

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Background
The U.S. Department of labor is responsible for monitoring 9and helping to set) occupational safety, wage and hour standards, unemployment insurance benefits, employment services and training, and gathering specific economic statistics. It's foundational goal is to "foster, promote and develop the welfare of working people, to improve their working conditions, and to enhance their opportunities for profitable employment."

Department History

The organization was first established a Bureau of Labor in 1884. At that time the bureau was part of Department of the Interior. In 1903 it became part of what was then known as Department of Commerce and Labor. In March of 1913 President William Howard Taft signed a bill establishing a seperate Department of Labor as a Cabinet-level. At verious times since then there have been proposals to runite the Departments of Commerce and Labor, but not has become reality.

Current IT Climate

Major Projects by Department - FY2009

• Bureau of Labor Statistics - Labor Dept
• Departmental Management - Labor Dept
• Department-Wide Investment - Labor Dept
• Employee Benefits Security Administration - Labor Dept
• Employment and Training Administration - Labor Dept
• Employment Standards Administration - Labor Dept
• Mine Safety and Health Administration - Labor Dept
• Occupational Safety and Health Administration - Labor Dept
• Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation - Labor Dept

Leading Projects at Labor - 2007
OASAM - Unified DOL Technology Infrastructure
PBGC - IT Infrastructure
PBGC - Participant Services
EBSA - Employee Retirement Income Security Act - EFAST 2
ESA - OWCP-Energy IT System

Top Spending Departments - 2007
Departmental Management
Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation
Bureau of Labor Statistics
Employment Standards Administration
Employee Benefits Security Administration

Leading Contract Winners at Labor
User Technology Associates
Panacea Consulting Inc.
L-3 Communications Holdings
Computer Sciences Corp. (CSC)
IBM Corp.

IT Budget History

Numbers = $millions. (Data from the Office of Management and Budget)Note on 2007 & 2008: Most civilian agencies other that the Homeland Security Department did not have a full budget approved since FY2006. A continuing resolution keep agency spending near 2006 levels.

Procurement Methods

Federal Register - Labor

Latest Labor Department News

News releases (on the DOL site)

Future

Advice

Related Links

• United States Department of Labor Official Website
• Labor Certification Tracker: A Labor Certification tracker that lets users share and discuss the details of their labor applications, reducing guesswork and making it easier to estimate processing times.
• Immigration links A list of frequently used links for employment-based immigrants.
• Department Of Labor Meeting Notices and Rule Changes from The Federal Register RSS Feed

U.S. Department of Labor
Frances Perkins Building
200 Constitution Ave. NW
Washington, DC 20210
866-4-USA-DOL

Web site

Employees: 17,347 (2004)

Agency Executives:

Elaine L. Chao, Secretary
Howard M. Radzely, Deputy Secretary

Operating Units

Administrative Review Board (ARB)

Benefits Review Board (BRB)

Bureau of International Labor Affairs (ILAB)

Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)

Center for Faith-Based and Community Initiatives (CFBCI)

Employees' Compensation Appeals Board (ECAB)

Employment Standards Administration (ESA)

Employment and Training Administration (ETA)

Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA)

Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)

Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA)

Veterans' Employment and Training Service (VETS)

Women's Bureau (WB)

Office of Inspector General (OIG)

Mission:
Fosters and promotes the welfare of the job seekers, wage earners, and retirees of the United States by improving their working conditions, advancing their opportunities for profitable employment, protecting their retirement and health care benefits, helping employers find workers, strengthening free collective bargaining, and tracking changes in employment, prices, and other national economic measurements. In carrying out this mission, the Department administers a variety of Federal labor laws including those that guarantee workers’ rights to safe and healthful working conditions; a minimum hourly wage and overtime pay; freedom from employment discrimination; unemployment insurance; and other income support. [1]