The mission of DOL is 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.
As an organization with diverse functions, DOL carries out its mission through a number of offices and agencies. These are organized into major program areas, and headed by an Assistant Secretary or other official. You can also view the Department of Labor Organizational Chart.
Historical Timeline
6/27/1884
Bureau of Labor Statistics Begins Collecting Employment Data
Before there was a Labor Department, there was The Bureau of Labor Statistics. Originally part of the Department of Interior, the Bureau publishes its First Annual Report in 1886 containing a study on industrial depressions. BLS is moved to the Labor Department when the department is established in 1913.
3/4/1913
President Taft Creates Labor Department
After much opposition, President William Howard Taft signs the Organic Act creating the U.S. Department of Labor. Signed during Taft's last hours in office, it is followed shortly thereafter by President Woodrow Wilson's appointment of William B. Wilson (no relation) as the first secretary of labor.
Meeting the Job Needs of Immigrants
As a result of the Immigration Act, the U.S. Employment Service begins functioning as a nonstatutory general placement agency for immigrants.
5/1/1915
The Monthly Labor Review Is First Published
Royal Meeker, commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics, launches the Monthly Labor Review. It includes information about the labor force, the economy, employment, inflation, productivity, occupational injuries and illnesses, and wages.
Establishing Benefits for Injured and Sick Workers
The Federal Compensation Act provides benefits to workers who are injured or contract illnesses in the workplace. The act establishes the Office of Workers Compensation Programs.
1/4/1918
Labor Department Streamlines War Production
The U.S. declares war on Germany and its allies on April 6. Congress creates the War Labor Administration to organize wartime production, giving the Labor Department an important role in the subsequent victory.
International Labor Comes to the Capital
Even though the U.S. is not a member,the International Labour Organization holds its first meeting in Washington, D.C. It is chaired by Secretary of Labor William B. Wilson.
6/5/1920
Women Receive a Voice in the Workplace Through the Women's Bureau
The Women’s Bureau is created to develop standards and polices ensuring the effective employment of women and promoting the welfare of wage-earning women. Mary Anderson is the bureau's first director, serving until 1944.
Railway Labor Act Creates National Mediation Board
Congress approves The Railway Labor Act to mend the tension between rail laborers and management. Administered by the National Mediation Board, an independent federal agency, the success of the RLA led to its expansion in 1936 to cover airline workers.
3/4/1927
Fair Pay for Longshore and Harbor Workers
The Longshore and Harbor Workers Compensation Act gives longshore and harbor workers compensation equal to that of state workers. It also compensates for lost wages, medical benefits, and rehabilitation services to longshore, harbor and other maritime workers who are injured during their employment or who contract an occupational disease related to employment.
7/7/1930
BLS Begins Collecting Unemployment Data
When the Great Depression hits, the Bureau of Labor Statistics is only collecting information on employment. In 1930, Congress authorizes BLS to collect unemployment data - just as unemployment is about to hit an all-time high.
New Deal Agencies Offer Employment During Depression
President Roosevelt and Congress create independent agencies like the Civilian Conservation Corps as part of the New Deal to help reduce high unemployment and bring an end to the Depression.
6/6/1933
Wagner-Peyser Act Brings Workers, Employers Together
Created with unemployed workers in mind, the Wagner-Peyser Act establishes the U.S. Employment Service, which creates a forum where workers and employers can exchange information.
U.S. Joins International Labour Organization
While not a member of the League of Nations, Congress authorizes the U.S. to join the International Labour Organization and take part in efforts to improve working conditions worldwide.
6/5/1935
National Labor Relations Act Codifies Worker Protections
The National Labor Relations Act defines unfair labor practices and protects workers' rights to strike and collectively bargain. The National Labor Relations Board is created to enforce the new law.
Social Security Act Creates Safety Net for Most Vulnerable
The Social Security Act of 1935 begins payment of benefits to the elderly, disabled and unemployed. Social Security benefits are supported through payroll taxes. The Social Security Administration began life as the Social Security Board. The SSB was an entirely new entity, with no staff, no facilities and no budget. The initial personnel were donated from existing agencies. Frances Perkins offered one of her Assistant Secretaries, Arthur Altmeyer, to be an initial Board member. Perkins even gave her high-backed red-leather executive chair to Altmeyer since the SSB had no furniture.
Apprenticeship Act Allows Labor Department to Oversee On-the-Job Training
Before the National Apprenticeship Act is passed, on-the-job training is unregulated. The Labor Department is put in charge of creating regulations protecting the health, safety and welfare of workers. The new law also encourages the use of contracts when hiring individuals to work as apprentices.
Fair Labor Standards Act Codifies 40-Hour Workweek
The Fair Labor Standards Act standardizes the 40-hour workweek and codifies paid overtime, minimum wage and child labor laws. It also creates the Wage and Hour Division to enforce the law.
Dictionary of Occupational Titles Is First Published
The Dictionary of Occupational Titles, which defines the tasks and skills needed for specific jobs, is created as a resource for those looking to switch careers or who are unemployed and seeking a career change.
Mobilizing for War, Helping Veterans
Although the Department does not administer any special war labor agencies like it did in WWI, its contributions are significant. The Bureau of Labor Statistics is the research arm of the Office of Price Administration, War Labor Board and the Armed Forces. The Division of Labor Standards and Women's Bureau ensure that labor standards are maintained despite labor shortages and soaring production demands. The Service man’s Readjustment Act of June 22, 1944, popularly known as the G.I. Bill of Rights, provides $20 weekly unemployment allowance in addition to counseling, placement services, education and on-the-job training to nearly 10 million veterans between September 1944 and August 1949.
Combatting Child Labor
President Truman creates the Bureau of International Labor Affairs to foster U.S. international relations efforts. The office works to end child labor abroad.
Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act
Birthed from the worry that union leadership and funding were linked to organized crime, the Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act becomes an important piece of federal law meant to prevent corruption and foster democracy within unions. The law is enforced by the department's Office of Labor-Management Standards.
Job Training Takes Hold
The Manpower Development and Training Act creates the first major federal job training program. It is focused on training and retraining individuals who lose jobs due to automation and technology. Less than a year after the law is passed, the Manpower Administration is created within the labor department. The new agency is tasked with overseeing all employment and training programs at the department.
Preparing Workers for the High-Tech Era
To meet the need for education and training programs that would prepare people for burgeoning high-tech industries, the Labor Department establishes the Manpower Administration.
Equal Pay for Equal Work
The Equal Pay Act of 1963 guarantees that men and woman be given equal pay for equal work. It also ensures that employers cannot reduce the wages of either sex to equalize pay.
7/2/1964
Banning Discrimination in the Workplace
Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex or national origin. The act was initiated under President John F. Kennedy. Following his assassination, President Lyndon B. Johnson saw it through to law.
Launching the Job Corps
President Lyndon B. Johnson signs the the Economic Opportunity Act which, in part, creates the Job Corps. A part of Johnson's "Great Society," the act was designed to tackle the problems of unemployment and provide opportunities for citizens living in poverty to compete in the growing economy.
Ensuring Equal Employment Opportunities in Federal Contracting
Within the Labor Department, the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs is established by Executive Order 11246, signed by President Johnson. OFFCP holds federal contractors to a higher obligation for affirmative action. E.O. 11246 prohibits federal contractors and subcontractors and federally assisted construction contractors and subcontractors from employment decisions that discriminate based on race, sex, color, religion or national origin.
Expanding Wage Protections: The Service Contract Act
President Johnson signs the 1965 McNamara-OHara Service Contract Act to protect employees performing work for contractors and subcontractors. This act establishes standards for prevailing compensation and safety and health protection, and is applied to every contract entered into by the United States and the District of Columbia. Provisions are largely enforced by the departments Wage and Hour Division and its Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
Taking Aim at Age Discrimination
Life expectancy increased significantly in the 1900s, and many new pieces of legislation for equal opportunity within the American workforce are passed. Attempts to include age as a factor by which employers cannot discriminate in law begins with the Employment Opportunity Act of 1962 and the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The lack of data on age discrimination prompts Secretary of Labor Wirtz to commission the report The Older American Worker: Age Discrimination in Employment. Soon after its publication, in December 1967, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act is signed into law by President Johnson.
A New Milestone: Occupational Safety and Health Act
President Richard M. Nixon signs into law the Occupational Safety and Health Act. The act establishes the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, which ensures workers' right to a safe and healthful workplace.
9/2/1974
Setting the Standard for Pensions and Benefits
President Gerald Ford signs the Employee Retirement Income Security Act into law on Labor Day in 1974. ERISA sets the minimum standards for retirement, health and other welfare benefits, as enforced by the Employee Benefits Security Administration.
From Manpower to Employment and Training Â
The Employment and Training Administration is created by President Gerald Ford to replace the Manpower Administration. The ETA administers job training programs and oversees the Unemployment Insurance benefits system.
A Vital Mission: Mine Safety and Health Administration
The Federal Mine Safety and Health Act moves oversight and enforcement of mines from the Department of the Interior to the Labor Department. The new Mine Safety and Health Administration is tasked with enforcing employment standards for miners nationwide. The act mandates annual inspections for mines and requires that all underground mines establish rescue teams.
Serving Veterans as They Transition to New Careers
The Veterans Employment and Training Service is established by Secretary of Labor Raymond J. Donovan. VETS serves veterans nationwide by providing job training and other employment services.
Ensuring Rights for Migrant and Seasonal Agricultural Workers
The Migrant and Seasonal Agricultural Worker Protection Act set employment standards for farm workers. The act replaces the Farm Labor Contractor Registration Act.
Retirement Equity Act
The Retirement Equity Act is signed into law on Aug. 23, 1984. It amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act by addressing women’s rights not included in the original 1974 version of ERISA ’ including survivorship benefits, vesting and domestic relations orders.
Rules for Employee Polygraph Tests
The Employee Polygraph Protection Act, signed on June 27, 1988, prevents employers who are engaged in interstate commerce from using polygraph tests for workers either before or during employment. Enforced by the Wage and Hour Division, the secretary is authorized to assess civil money penalties up to $10,000 for employers in violation.
8/4/1988
Fair Notice for Mass Layoffs
The Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act, signed on Aug. 4, 1988, protects workers by giving them advance notice of plant closings or mass layoffs by 60 days. The WARN Act is enforced by the Employment and Training Administration.
Making a Commitment to Americans with Disabilities
The Americans with Disabilities Act, a civil rights measure, is passed to prohibit discriminatory practices on the basis of a disability. It sets guidelines for accessibility, opening premises previously unavailable to persons of diverse backgrounds, with the concept of reasonable accommodation. Disability, as the ADA defines it, includes visual, auditory and mobility deficits as well as mental, emotional and physical well-being.
Glass Ceiling Commission Created by Civil Rights Act of 1991
The Glass Ceiling Commission is created in 1991 to investigate the artificial barriers that prevent qualified women and minorities from moving into more senior positions. The commission works to identify and quantify bias in order to propose solutions for its eventual eradication.
2/5/1993
Protecting Jobs During Family and Medical Leave
The Family and Medical Leave Act is best known for its provision of parental leave for the birth of a child. It also guarantees that a job will be there upon return, for new foster parents, caretakers of injured or ill relatives, workers with personal health problems, and others.
Ending Sweatshops in the Garment Industry
The No Sweat initiative, a multifaceted movement to end sweatshops in the garment industry, is begun. Sweeps of manufacturing centers are conducted to enforce the law, and publications are produced identifying retailers who had promised to go sweatshop-free to help educate consumers.
8/7/1998
Keeping America Earning
The Workforce Investment Act (August 7, 1998) is enacted during President Clintons second term to create a means for businesses to participate in workforce training and career pathways programs. It replaces the Job Training Partnership Act of 1982, providing funding for local, statewide, national and Job Corp on-the-job training.
Cracking Down on Trafficking of Children
The United Nations agency for social justice in the labor sector, the International Labour Organization, adopts Convention 182 to prohibit and eliminate child labor. The convention, ratified in Geneva, Switzerland, in 1999, defines a child as anyone under 18 and labels child trafficking “whether for sex, drugs or slave labor” as among the worst kinds of child labor.
Launching the Office of Disability Employment Policy
To reinforce the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Office of Disability Employment Policy is created as an authority on national policy to integrate individuals with disabilities into the workplace. Its goal is to remove the limits on employment opportunities that people with disabilities face; to accomplish this, the agency provides information on required accommodations to employers, and advises people with disabilities about their rights.
2/3/2003
Pension and Welfare Benefits Administration Renamed Employee Benefits Security Administration
The Employee Benefits Security Administration focuses on protecting the benefits of workers and their families by regulating retirement, health care, and other benefit plans. It has the authority to administer and enforce provisions of laws including the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA); the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA); The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA); and the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA).
Enhancing Miner Safety and Health
The Mine Improvement and New Emergency Response (MINER) Act winds approval after three major mining tragedies in the same year that killed 19 workers. It includes a number of safety provisions to modify the Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977, including requiring mines to provide more updated accident contingency plans and to train miners to survive emergency situations.
Fair Pay for the 21st Century
The Lily Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009 reverses a Supreme Court decision that held that people subject to pay discrimination have only 180 days from the date the employer first decides to pay them less to file a discrimination claim. It reinstates the long-standing interpretation of the law that treats each paycheck as a separate discriminatory act that starts a new clock. It is the first bill signed into law by President Barack Obama.
Affordable Care Act
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is signed into law by President Obama on March 23, 2010, with the goal of decreasing the number of uninsured citizens and reducing health care costs via tax credits, subsidies, incentives and fees for employers and uninsured individuals. Under PPACA, insurance companies are required to cover all applicants at the same rate of coverage regardless of pre-existing conditions or gender.
(Link: https://www.dol.gov/general/aboutdol/history
(Link: https://www.dol.gov/general/dol-agencies)