Department of Labor
DOL · FY2025 spending data
Enforces workplace safety through OSHA, administers unemployment insurance, sets wage and hour standards, manages federal job training programs, and collects labor market statistics through BLS. Distributes $9.8 billion in grants plus $1.8 billion in contracts.
💰 Taxpayer Accountability
Job training programs have been repeatedly found to produce minimal long-term earnings gains for participants — a poor return on taxpayer investment. The department's regulatory apparatus imposes significant compliance costs on businesses, and unemployment insurance fraud during COVID exposed systemic weaknesses that cost taxpayers an estimated $163 billion.
Total Spending
$11.5B
Total Contracts
$1.8B
Total Grants
$9.8B
Budget Growth (FY17→25)
+10.1%
+$1.1B
Contracts vs Grants
Spending Breakdown
Contracts
$1.8B
15.2% of total spending
Grants
$9.8B
84.8% of total spending
Historical budget trend data is not available for this agency. FY2025 contract and grant totals shown.
How This Agency's Growth Compares
Department of Labor grew +10.1% from FY2017 to FY2025 — #16 growing of 18 major agencies.
| # | Agency | Growth % | Growth $ |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Department of Energy | +154.4% | +$49.4B |
| 2 | Department of Homeland Security | +153.1% | +$44.4B |
| 3 | General Services Administration | +107.7% | +$12.9B |
| 4 | Department of Transportation | +97.4% | +$66.5B |
| 5 | Department of the Interior | +90.5% | +$8.8B |
| 6 | Department of State | +84.0% | +$16.2B |
| 7 | Department of Health and Human Services | +66.7% | +$809.9B |
| 8 | Social Security Administration | +64.9% | +$643.6B |
| 9 | Department of Defense | +52.8% | +$173.1B |
| 10 | Department of Agriculture | +49.9% | +$61.7B |
| 11 | Department of Housing and Urban Development | +43.8% | +$23.7B |
| 12 | Department of Veterans Affairs | +41.7% | +$84.8B |
| 13 | Department of Education | +28.1% | +$21.1B |
| 14 | National Aeronautics and Space Administration | +24.4% | +$4.5B |
| 15 | Railroad Retirement Board | +15.1% | +$1.9B |
| 16 | → Department of Labor | +10.1% | +$1.1B |
| 17 | Department of Justice | -2.5% | -$292.0M |
| 18 | Agency for International Development | -26.6% | -$4.4B |
Related Agencies
Related Pages
Budget Functions
How federal spending is categorized by purpose and function.
Read more →Top Contractors
Which companies receive the most federal contract dollars.
Read more →Spending Explosion
How federal spending has grown dramatically since 2017.
Read more →Sub-Agencies
Detailed spending by sub-agencies and bureaus.
Read more →Source: USASpending.gov · U.S. Department of the Treasury