The Department of Labor’s budget is dominated by the costly unemployment insurance system. The department funds numerous employment and job training programs, which are generally ineffective and duplicative of services available in the private sector. The department also oversees labor union laws and workplace regulations that restrict freedom and are costly to workers and businesses.
The department will spend $37 billion in 2019, or $290 for every U.S. household. Spending has declined as the economy has grown in recent years. The department employs 17,000 workers.
