United States Secretary of Labor

The United States secretary of labor is a member of the Cabinet of the United States, and as the head of the United States Department of Labor, controls the department, and enforces and suggests laws involving unions, the workplace, and all other issues involving any form of business-person controversies.

United States Secretary of Labor
Seal of the Department
Flag of the Secretary
Incumbent
Marty Walsh
since March 23, 2021
United States Department of Labor
StyleMr. Secretary
(informal)
The Honorable
(formal)
Member ofCabinet
Reports toPresident of the United States
SeatFrances Perkins Building, Washington, D.C.
AppointerThe President
with Senate advice and consent
Term lengthNo fixed term
Constituting instrument29 U.S.C. § 551
PrecursorSecretary of Commerce and Labor
FormationMarch 4, 1913
First holderWilliam B. Wilson
SuccessionEleventh[1]
DeputyDeputy Secretary of Labor
SalaryExecutive Schedule, level I
Websitedol.gov
The former flag of the U.S. Secretary of Labor, used from 1915 to 1960.

Formerly, there was a U.S. Secretary of Commerce and Labor, who led this department along with the U.S. Department of Commerce as one department. Since the two departments were split in 1913, the Department of Commerce is now headed by a separate U.S. Secretary of Commerce.

Secretary of Labor is a Level I position in the Executive Schedule,[2] thus earning a salary of US$221,400, as of January 2021.[3]

The position is currently held by Marty Walsh, who was appointed as secretary following his confirmation on March 23, 2021, as the last member of Joe Biden's cabinet.[4]

List of secretaries of labor
Parties

  Democratic (13)   Republican (16)

Status

  Acting Secretary of Labor

No. Portrait Name State of residence Took office Left office President(s)
1 William B. Wilson Pennsylvania March 6, 1913 March 4, 1921 Woodrow Wilson
2 James J. Davis Pennsylvania March 5, 1921 November 30, 1930 Warren G. Harding
Calvin Coolidge
Herbert Hoover
3 William N. Doak Virginia December 9, 1930 March 4, 1933
4 Frances Perkins New York March 4, 1933 June 30, 1945 Franklin D. Roosevelt
Harry S. Truman
5 Lewis B. Schwellenbach Washington July 1, 1945 June 10, 1948
6 Maurice J. Tobin Massachusetts August 13, 1948 January 20, 1953
7 Martin P. Durkin Maryland January 21, 1953 September 10, 1953 Dwight D. Eisenhower
8 James P. Mitchell New Jersey October 9, 1953 January 20, 1961
9 Arthur Goldberg Illinois January 21, 1961 September 20, 1962 John F. Kennedy
10 W. Willard Wirtz Illinois September 25, 1962 January 20, 1969
Lyndon B. Johnson
11 George P. Shultz Illinois January 22, 1969 July 1, 1970 Richard Nixon
12 James D. Hodgson California July 2, 1970 February 1, 1973
13 Peter J. Brennan New York February 2, 1973 March 15, 1975
Gerald Ford
14 John T. Dunlop Massachusetts March 18, 1975 January 31, 1976
15 William Usery Jr. Georgia February 10, 1976 January 20, 1977
16 Ray Marshall Texas January 27, 1977 January 20, 1981 Jimmy Carter
17 Raymond J. Donovan New Jersey February 4, 1981 March 15, 1985 Ronald Reagan
18 Bill Brock Tennessee April 29, 1985 October 31, 1987
19 Ann Dore McLaughlin District of Columbia December 17, 1987 January 20, 1989
20 Elizabeth Dole Kansas January 25, 1989 November 23, 1990 George H. W. Bush
21 Lynn M. Martin Illinois February 22, 1991 January 20, 1993
22 Robert Reich Massachusetts January 22, 1993 January 20, 1997 Bill Clinton
23 Alexis Herman Alabama May 1, 1997 January 20, 2001
24 Elaine Chao Kentucky January 29, 2001 January 20, 2009 George W. Bush
– Howard Radzely Pennsylvania January 20, 2009 February 2, 2009 Barack Obama
– Ed Hugler Pennsylvania February 2, 2009 February 24, 2009
25 Hilda Solis California February 24, 2009 January 22, 2013
– Seth Harris New York January 22, 2013 July 23, 2013
26 Tom Perez Maryland July 23, 2013 January 20, 2017
– Ed Hugler Pennsylvania January 20, 2017 April 27, 2017 Donald Trump
27 Alexander Acosta Florida April 28, 2017 July 19, 2019
– Patrick Pizzella Virginia July 20, 2019 September 30, 2019
28 Eugene Scalia Virginia September 30, 2019 January 20, 2021
– Al Stewart Virginia January 20, 2021 March 23, 2021 Joe Biden
29 Marty Walsh Massachusetts March 23, 2021 Incumbent

Living former secretaries of labor

As of May 2022, there are 11 living former secretaries of labor, with all secretaries that have served since 1987 still living, the oldest being Ray Marshall (served 1977–1981, born 1928). The most recent secretary of labor to die was Raymond J. Donovan (served 1981–1985, born 1930), on June 2, 2021.

Name Term of office Date of birth (and age)
Ray Marshall 1977–1981 (1928-08-22) August 22, 1928
Ann Dore McLaughlin 1987–1989 (1941-11-16) November 16, 1941
Elizabeth H. Dole 1989–1990 (1936-07-29) July 29, 1936
Lynn Morley Martin 1991–1993 (1939-12-26) December 26, 1939
Robert Reich 1993–1997 (1946-06-24) June 24, 1946
Alexis Herman 1997–2001 (1947-07-16) July 16, 1947
Elaine Chao 2001–2009 (1953-03-26) March 26, 1953
Hilda Solis 2009–2013 (1957-10-20) October 20, 1957
Tom Perez 2013–2017 (1961-10-07) October 7, 1961
Alexander Acosta 2017–2019 (1969-01-16) January 16, 1969
Eugene Scalia 2019–2021 (1963-08-14) August 14, 1963

Line of succession

The line of succession for the Secretary of Labor is as follows:[5]

  1. Deputy Secretary of Labor
  2. Solicitor of Labor
  3. Assistant Secretary for Administration and Management
  4. Assistant Secretary for Policy
  5. Assistant Secretary for Congressional and Intergovernmental Affairs
  6. Assistant Secretary for Employment and Training
  7. Assistant Secretary for Employee Benefits Security
  8. Assistant Secretary for Occupational Safety and Health
  9. Assistant Secretary for Mine Safety and Health
  10. Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs
  11. Chief Financial Officer
  12. Administrator, Wage and Hour Division
  13. Assistant Secretary for Veterans' Employment and Training
  14. Assistant Secretary for Disability Employment Policy
  15. Deputy Solicitor of Labor (First Assistant of the Solicitor of Labor)
  16. Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy (First Assistant of the Assistant Secretary for Policy)
  17. Deputy Assistant Secretary for Congressional Affairs (First Assistant of the Assistant Secretary for Congressional and Intergovernmental Affairs)
  18. Deputy Assistant Secretary for Employment and Training (First Assistant of the Assistant Secretary for Employment and Training)
  19. Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy (First Assistant of the Assistant Secretary for Employee Benefits Security)
  20. Deputy Assistant Secretary for Occupational Safety and Health (First Assistant of the Assistant Secretary for Occupational Safety and Health)
  21. Deputy Assistant Secretary for Mine Safety and Health (First Assistant of the Assistant Secretary for Mine Safety and Health)
  22. Regional Solicitor—Dallas
  23. Regional Administrator for the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Administration and Management—Region VI/Dallas

Secretary succession

If none of the above officials are available to serve as Acting Secretary of Labor, the Designated Secretarial Designee assumes interim operational control over the Department, except the Secretary's non-delegable responsibilities.

  1. Director, Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs
  2. Director of the Women's Bureau
  3. Regional Administrator, Employment and Training Administration—Dallas
  4. Regional Administration, Occupational Safety and Health Administration—Dallas

See also

References
  1. 3 U.S.C. § 19, Vacancy in offices of both President and Vice President; officers eligible to act
  2. 5 U.S.C. § 5312
  3. "Salary Table No. 2021-EX Rates of Basic Pay for the Executive Schedule (EX)" (PDF).
  4. Puzzanghera, Jim (March 22, 2021). "Senate Confirms Walsh as Labor Secretary". The Boston Globe. Retrieved March 22, 2021.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  5. "Order of Succession to the Secretary of Labor in Periods of Vacancy, Continuity of Executive Direction, Repositioning and Devolution of Departmental Governance, and Emergency Planning Under Circumstances of Extreme Disruption". Federal Register. January 19, 2017. Retrieved June 2, 2017.
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