WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Secretary of Labor Eugene Scalia issued the following statement regarding the signing of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA):

“Thanks to the unyielding dedication of President Trump, the United States will now have a fair and reciprocal trade agreement with Mexico and Canada. USMCA will bring jobs, increased trade and stronger economic growth to our already record-setting economy, growing GDP by as much as $235 billion and adding as many as 500,000 new jobs.

“President Trump has delivered on a promise. This historic agreement will level the playing field for American workers, preparing American businesses for the demands of a 21st Century economy. The Department of Labor stands ready to fully implement USMCA to the benefit of American workers.”

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Secretary of Labor Eugene Scalia issued the following statement regarding Martin Luther King Jr. Day:

“Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. bettered our nation and the lives of countless millions through his faith in the founding values of our republic and in the power of a God who stood on the side of righteousness. He secured a brighter future by calling us back to the values of America’s founding, helping make the American dream possible for generations of workers and their families. Dr. King also believed in the dignity of work and its ability to transform society for the better. On this day, we pause to remember his extraordinary contribution and celebrate what he stood for.”

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Secretary of Labor Eugene Scalia toured Pulverman Manufacturing and participated in a roundtable discussion with the Northeastern Pennsylvania Alliance in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. Secretary Scalia underscored the Administration's focus on training workers for jobs of the future as well as the positive impact the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) will have on the region's economy.

"During my visit to Northeastern Pennsylvania, I was once again able to see firsthand the historic economic growth our nation has experienced over the past three years," said U.S. Secretary of Labor Eugene Scalia. "Today, job openings outnumber job seekers by more than one million. Through workforce development and passage of the USMCA, this Administration will help American workers gain the necessary skills to fill job openings. I want to thank Randy Mark of Pulverman Manufacturing, and Jeffrey Box and Phillip Condron of the Northeastern Pennsylvania Alliance for their meaningful insight and leadership as job creators."

The mission of the Department of Labor 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.

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Secretary of Labor Eugene Scalia issued the following statement on the December 2019 Employment Situation Report:

“The effects of tax cuts and deregulation led to a strong close of 2019. The unemployment rate remained at the 50-year low level of 3.5%. This is the 22nd consecutive month of the unemployment rate being at or below 4%. U-6, the broadest measure of unemployment and underemployment, set a record low in December.

“In 2019, the American economy saw record low unemployment rates for many groups, including African Americans, Hispanic Americans, Asian Americans, Americans with less than a high school diploma, and Americans with disabilities.

“The December report showed 145,000 jobs created, bringing the total to 6.7 million jobs created since January 2017. In the fourth quarter of 2019, 74.2% of the newly employed came from outside the labor force, which is the highest share ever recorded.

“For 17 straight months, year-over-year wages for production and non-supervisory employees have grown at or above 3.0%.

“Positive economic policies, including the final passage of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement and the signing of the Phase One Trade Agreement with China, will pave the way for more job creation in 2020.”

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Secretary of Labor Eugene Scalia issued the following statement regarding the United States-Mexico-Canada (USMCA) Agreement:

“The U.S. House of Representatives took an important step today towards final passage of President Trump’s landmark United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement. USMCA’s passage will boost our nation’s already booming economy, paving the way for as many as 500,000 or more new American jobs.”

WASHINGTON, DC – During the National Council for the American Worker meeting held today at the White House, U.S. Labor Secretary Eugene Scalia announced a Veterans’ Employment Challenge competition aimed at developing a new tool to help transitioning service members of the military in their job searches.

Employers recognize the value that veterans offer, yet may miss opportunities to attract and retain them. Service members transitioning into civilian employment often struggle to frame their unique experience and technical skillsets for employers. While many platforms exist to match military occupational specialties with potential job opportunities, new technology can better utilize existing data to highlight and promote the unique skill sets of transitioning service members. 

The Department of Labor’s Veterans’ Employment Training Service (VETS), with in-kind support through participation in testing and review from the Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs, established the competition to challenge developers to create a better tool to match transitioning service members and employers. The competition will be conducted through five phases, enabling developers to further engage users in the design process and gather feedback on working prototypes.

“The skills and work ethic that our nation’s service members bring into civilian life add incredible value to employers and our economy,” Secretary Scalia remarked. “This challenge is an opportunity for the Department to draw on the creative expertise in the private sector to develop tools that help veterans find jobs.”

“When Federal agencies work together, our Nation accomplishes great things. Through the Veterans’ Employment Challenge, we are able to provide a tool which tens of thousands, or even millions, of veterans, may use to obtain well-paying jobs,” said White House Office of Science and Technology Policy Director Dr. Kelvin Droegemeier. “We must ensure we maximize opportunities for our veterans to capture jobs with their existing skills, but also are given opportunities to upskill toward pathways that put them on trajectories toward even greater earning and fulfilment. American veterans are one of the greatest human capital assets to the U.S. workforce, and we aim to generate an innovative solution to support our veterans with the release of this multi-agency competition. I’d like to thank the Department of Defense, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and the Department of Labor for their leadership in launching this great initiative to champion employment for our veterans.”

The Department will choose and award up to five semi-finalists $20,000 each. It will then select up to three finalists and award them $100,000 each. Finally, the Department will award a pilot prize of $300,000 and a grand prize of $300,000. In total, the grand prize winner will receive awards totaling $720,000.

Learn more about the competition’s rules and application process. The first phase of the competition opens on December 11, 2019, and closes on January 24, 2020, at 5 p.m. EST. 

VETS’ mission is to prepare America’s veterans, service members, and their spouses for meaningful careers, provide them with employment resources and expertise, protect their employment rights, and promote their employment opportunities.

The mission of the Department of Labor 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.

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Secretary of Labor Eugene Scalia issued the following statement regarding the United States-Mexico-Canada agreement:

“We are very encouraged to see the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) move closer to passage. This deal is a victory for the American workforce. After 25 years, it is time to replace the outdated North American Free Trade Agreement with an agreement that meets the demands of the 21st Century. USMCA’s passage will boost our nation’s already robust economy, bringing even more jobs to the U.S.  It will also establish stronger workforce protections than any prior trade agreement.”

"Today, on National Miners Day, we join our fellow Americans in recognizing the hundreds of thousands of men and women who perform painstaking work in more than 13,000 mines across the country. Every day, miners secure the raw coal, metal and non-metal materials that help power and build our nation.

At the Department of Labor, through the Mine Safety and Health Administration, we honor miners every day by working to protect their health and safety and to ensure they can return to their loved ones at the end of the workday."

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Secretary of Labor Eugene Scalia issued the following statement on the November 2019 Employment Situation report:

"The November jobs report vastly outpaced predictions, with 266,000 jobs created. With 41,000 jobs in upward revisions for September and October, 6.6 million total jobs have been created since January 2017.

"The unemployment rate of 3.5% matched the September 2019 rate, a level that has not been achieved since 1969. November 2019 marks the 21st consecutive month in which the unemployment rate has been at or below 4%.

"Year-over-year wages have grown at or above 3.0% for 16 straight months. It is encouraging to see sectors like retail and leisure and hospitality leading wage growth.

"Today's report shows the economy continues to flourish. But we must continue to seek more expansion and opportunities for all Americans—and a critical step in that direction is enactment, now, of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement."

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Secretary of Labor Eugene Scalia and Congressman Tim Walberg toured Classic Turning Inc. in Jackson, Michigan. Secretary Scalia and Congressman Walberg underscored the robust economic expansion many communities are experiencing.

“In our visit today, we’ve seen the strength of the current U.S. economy and bright prospects for the future,” said U.S. Secretary of Labor Eugene Scalia. “Talking to business leaders, workers, employers and students, it is clear that Michigan has growing opportunities that will be bolstered by continued focus on workforce development and apprenticeships and by passage of USMCA. I want to thank Congressman Walberg for hosting me today and for being a valued partner on the House Education and Labor Committee.”

“It was a pleasure to host Secretary Scalia in Michigan today and have a dialogue with our world-class students, workers, and manufacturers,” said Congressman Walberg. “From near record low unemployment to strong job creation, workers are winning under the Trump Administration’s pro-growth policies. We need to continue this economic momentum by developing a 21st century workforce and enacting better trade policies like the USMCA that will boost Michigan’s manufacturing and agriculture sectors.”

Classic Turning Inc. is a machinery manufacturing company specializing in aerospace parts. The company has recently undertaken a $3 million dollar expansion of its operations – the largest in its history. This investment has already resulted in 30 new jobs, and is expected to create 40 to 50 additional positions over the next 3 to 5 years.

Secretary Scalia and Congressman Walberg also toured Saline High School’s South and West Washtenaw Consortium and Adrian College to focus on the importance of career and technical education that will help young workers develop the skills needed for the jobs of tomorrow’s economy.

The mission of the Department of Labor 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.