Worker Policy Watch
Your source for accurate and reliable information on how federal policies are shaping workers’ rights—and what’s at stake for working people nationwide under the Trump administration.
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Trump Nominates Long-Time BLS Critic, E.J. Antoni, as its New Commissioner.
Antoni has encouraged DOGE and the Trump administration to "take a chainsaw" to BLS. Without any evidence or basis in fact, he has questioned the integrity of the statistics provided by BLS.
Impact:
Labor market economists and analysts across the political spectrum are concerned that Antoni will lead an effort to produce numbers pleasing to Trump, whether accurate or not.
Trump-Imposed Work Requirements Will Push 2.4 Million off SNAP and 5.3 Million off Medicaid
The Congressional Budget Office forecasted that 2.4 million Americans, including families with children, will lose access to food stamp benefits under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) as a result of new work requirements imposed President Trump and Congressional Republicans’ reconciliation bill. The analysis also found that 5.3 million Americans would lose access to Medicaid for the same reason.
Impact:
Arguments for imposing work requirements are based on the false assumption that people who receive benefits do not work or do not want to work, and must be compelled to do so. In fact, most working-age adults that receive assistance from these programs are already working or temporarily between jobs. Research demonstrates that expanding work requirements adds unnecessary red tape and does little to improve employment opportunities or outcomes, and particularly harms people of color already disadvantaged in a labor market being weakened by the administration's policies.
The Environmental Protection Agency Terminates its Union Contracts.
The EPA followed the example of the VA, in spite of court rulings in favor of the unions and the OPM memo directing agencies to refrain from terminating contracts with unions.
Impact:
Thouands of workers will lose their union representation.
USDOL Announces $30 Million in Grants for Industry-Driven Skills Training Fund
The U.S. Department of Labor has announced the availability of $30 million in grant funding available to state workforce agencies for employers to provide training for what the Trump administration considers high demand and emerging industries.
Impact:
Per the Trump administration’s announcement, “priority industries for the grants include artificial intelligence infrastructure, advanced manufacturing, nuclear energy, domestic mineral production, and information technology. Additionally, the department intends to award at least $5 million to build a pipeline of skilled American workers in the shipbuilding industry.”
Trump Attacks on Immigrants Worsening Caregiving Crisis
Millions of Americans rely on care workers to support themselves or family members on a day-to-day basis, and that workforce includes a significant share of both documented and undocumented immigrants. There is already an increasing shortage of workers to fill these critical roles, and Trump’s attacks on immigrants of all statuses will likely exacerbate this crisis.
Impact:
Weakening our care infrastructure can have ripple effects across the economy, as losing access to care workers can force family members out of the workforce to care for aging relatives or family members with disabilities.
Nearly Two Million Americans Now Rely on Unemployment Insurance
In a sign of a weakening labor market, nearly two million workers currently receive unemployment benefits through continuing claims, according to new data from the U.S. Department of Labor. Combined with the August jobs report showing a significant slowdown in hiring, the numbers demonstrate that many Americans cannot find new jobs and are facing longer periods of unemployment.
Impact:
The data reinforces the importance of robust unemployment insurance programs that workers can access when facing unemployment through no fault of their own. And due to structural racism in the U.S. labor market, including persistent occupational segregation, Black and Latinx workers face significantly higher rates of unemployment than white workers.
Department of Veterans Affairs Terminates its Union Contracts
In spite of an OPM memo to all agencies directing them not to terminate union contracts until the litigation over these actions is final, the VA cancelled all its union contracts.
Impact:
Federal sector unions claim this move is retaliation for standing up for workers and against anti-worker policies. Thousands of workers will lose their union representation.
At Least 148,000 Federal Workers Have Left Government Service Under Trump Administration
A new report from the Partnership for Public Service found that more than 148,000 civil servants have left the federal government as of July 21, 2025. This number combines the workers who have left through firings and layoffs with those who left through incentive offers like the so-called “Fork in the Road.”
Impact:
The agencies most affected by staff reductions are Treasury (31,201), Agriculture (21,600) and Defense (20,364) - workers like IRS customer service agents, food safety inspectors, and national security professionals. It’s worth noting that participation in the voluntary incentive programs is heavily influenced by the environment of layoffs, attacks on the character of federal workers, threats to move jobs to other places, and attempts to chip away at civil service protections by DOGE and the Trump administration.
OFCCP Staff Slated for Layoffs Will Instead Be Reassigned
Some 300 federal employees at the Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs, which oversees anti-discrimination protections at businesses that contract with the federal government, will be reassigned to other roles at the DOL. The department had placed the workers on administrative leave in April with plans to lay them off.
Impact:
Saving the jobs of these federal employees is welcome news, as it preserves the experience and expertise within the agency should a future DOL once again take up the mission of preventing and addressing discrimination in businesses that contract with the federal government. However, the Trump administration’s shameful choice to gut the OFCCP will continue to harm the 20 percent of the U.S. workforce that had benefited from its protection.
Andrea Lucas is Confirmed to Another Term as an EEOC Commissioner
Lucas, who has stopped all enforcement protecting workers against gender identity discrimination; who has dismissed a class action case of discrimination against people with criminal records; and who has threatened law firms who attempt to use legal means to achieve a diverse and inclusive workforce, is confirmed for another term on the EEOC.
Impact:
With Lucas at the helm of the EEOC, we can expect the roll-back of many important pieces of guidance and the continuation of the Trump administration's culture wars, rather than any sort of even-handed enforcement of our nation's civil rights laws.