Labor, Department of

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Agency Web Site: https://dol.ny.gov/

Mission

The Department of Labor (DOL) connects job seekers to careers, assists the unemployed, partners with businesses to help them compete, and protects workers and the public. Specifically, DOL administers New York’s Unemployment Insurance, Workforce Development, and Worker Protection programs. It also enforces safety and health regulations in the public sector, State labor laws, and Federal statutes related to working conditions, wages and hours, and laws related to public works. DOL is a primary advocate for job creation and economic growth through workforce development and serves as the State’s principal source for labor market information, offering a variety of services designed to help businesses find workers, and people find jobs.

Organization and Staffing

DOL’s central office, located in Albany, is responsible for the Unemployment Insurance Telephone Claims Centers and One-Stop Career Centers located throughout the State. In addition, DOL enforces child labor laws, fosters workplace health and safety, and ensures that employees are paid in accordance with provisions of the Labor Law through statewide district offices staffed based upon geographic workload.

Budget Highlights

The FY 2025 Executive Budget recommends $7.3 billion for the Department, a $100 million increase from FY 2024 attributable to the expanded work of the Office of Just Transition and increases in anticipated Federal grant awards.

The FY 2025 Executive Budget recommends a workforce of 2,817 FTEs for DOL, flat from FY 2024 workforce levels.

Major Executive Budget actions include:

• $25 million for Expanded Work of the Office of Just Transition. The Executive Budget includes additional funding to support legislation enacted in the FY 2024 Budget to fund programs under the Office of Just Transition for workforce training and retraining to prepare workers for employment in the renewable energy field.

• Require Paid Breaks for Breast Milk Expression in the Workplace. Legislation submitted with the Budget would require all break time up to 20 minutes for breast milk expression to be paid.

• Expand Recovery Tools for Stolen Wages. Legislation submitted with the Budget would enable DOL to exercise additional enforcement powers if an employer has violated wage payment provisions. Seizure of assets could be used to satisfy debt owed to employees.

• Limit Liquidated Damages in Certain Frequency of Pay Violations. Legislation submitted with the Budget limits plaintiffs' recovery of liquidated damages for violations of the frequency of payment provisions in the Labor Law where employees were paid regularly on at least a semi-monthly basis.

• Sunset the State's COVID-19 Sick Law. The Executive Budget would sunset this law because its applicability to new employers is unclear and quarantine requirements have changed.

For more information on this agency's budget recommendations located in the Executive Budget Briefing Book, click on the following link:

Briefing Book – Human Services (PDF)

Program Highlights

Employment and Workforce Solutions

As the designated administrative entity overseeing the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) Title I programs, DOL offers a comprehensive set of employment and reemployment services to employers and job seekers. DOL oversees a network of locally operated Career Centers, which provide a single point through which job seekers and businesses can access such services. These services include employment, reemployment, training and retraining services for workers, employers, job seekers, dislocated workers, youth, and veterans. DOL also provides implementation and oversight of the National Apprenticeship Act, facilitating the development and registration of apprenticeship training programs.

Unemployment Insurance

Weekly income is provided to eligible workers who lose their job through no fault of their own to offset the loss of income while they seek employment. Quarterly payroll contributions are made by employers at a rate partially dependent on how frequently an employer's workers access the insurance benefits.

Worker Protection

The Labor Standards Division enforces the New York State Labor Law concerning the minimum wage, child labor, industrial homework, the apparel industry, domestic workers, and seasonal farm labor. The Occupational Safety and Health Division protects private and public employees and the public from hazards arising from employment that are not covered by Federal standards. Protections include issuing licenses and certifications for certain occupations, enforcing asbestos rules and regulations, inspecting specific industries' equipment, health and safety training for workers in the mining industry, performing mold inspections, and providing guidance to private employers to help them comply with Federal safety and health standards. The Bureau of Public Work enforces the labor laws concerning prevailing wage and supplements related to worker protection statutes, including public construction and building service contracts involving State or local governmental entities and Wicks Law.

Division of Immigrant Policies and Affairs

The Division of Immigrant Policies and Affairs ensures that DOL is accessible to immigrant workers and responsive to their needs. The Division conducts outreach to community groups, legislators, non-governmental organizations, and employers and workers to inform them of available services. It also conducts analyses of DOL policies, procedures and materials to maintain accessibility for immigrants.

Research and Statistics

Economists and analysts provide data on the labor market including economic conditions, labor supply, and wages. Research & Statistics is also the lead division in the New York State Data Center (NYSDC) Affiliate program, providing the most comprehensive economic and demographic data for New York State to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Note: Most recent estimates as of 01/16/2024