Job security budget only $ 3.68 per worker
In Washington DC there is a classic way to try to hide bad news, to announce it late Friday afternoon. And the Trump administration never disappoints: On Friday afternoon (May 30th), the government unloaded its detailed budget proposals for four federal members for four security authorities in the federal government.
If budgets are the money expression of the values of an organization, Trump's message to the employees is: drop dead.
Where is the specified “obligation and emphasis on enforcement of security and health standards and regulations in the workplace?”
The administration's budgetary inquiries that the congress is devastating in the work and security administration of the workforce, the similar minor security authority, as a research arm, appoints the National Institute of Security and Health of Labor and the Elimination of the Chemical Safety Board.
Before I deal with the depressing details, remember that the President's request is only the first piece of the final puzzle: we still have to see the household proposals of the house and the Senate and then what comes out in the final invoice. The new financial year begins on October 1, although the congress has not met this period in almost 30 years.
As we expected, the Osha is out of Trump's proposal (see table below) with serious budget cuts: a total of 8% from the 2025 financial year, the current federal budget year.
The staff is reduced from 1,810 to 1,587, 223 people or 12.3%. These employees are expected to come through “wear”, which does not seem to mean layoffs or shots.
Greatest cut
In dollars, the greatest reduction in enforcement is: from $ 243 million to $ 219.3 million.
The percentage reduction is the greatest reduction in standards and instructions: a reduction of 24% from a already poor budget.
And as expected (and as in every Republican administration since George W. Bush, the budget suggests eliminating the training scholarship by Susan Harwood Worker. It supports non-profit organizations that provide employers and employees in recognizing, avoiding and preventing safety and health risks at work as well as their rights and responsibilities.
Under Trump's proposal, MSHA, the mining safety authority, is opposed to a reduction of 10%, whereby in every importance, in particular standards and training, being observed.
No logic
The only “logic” that I can see behind these drastic cuts is Maga's wish to reduce federal budgets to their magical pre -kovid levels. This budget is admirable. (Although the adjustment of inflation in 2020 is due to 582 million US dollars to 715 million US dollars in 2020, the proposed expenses compared to the five years ago fell by 18%.)
However, mathematics, logic, law or empathy are not characteristics of this administration.
Osha's main task is to save lives by enforcing the law: ensuring that employers comply with the OSHA standards and regulations in order to reduce the killing and mutilation of employees. It is a large mandate – especially in view of the Tarning budget from Osha: securing the safety and health of 158 million workers at more than 11.5 million jobs.
That is only 3.68 US dollars per worker this year.
Empty promise
The President's enforcement department assures the workers that “this financing enables OSHA to continue their commitment to enforcing security and health standards and regulations at work.”
Good to know. Until you look at the numbers.
This budgetary request suggests reducing the federal federal federal federal bereau from USD $ 219.3 million by $ 5.3%. The enforcement staff is from 1,292 to 1,124, a reduction of 13%.
So where is the specified “obligation and emphasis on enforcement of security and health standards and regulations in the workplace?”
Answer: It is not there. Before we investigate this, you will find the proposed cuts here, including the extinction of occupational safety.
| Trumps FJ2026 Osha budget proposal (thousands of dollars) | |||||
| Osha (in thousands of dollars) | Finance 2024 Finale | GJ25 Finale | Fy 2026 request | $ Change from GJ 2025 | %Change from the 2025 financial year |
| Security and health standards | 21,000 | 21,000 | 16,000 | -5,000 | -23.80% |
| Federal Enforcement | 243,000 | 243,000 | 219.343 | -23.657 | -9.70% |
| Whistleblower protection | 22,500 | 26,000 | 25,000 | -1,000 | -3.80% |
| State enforcement | 120,000 | 116,673 | 115,200 | -1.473 | -1.30% |
| Technical support | 26,000 | 26,000 | 23,500 | -2.500 | -9.60% |
| Support in compliance support from the federal government | 78.262 | 79.973 | 78.262 | -1.711 | -2.10% |
| State Compliance Assistance | 63.160 | 61.276 | 60.476 | -800 | -1.30% |
| Training subsidies | 12,787 | 12,787 | 0 | -12.787 | -100.00% |
| IN TOTAL | 632.309 | 632.309 | 582.381 | -49.928 | -7.90% |
Reagan did better
The numbers don't lie. The Trump budget predicts that the Osha will only carry out an inspection of 24,929 next year. That is almost 30% fewer inspections that will be estimated next year than in the current year.
In the 1980s there were much fewer jobs and workers during the Reagan administration, but the OSHA was on average over 60,000 inspections per year.
Last year Osha would have taken 185 years until each job in the country had only visited once. And next year promises to get much worse.
Fewer inspections mean something worse than less right and order at work: employers will know that even less likely you see an Osha inspector than ever before, and more workers are probably injured, sick and killed.
Photo above via Pexels
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