United States Secretary of Labor

The United States secretary of labor heads the Department of Labor (DOL). The DOL is responsible for matters relating to the workforce of the United States. It manages occupational safety, workers’ rights, hourly wages, unemployment insurance, and many other issues regarding labor. The secretary of labor is responsible for managing the DOL and ensuring that all of its assigned tasks are being carried out properly. They are also responsible for reporting to Congress on issues relevant to the DOL, advising the president on labor issues, proposing new regulations regarding labor, and working with the president to draft any important labor legislation.

Overview

The Department of Labor exists within the executive branch of the US government. It is a cabinet-level department that is run by the secretary of labor. Like other secretaries within the cabinet, the secretary of labor is appointed directly by the president. Once the president appoints someone as secretary, the Senate must confirm the appointment. If enough Senators vote in favor of the president’s choice, then the appointee takes control of the department.

The DOL was created on March 4, 1913, by President William Howard Taft. It was created in response to many years of activism by organized labor rights groups. The DOL was initially part of the Department of Commerce and Labor. President Taft signed the bill establishing the DOL just hours before he left the presidency and President Woodrow Wilson took office.

The secretary of labor has numerous responsibilities, including ensuring that the DOL is fulfilling all its appointed duties, ensuring that all current labor laws are properly enforced, and managing all facets of the DOL. He or she is also responsible for recommending new laws regarding labor, presenting new labor legislation to the president, advising the president on matters regarding labor, and advising Congress on matters relevant to the DOL. The secretary of labor is eleventh in the presidential line of succession, behind the secretary of commerce.

The DOL enforces more than 180 federal laws that affect millions of workers in the United States. The department oversees numerous agencies and offices, including the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the Employment and Training Administration (ETA), the Veterans’ Employment and Training Service (VETS), and the Wage and Hour Division (WHD).

Since its inception, the DOL has had thirty secretaries. The first secretary was William B. Wilson, who was appointed by President Woodrow Wilson when he took office in March 1913. The first female cabinet member in US history was Frances Perkins, who was secretary of labor from 1933 to 1945, under the administration of Franklin D. Roosevelt. Elaine Chao, the secretary of labor from 2001 to 2009, was the first Asian American woman to be appointed to a presidential cabinet position. In 2023, Julie Su became the acting secretary of labor; she was appointed by President Joe Biden after Marty Walsh, who was appointed secretary of labor in 2021, left office. Vince Micone, one of only a few openly gay men to have served in the US cabinet, took over as acting secretary of labor in early 2025 until Lori Chavez-DeRemer became the thirtieth secretary in March 2025.

Bibliography

Hutton, T.R.C. “Does It Matter Who the Secretary of Labor Is?” History News Network, 27 Feb. 2017, historynewsnetwork.org/article/165299. Accessed 17 Nov. 2025.

Johnston, Kevin B. “What Does the US Secretary of Labor Do?” Investopedia, 20 June 2024, www.investopedia.com/articles/insights/012117/what-does-us-secretary-labor-do.asp. Accessed 17 Nov. 2025.

Kettles, Cam E., and Kayla H. Le. "Acting Labor Secretary Julie Su Criticizes Donald Trump's Labor Record at IOP." The Harvard Crimson, 22 Oct. 2024, www.thecrimson.com/article/2024/10/22/julie-su-iop-forum. Accessed 17 Nov. 2025.

MacLaury, Judson. “A Brief History: The US Department of Labor.” US Department of Labor, www.dol.gov/general/aboutdol/history/dolhistoxford. Accessed 17 Nov. 2025.

“Office of the Secretary.” US Department of Labor, www.dol.gov/agencies/osec. Accessed 17 Nov. 2025.

“Summary of the Major Laws of the Department of Labor.” US Department of Labor, www.dol.gov/general/aboutdol/majorlaws. Accessed 17 Nov. 2025.

“US Department of Labor.” USA.gov, www.usa.gov/federal-agencies/u-s-department-of-labor. Accessed 17 Nov. 2025.

Valencia, Robert. “What Does the Secretary of Labor Do? 5 Things You Should Know.” Mic.com, 17 Nov. 2016, mic.com/articles/159787/what-does-the-secretary-of-labor-do-5-things-you-should-know. Accessed 17 Nov. 2025.