WASHINGTON – U.S. Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh issued the following statement on the May 2022 Employment Situation Report:

“Today, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the American economy added 390,000 jobs in the month of May, and the unemployment rate was 3.6 percent, unchanged from April and March. With an average of 408,000 jobs created each month over the last three months, and a sustained low unemployment rate, the historic economic recovery under this administration has begun to transition into steady, stable growth that continues to provide widespread opportunity to America’s workers.

“We remain focused on empowering all workers to seize these opportunities in a growing economy by working to improve job quality and job access all across the country. At the Department of Labor, through the Good Jobs Initiative we are ensuring that investments under the President’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law create good, union and middle-class jobs with access for all. As the Administration continues to act to lower prices and achieve historic reductions in the federal deficit, we are investing in job training and apprenticeship programs that both increase wages for working families and strengthen our supply chains. Congress has the opportunity to further this progress by investing in domestic manufacturing through the Bipartisan Innovation Act and advancing the President’s plans to lower healthcare and energy costs for working families.

“Equity in our economy remains a top priority. While the unemployment rate held steady for most groups, the rate for Black workers remains nearly double that of white workers and ticked upward in May as more Black women reentered the labor force and looked for jobs. We continue to implement the Department’s Equity Action Plan, in partnership with agencies across the government and in line with the President’s Executive Order Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities, to ensure that everything we do removes the barriers facing those who have been underserved by our economy in the past.”

WASHINGTON – In response to a vote by workers on May 25-26, 2022, at a General Motors’ facility in Silao, Mexico, to approve a recently negotiated collective bargaining agreement, U.S. Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh issued the following statement:

“This vote marks an important milestone in the realization of labor rights in Mexico. It shows what labor protections in the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement and Mexico’s labor reform can mean for workers. Just a year ago, some 6,000 hard-working men and women who produce General Motors’ vehicles in Silao had no real voice at work. Now, these same workers have elected their union leaders and voted to approve a new agreement drafted and negotiated by their peers. This agreement improves real wages and gives workers a process to regularly review their workload and scheduling to ensure workplace safety and health protections, as well as protections from gender-based discrimination and harassment. We look forward to continuing our strong cooperation with the Mexican Labor Ministry to raise the floor for workers across our two countries.

“This vote comes after workers in Silao rejected a previous collective bargaining agreement in August 2021 and chose a new union in February 2022 to represent them in collective bargaining negotiations. The August vote occurred pursuant to a detailed course of remediation negotiated by the U.S. and Mexico.” 

Learn more about the department’s international work.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced the award of more than $57 million in grants to organizations that help veterans experiencing homelessness find meaningful employment and assist them in overcoming barriers to transition back successfully into the workforce.

Ending homelessness among veterans is a priority for the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness, which is chaired by U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Marcia Fudge and vice-chaired by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs Denis McDonough. Upholding our sacred obligation to our veterans is also a key part of the Unity Agenda President Biden laid out in his State of the Union address.

“The pandemic further exposed the difficulties faced by our nation’s homeless veterans,” said U.S. Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh. “The Homeless Veterans’ Reintegration Program grants announced today will fund initiatives that help our veterans – particularly those in underserved communities – get the training and support they need return to the workforce and use their skills to make valuable contributions to our society.”

Administered by the department’s Veterans’ Employment and Training Service, HVRP funding will support 112 continuation grants totaling more than $37 million, and fund 56 new three-year grants totaling more than $20 million. These awards will enable recipients to provide a wide range of services to homeless veterans and those at risk of homelessness.

The HVRP awards grants on a competitive basis to state and local workforce investment boards, local public agencies and nonprofit organizations, tribal governments, and faith-based and community organizations.

Through the services provided, veterans experiencing homelessness may learn occupational skills, attain apprenticeships or on-the-job training opportunities, and receive job search and placement assistance.

Learn more about VETS’ Homeless Veterans’ Reintegration Programs.

A list of HVRP grant recipients follows this release.

The recipients of continuing grants for Program Year 2022 are as follows:

 *No additional funding requested in PY22.

The recipients of new, three-year grants are as follows:

WASHINGTON – U.S. Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh visited George Washington University’s Hospital and Behavior Health Department on May 17, 2022, to meet with students, faculty and hospital residents to discuss ways to strengthen professional pathways to mental health care and to hear about workers’ experience with behavioral health service delivery and staff support amid the pandemic. 

The visit highlighted the Biden-Harris administration’s commitment to strengthening pipelines and supporting and diversifying professionals in the mental and behavioral health field, as the nation marks Mental Health Awareness Month. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports about 41,000 openings for substance abuse, behavioral disorder and mental health counselors are projected each year, on average, through 2030.

The 2020 National Survey on Drug Use and Health found that – among the 52.9 million adults with any mental illness – 16.1 million people perceived an unmet need for mental health services.

“In his State of the Union, President Biden outlined a unity agenda in which he announced a national mental health strategy to connect more Americans to care. For this initiative to be successful, our mental health care workers must be supported, and we must have a strong pipeline of diverse professionals coming in the industry,” said Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh. “Without investing in this vital workforce, we will be unable to meet the acute demand for mental health services, which the pandemic has increased significantly.”

On May 4, 2022, Secretary Walsh and Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra met with health insurance and business leaders on to discuss compliance with the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act, adequacy of in-network providers and mental health and substance use disorder treatment during the pandemic.

WASHINGTON – U.S. Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh joined business leaders for panel discussion today on how private-sector employers can recruit, retain and strengthen their workforce through investments in job quality.

The “Good Jobs Initiative: The Business Case for Good Jobs” discussion focused on how businesses that create and sustain good jobs can better compete for talent by providing criticalbenefits ranging from caregiving support and flexibility to higher wages and job training.

“Across the board, many workers are looking for opportunities to learn new skills and start new careers, and we are seeing the greatest movement in industries with the lowest wages and workers who are disproportionately women, people of color and immigrants. We need to look at how more of those jobs can become careers, and make sure everyone has a pathway to the middle class,” said Secretary Walsh. “We want to identify solutions we can share, that move workers and businesses forward together. That’s what the Good Jobs Initiative is all about. It’s a collaborative effort to improve job quality – and job equity – across our economy.”

The panel was moderated by Carolyn Pincus, vice president of Strategy and Development at the American Sustainable Business Network. Members of the panel included BA Auto Care General Manager Sandi Weaver, Eileen Fisher Inc. General Counsel Elizabeth Richman, UPS Inc. President, Central Plains District, Darren Jones and Sustainergy Cooperative CEO Flequer Vera.

The panel discussion builds on the department’s Good Jobs Initiative, a coordinated effort by the Biden-Harris administration to improve job quality nationwide.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today renewed partnerships with the governments of El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras to strengthen collaboration with their U.S. embassies and consulates, and to provide information about laws governing workplace safety and health, wages and work hours, and other employment issues individuals from these countries face while working in the U.S.

U.S. Deputy Secretary of Labor Julie Su joined El Salvadorean Ambassador Milena Mayorga, Guatemalan Ambassador Alfonso Quiñónez and Honduran Chargé d’Affaires Javier Bú at a signing ceremony at the Frances Perkins Building in Washington, the department’s headquarters. They signed letters of arrangement with the department’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration and Wage and Hour Division. They also signed partnerships with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the National Labor Relations Board.

“Our joint commitments with the governments of El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras ensure that people from these countries working here in the U.S. are aware of the protections our nation’s labor laws provide, including the right to a safe and healthy workplace, and the right to be paid for all their hard-earned wages,” said U.S. Deputy Secretary Labor Julie Su. “They should also know that they have the ability to exercise their labor rights freely and participate in our country’s strong economy.”

Partnerships like these help the department enforce U.S. labor laws more effectively, especially in high-risk and low-wage industries where violations are more likely to occur. They also help the department’s enforcement agencies identify problems workers face to improve and target their outreach efforts.

“Hispanic communities contribute to the economies of both America and their countries of origin,” said the El Salvadorean Ambassador Milena Mayorga. “That is why it is important to use a variety of resources to educate workers and employers about enforceable labor rights.”

“The government of Guatemala looks forward to its partnership with the Department of Labor on ensuring that Guatemalan migrants in the U.S. work in a safe and healthy environment, are aware of their rights and those are respected while in the U.S.,” said Guatemalan Ambassador Alfonso Quiñónez. “We hope that through these partnerships we can work together to foster positive and meaningful relationships between workers and employers, and continue building bridges between our peoples to create more prosperity for our countries.”

“The partnership we are renewing today is a clear example of goodwill, joint commitment, and efficiency in design of protection mechanisms in favor of the working sector of the migrant population in the United States,” said Honduran Chargé d’Affaires Javier Bú. “The agreements that we sign today make this association operational and have a clear focus on articulating efforts and aligning resources to promote respect for the rights of Honduran workers in this great country; it is the right and just thing to do, and it means a well-deserved recognition of the effort and sacrifice of our fellow migrants.”

Learn more about the department’s international work.

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WASHINGTON – As the nation observes National Nurses Week, U.S. Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh met with a group of nursing professionals from around the nation on May 6, 2022, and discussed their bedside experiences with patients during the pandemic, healthcare industry staffing challenges and the importance of quality jobs in retaining and recruiting workers.

Secretary Walsh and department leaders were joined by representatives of the American Federation of Teachers, the Massachusetts Nurses Association, National Nurses United, and the Service Employees Industrial Union. Representatives from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services also took part.

“Staffing challenges existed before the pandemic, but the hardships the nation’s nursing professionals overcame for more than two years are unprecedented,” said U.S. Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh. “Day in, day out, these people put their patients and their communities first, and sometimes at great personal risk. The Department of Labor is committed to shoring up this workforce at both ends – by attracting more workers to fill the pipeline of new nurses and promoting job quality to keep nurses at work.”

In their conversations with the Secretary and leaders from both agencies, the nurses shared moving perspectives on the challenges of caring for COVID-19 patients, ranging from working despite shortages of personal protective equipment at the height of the pandemic to facing seemingly endless hours of overtime. The nurses also described trends in long-term staffing patterns in the healthcare industry that have contributed to today’s staffing challenges. Other areas they discussed commonly include:

• The need for adequate staffing and real-time off, both for nurses and patients’ safety.
• The importance of safety and health protocols to protect healthcare workers.
• Bottlenecks in training nurses slowing the pipeline.
• The power of unions and how workers can be partners in addressing each of these challenges.

Also on hand for the event were representatives of the department’s Employment and Training Administration, Women’s Bureau, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Policy, Occupational Safety and Health Administration, and Wage and Hour Division. From the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, leaders from the Health Resources and Services Administration, and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services attended.

WASHINGTON – U.S. Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh issued the following statement on the April 2022 Employment Situation Report:

“Today, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the American economy added 428,000 jobs in the month of April, and the unemployment rate was 3.6 percent, unchanged from March. With 8.3 million jobs created since President Biden took office, and an average of more than 500,000 new jobs added per month in 2022, this sustained, powerful job growth continues America’s historic, worker-centered recovery under the Biden-Harris administration. Job growth was widespread across the economy, led by especially strong results for workers in the Leisure and Hospitality, Manufacturing, and Transportation and Warehousing sectors. Ninety-five percent of the jobs lost to the pandemic are now recovered, insured unemployment is at a historically low level, and labor market disruptions due to COVID-19 are at all-time lows. This is good news for America’s working families.

 “The policies driving this job growth are also empowering workers in ways we haven’t seen in decades. Record numbers of workers are starting new jobs, increasing their wages and opening new businesses. The President’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is beginning to invest in communities and create good jobs throughout the country. Workers are launching union organizing drives across an unprecedented range of industries. At the same time, equity remains a concern; while the unemployment rate among Black workers decreased by 0.3 percentage points in April, it remains nearly double that of white workers.

“At the Department of Labor, we are focused on empowering all workers morning, noon and night to seize this moment and secure the opportunities this historic recovery affords. Through our Good Jobs Initiative, we are working to ensure that the jobs created in this economy provide good wages and benefits, safe and healthy working conditions, and equitable access to skills training and career advancement in every community of our country.”

WASHINGTON – U.S. Department of Labor Secretary Marty Walsh and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra met with health insurance and business leaders on May 3 to discuss compliance with the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act, adequacy of in-network providers and mental health and substance use disorder treatment during the pandemic, as the nation observes Mental Health Awareness Month.

MHPAEA is a federal law that, in general, requires health insurance providers to cover mental health and substance use disorder benefits the same way they cover medical or surgical health benefits.

The President’s Fiscal Year 2023 budget supports his whole-of-government strategy to transform mental health services for all Americans. This collaboration between the departments of Labor and Health and Human Services is part of the President’s Unity Agenda and the Biden-Harris administration’s commitment to addressing the nation’s behavioral health crises and strengthening mental health of all Americans.

“Since the start of the Biden-Harris administration, enforcement of mental health and substance use disorder parity laws has been one of the Department of Labor’s top priorities,” said U.S. Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh. “Group health plans and insurers must be able to show us that they are providing mental health treatment coverage the way the law requires. We are grateful to have had this earnest conversation, and look forward to learning more about the work health plans and insurers are doing to achieve parity and increase access to care.”

“Without true parity for mental and behavioral health services, we have no hope of transforming mental health and helping to reduce stigma and increase access to care,” said U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra. “Parity in mental and behavioral health services is a basic right. It’s a right I have long fought for in my career, and now as HHS Secretary where across my department and in partnership with my colleagues, I am committed to aggressively advancing.” 

The Secretaries met with industry leaders in a constructive dialogue, with commitments from attendees to continue to engage on these critical issues. They also raised the importance of contraceptive coverage and the need to do more to ensure women and families get this essential care.

Secretary Walsh and Secretary Becerra were joined at yesterday’s event by representatives of the American Benefits Council, America’s Health Insurance Plans, the Association for Behavioral Health and Wellness, Beacon Health Options, the BlueCross BlueShield Association, Cigna Corp., the HR Policy Association, the National Alliance of Healthcare Purchaser Coalitions, the Business Group on Health, the National Coordinating Committee for Multiemployer Plans, the United Health Group and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

WASHINGTON – Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh joined local leaders at Lorain County Community College in Elyria, Ohio, on April 29, 2022, to highlight how the proposed Bipartisan Innovation Act will advance U.S. global leadership in the technologies of the future and build on the historic investments in President Biden's Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

The Secretary joined leaders from the Boeing Co., NextFlex and LCCC for a roundtable discussion on the proposed act and its benefits. During the roundtable, the Boeing Co. announced more than $1 million in funding to prepare a skilled manufacturing workforce.

"In partnership with institutions like Lorain County Community College, the Biden-Harris administration is committed to investing in the next generation, through innovative collaboration with employers, institutions, and industry partners," said Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh. "The Bipartisan Innovation Act would build on the success seen here today by building a skilled workforce and accelerating economic growth through products made here in America."

Sen. Sherrod Brown of Ohio offered his perspective on the importance of the legislation.

"We need to make more in America. For too long, bad trade and tax policy has encouraged corporations to send jobs – and the skills and training that go with them – overseas to our foreign competitors and, to pay even lower wages," said Sen. Sherrod Brown. "Ohio institutions like Lorain County Community College, Boeing and NextFlex are doing their part to fight this trend, but they shouldn't have to do it alone. We must get a strong innovation and competition bill to the President's desk immediately to bring our supply chains back to places like Lorain, and to invest in our country's greatest asset: the talent of American workers."