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Archived News Release--Caution:
information may be out of date.
For more information call: 202/219- 8211.
The Labor Department today proposed a $38.7 billion FY96
budget designed to help American workers meet the demands of the new economy,
improve compliance with labor laws by businesses and workers, reduce incentives
for illegal immigration and streamline its own operations.
"In the first two years of this Administration nearly six
million jobs were created, the deficit was reduced by $505 billion, 40 million
Americans got a tax cut and the federal workforce was reduced by over 100,000
positions," said Labor Secretary Robert B. Reich. "This fiscal responsibility
has paid off and we are now in an even better position to increase investment
in the American workforce."
"Through the Middle Class Bill of Rights, individuals will
be able to take control of their lives by investing in their future. Tax
deductions for education and training, expanded IRAs, skill grants and a
comprehensive employment and training system will increase opportunities for
workers to learn the skills needed to build a better future."
The proposed budget includes four major initiatives:
The GI Bill for America's Workers: $7.8 billion. A critical
component of the President's Middle Class Bill of Rights, the proposed GI Bill
for America's Workers would consolidate more than 70 job training programs. It
will give workers immediate access to individual counseling and to information
on the job market and training options.
- For adults, the proposed budget provides $6.3 billion, including
$3.6 billion for skill grants to train dislocated and low-income workers; $1.5
billion to provide labor market assistance and support for such workers; and
$200 million to establish one-stop career centers.
For youth, the proposed budget includes $1.3 billion for
second-chance systems that consolidate current year-round and summer youth
programs and emphasize work-based learning for at- risk youth. The budget also
includes $400 million ($200 each for the labor and education departments) for
states to continue implementing school-to-work systems under the School to Work
Opportunities Act.
Compliance Assistance: $36 million. The department's
initiative will help employers and workers to better understand workplace laws,
regulations, judicial decisions, administrative determinations and agency
interpretations. To encourage voluntary compliance, the compliance assistance
initiative will provide easily accessible information to businesses and workers
about the laws the department enforces.
The department also will evaluate existing regulations to
assess their impact on business and workers and make necessary improvements.
Illegal Immigration Enforcement: $10.7 million. The
department plans to target and intensify its enforcement of labor standards in
industries and geographical areas where the hiring of unauthorized workers is
most prevalent. Such enforcement reduces economic incentives for hiring illegal
immigrants and helps reduce illegal immigration.
Reinvention and Streamlining: $20.9 million in one-time
costs to continue streamlining efforts. DOL is seeking additional funds to move
on to the second phase of its streamlining efforts, which will include training
DOL staff, realigning office structure, and replacing outmoded manual systems
with automated technologies. The department has already made significant
progress in implementing the recommendations of the National Performance Review
including reducing its overall number of employees by 1,090, redirecting
resources from overhead to front-line positions and improving customer service.
Archived News Release--Caution:
information may be out of date.
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