This Labor Day, the Biden-Harris Administration is honoring American workers and celebrating the strength and diversity of the nation's workforce. The administration emphasizes its commitment to ensuring equitable access to job opportunities for all workers, including women, people of color, veterans, and historically marginalized groups.
Funding from the CHIPS and Science Act, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, and the Inflation Reduction Act has enabled the Department of Commerce to connect Americans to high-quality jobs. Since January 2021, over $1.6 billion has been dedicated to workforce investments by the Department of Commerce. These investments aim to create hundreds of thousands of good-paying jobs that do not necessarily require a college degree. The focus areas include rebuilding U.S. supply chains, bringing semiconductor manufacturing back to the U.S., and expanding access to high-speed internet.
Under President Biden's Investing in America agenda, the Commerce Department has prioritized earn-and-learn models like Registered Apprenticeships. Partnerships with local officials, employers, unions, community colleges, high schools, and other stakeholders are designed to ensure a diverse and skilled workforce that meets labor demand. More than $440 million has been invested in expanding Registered Apprenticeship capacity since January 2021, supporting over one million apprentices nationwide.
"Workers are the heart and soul of our nation," said Secretary Gina Raimondo. "Under the Biden-Harris Administration, the Commerce Department is working hard to ensure our workers are empowered with the skills they need to secure good-paying jobs." She added that these efforts have contributed to creating 16 million jobs, rising wages, and achieving the lowest average unemployment rate in 50 years.
Secretary Raimondo also highlighted America's diversity as a significant strength but noted that it can only be fully realized if everyone has an opportunity to participate in the workforce. She continues advocating for increased representation of women in various sectors such as construction—an industry where job openings are near record levels but women remain vastly underrepresented.
To address this gap, Secretary Raimondo has called for doubling the number of women in construction over the next decade through initiatives like Million Women in Construction. However, she acknowledged that many women are sidelined due to lack of affordable childcare options. At a recent National Child Care Summit, she called for substantial investments in childcare infrastructure.
"The unemployment rate is at a historic low," Raimondo stated. "We need to find and train workers. A key part of this is childcare. Everyone should be able to participate in the workforce."
For more information on Commerce Department’s workforce development strategy or President Biden’s Proclamation on Labor Day 2024.
