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Priority Open Recommendations: Department of Labor

GAO-24-107287 Published: May 30, 2024. Publicly Released: Jun 06, 2024.
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Fast Facts

Each year, we make more than 1,000 recommendations to help the federal government save money, address issues on our High Risk List, and significantly improve government operations.

This letter to the Department of Labor outlines 13 open recommendations that it should prioritize. The recommendations relate to stronger protections for wage earners, enhancing unemployment insurance; and protecting sensitive information. For example, DOL faces challenges protecting the health and safety of meat and poultry workers.

DOL implemented 1 recommendation we identified as a priority last year. We regularly update priority recommendations here.

Graphic that says, "GAO's Priority Open Recommendations" and incudes the DOL seal.

Highlights

What GAO Found

In May 2023, GAO identified 11 priority recommendations for the Department of Labor (DOL). Since then, DOL implemented one recommendation by prioritizing residual fraud risks in its unemployment insurance (UI) fraud risk profile and examining the suitability of existing fraud controls, which could help develop an antifraud strategy and effectively manage UI fraud risks.

In May 2024, GAO identified three additional priority recommendations for DOL, bringing the total number to 13. These 13 recommendations involve the following areas:

  • stronger protections for wage earners,
  • enhancing unemployment insurance; and
  • protecting sensitive information.

DOL's attention to these issues could lead to significant improvements in government operations.

Why GAO Did This Study

Priority open recommendations are the GAO recommendations that warrant priority attention from heads of key departments or agencies because their implementation could save large amounts of money; improve congressional and/or executive branch decision-making on major issues; eliminate mismanagement, fraud, and abuse; or ensure that programs comply with laws and funds are legally spent, among other benefits. Since 2015 GAO has sent letters to selected agencies to highlight the importance of implementing such recommendations.

For more information, contact Cindy Brown Barnes (202) 512-7215 or brownbarnesc@gao.gov.

Full Report

Full Report (13 pages)
Accessible PDF (12 pages)

GAO Contacts

Cindy Brown Barnes
Managing Director
Education, Workforce, and Income Security
brownbarnesc@gao.gov

Media Inquiries

Sarah Kaczmarek
Managing Director
Office of Public Affairs
media@gao.gov

Topics

Employment
High-risk issuesOccupational safety and healthSafeguarding sensitive informationUnemployment insuranceUnemployment insurance benefitsWorker safetyWorkforce protectionCompliance oversightpandemicsPrivacy