Bloomberg (02/13/12) Holly Rosenkrantz

President Barack Obama has proposed a consolidation of job-creation programs as part of his 2013 U.S. Department of Labor budget, which would see a 4% reduction. The savings reflect elimination of overlapping job-training programs and consolidation of regional offices.

The budget increases funding for agencies that protect worker wages, benefits, health, and safety, and invests in detecting employer misclassification of workers as independent contractors. The budget provides a $6 million increase for the Wage and Hour Division of DOL for intensified enforcement of the Fair Labor Standards Act and the Family and Medical Leave Act.