Total
Budget (Dollars in Billions) |
|
Discretionary Programs: |
$12.5 |
$11.4 |
-$1.1 |
Mandatory Programs: |
$46.9 |
$45.1 |
-$1.8 |
Total, Department of Labor |
$59.4 |
$56.5 |
-$2.9 |
Full
Time Equivalents |
17,432 |
17,179 |
-253 |
Introduction
At the Department of Labor, the Fiscal Year (FY) 2003 budget was
developed with the goal of serving the needs of the 21st Century
Workforce.
The Department's FY 2003 budget reflects the amounts necessary to
address the challenges related to a changing economy and workforce -- currently
in a slump -- while balancing the achievement of three overarching national
goals: winning the war against terrorism; strengthening protections of our
homeland; and revitalizing our economy and creating jobs.
For FY 2003, the Department will play a key role in ensuring that
President Bush's economic agenda is accomplished. The President's economic
agenda can be summed up in one word: jobs. From ensuring a
workforce that is prepared for 21st Century challenges - to
providing a secure retirement to the Nation's laborers, the Department of Labor
will be there in FY 2003.
The total request for the Department in FY 2003 is $56.5 billion in
budget authority and 17,179 full-time equivalents. The request for the
Department's discretionary programs is $11.4 billion.
Back to Work Relief Package
"We've got a job to do, all of us." In an October 4, 2001, speech at the
Department of Labor, President George W. Bush underscored the importance of his
Back to Work Relief Package, which includes immediate relief to those
hardest hit and focuses on mitigating the financial impacts of the terrorist
attacks on our workforce. It would provide new National Emergency Grants and
extend unemployment benefits in those states that were direct targets of the
terrorist attacks. It also encourages affected workers to take advantage of
more than $6 billion in existing Federal programs that provide job search,
training, placement, and other services. The President continues to support
these proposals as part of a bipartisan economic security plan.
The Department heeded the President's call - and that focus continues in
FY 2003.
Protecting Dislocated Workers
Just last month, DOL took further steps to assist
workers in a still-sluggish economy. The Office of the 21st Century
Workforce held a day-long jobs and skills fair to help put the Washington,
D.C., region back to work. Everything was in one place -- companies looking for
employees, information on job opportunities, and access to employers in nearly
all fields. This included information on training, certification, skills,
education -- and one-stop access to the full range of government services for
workers in transition.
Related FY 2003 initiatives include continuing the implementation of
National Emergency Grants as part of a bipartisan economic security plan in
2002 and reforming the Federal/State Unemployment Insurance program.
Unemployment Insurance and Employment Service Reform
The Department's Unemployment Insurance (UI) and
Employment Service (ES) systems provide critical services to unemployed
workers. UI helps workers bridge the gap between jobs while stabilizing the
economy during downturns. The ES helps unemployed workers find jobs and
employers find new workers. The Department's 2003 budget proposes short- and
long-term strategies to promote flexibility and strengthen unemployment
insurance and employment services to America's workers and businesses.
Short-term proposals -- which are included in the President's Economic Security
Package -- include a 13-week extension of unemployment benefits in all states
and distribution of $9 billion in Federal funds to State unemployment trust
funds. Long-term proposals would make extended benefits more readily available
in future economic downturns, reduce Federal unemployment taxes, and give
States control of their own administrative funding.
Retirement Security
President Bush and Secretary Chao share the priority
of ensuring retirement security for our Nation's workers and retirees. To
achieve that goal, the Department's Pension and Welfare Benefits Administration
protects the integrity of pensions, health plans, and other employee benefits
for more than 150 million people. From ensuring that workers receive the
information they need to protect their benefit rights to ensuring that plan
officials understand their legal responsibilities to their employers, DOL is
making a difference -- and, in doing so, is helping millions of America's
workers rest a little more soundly at night. For FY 2003, the President's
request for PWBA is $121 million - a $6 million increase over FY 2002. PWBA is
also proposing legislative changes that would reinforce the American workers'
confidence in the security of the private retirement system. Additional
Departmental funds are proposed in the President's FY 2003 budget to protect
pension funds from labor racketeering.
Job Corps
The President is requesting $1.5 billion for Job Corps in FY
2003 -- an increase of $73 million above FY 2002. Job Corps is a nationwide
network of more than 120 residential facilities that provide comprehensive and
intensive training, career development, job placement and support services to
at-risk young adults. The Job Corps mission is to attract and enroll eligible
young people; teach them the academic, vocational and social skills that they
need to become employable and independent; and help them enter satisfying and
long-lasting careers.
According to a thorough and objective economic impact study published
last year, the dollar value of benefits that Job Corps generates for society is
more than twice what the taxpayers invest. At the President's FY 2003 request,
Job Corps will enroll about 75,000 new students. In addition, the President's
2003 budget request contains measures to increase teacher pay, support center
expansion, and further improve the quality of Job Corps services to
disadvantaged young people - including ensuring program accreditation to award
high school diplomas.
Office of Disability Employment Policy
The President's FY 2003 request for the Office of
Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) is $47 million - an increase of $9 million
over FY 2002. This increase will support ODEP's mission to bring a heightened
and permanent long-term focus to the goal of increasing employment of persons
with disabilities through policy analysis, technical assistance, and
development of best practices, along with outreach, education, constituent
services, and promoting ODEP's mission among employers.
Office of the Inspector General
The President's request in FY 2003 for the Office of Inspector General
(OIG) is $65 million -- an increase of $5 million over FY 2002. This increase
will allow the OIG to further its mission of improving the effectiveness,
efficiency, and economy of Departmental programs and operations through audits,
investigations, and evaluations. The OIG also serves to detect and prevent
fraud and abuse in DOL programs and labor racketeering in the American
workplace.
Office of Labor Management Standards
The Office of Labor Management Standards (OLMS) in
the Department's Employment Standards Administration is the sole Federal agency
charged with administering and enforcing most provisions of the
Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act of 1959, as amended. This is the
law enacted by Congress to ensure basic standards of democracy and fiscal
responsibility in labor organizations representing employees in private
industry.
For FY 2003, the President is requesting an increase of $3.9 million and
40 FTE for OLMS to carry-out this important mission.
Veterans' Employment and Training Service
The President's FY 2003 budget adopts the
recommendation of the Principi Commission to move several Veterans' Employment
and Training Service (VETS) programs from the Department of Labor to the
Department of Veterans Affairs.
The Department will retain responsibility for Workforce Investment Act
grants that benefit veterans, and will continue to enforce veterans' employment
rights and veterans' preference. Transferred to the Department of Veterans
Affairs will be the Disabled Veterans' Outreach Program; the Local Veterans'
Employment Representatives program; and the Homeless Veterans' Program. Related
information is contained in the VETS section of this Overview.
Bureau of International Labor Affairs
The FY 2003 budget requests $55 million for the Bureau of International
Labor Affairs, which would allow the agency to continue its core mission of
providing grants to international organizations to reduce exploitative child
labor, and finance bilateral technical assistance to support international
trade agreements.
Office of the 21st Century Workforce
Last year, Secretary Chao announced the creation of
the Office of the 21st Century Workforce with a mission to ensure that
all American workers have as fulfilling and financially rewarding a career as
they aspire to have and to ensure that no worker is left behind in the
limitless potential of the dynamic, global economy of this new millennium. Much
has been done to further this effort.
On June 20, 2001, Secretary Chao hosted the Summit on the
21st Century Workforce. The Summit was a rousing success
as President George W. Bush and leaders from business, labor, academia, and
government joined the Secretary to address the structural changes affecting our
workforce and our economy.
The Summit's focus became even more critical in the wake of the
events of September 11.
Implementing the President's Management Agenda
The Department has instituted a systematic approach
to addressing and implementing the President's management reform agenda. The
five government-wide agenda reforms - Budget and Performance Integration;
Strategic Management of Human Capital; Competitive Sourcing; Improve Financial
Performance; and Expanding Electronic Government are teamed with a
sixth reform with which the Department has been charged: Faith-based
Initiatives. Secretary Chao created a new Departmental entity to better
manage the Department's progress against these reforms as well as other
management initiatives that cross-cut Departmental agencies.
Management Review Board
In August 2001, Secretary Chao established the Department's Management
Review Board (MRB) to support the Administration's priorities and to coordinate
action on management issues that should have common solutions. Through the MRB,
the Department has in place a management process that complements the
President's Management Council, thus facilitating consistency in Departmental
decision-making.
Summary
As demonstrated in this Overview and in the agency summaries to
follow, for FY 2003, the Department has a number of initiatives planned to
better address the needs of the 21st Century workforce. That is both
our goal and mission.
And as President Bush stated in his visit to the Department of Labor,
"we've got a job to do." DOL is doing it well.
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