U.S. Department of Labor Requests its 2012 Budget

How much money should the U.S. Department of Labor be allotted during such difficult economic times?

On the one hand, budgets are tight.  On the other hand, people need to be trained to contribute in new ways to the economy.

On Monday, the U.S. Department of Labor requested what its budget look like in 2012.

Recruitment firms may be interested to determine where their interests align with the Department’s and where they diverge, as this budget will greatly impact particular employment sectors.

The department’s budget request totals $12.8 billion in discretionary funding. The budget aims to help Americans find and keep jobs through programs that provide training and employment opportunities for unemployed adults, dislocated workers and vulnerable communities.

The budget plans to preserve the Department’s  support for employment and training programs that target Native American communities and migrant and seasonal farmworkers, as well as YouthBuild and Job Corps, which serve disadvantaged youth.  The department hopes to continue to support veterans by investing an additional $2 million in the Transition Assistance Program and an additional $3 million in the Homeless Veterans Reintegration Program.

If the budget is approved, the department will continue its commitment to enhancing worker safety. For example, to improve mine safety in 2012, the department is requesting $33 million to help reduce the large case backlog at the Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission.

In 2012, the department will continue to protect workers and level the playing field for businesses by investing almost $50 million to combat worker misclassification involving the Wage and Hour Division, the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the Office of the Solicitor, and the Employment and Training Administration.

With staggering unemployment figures, the U.S. Department of Labor certainly has its work cut out for it.