DEI Program, Policy and Grant Work

DOL has created the Gender Wage Gap Report to highlight the value of women’s work, which has been undervalued and remains underpaid. This report highlights the gender wage gap and highlights inequities and obstacles faced by women of color in employment.  The Gender Wage Gap report also outlines steps the department has undertaken and will implement to redress the gender pay gap. 

The Gender Wage Gap Report is housed on DOL’s new Gender Wage Gap Hub, which highlights resources for the public to explore information about wage, regional pay and job titles. It’s a piece of the agency’s commitment to closing the gender pay gap by empowering the public with transparent and reliable information.  

DOL is conducting a study that will discuss the employment experiences of transgender and gender non-conforming (TGNC) New Yorkers, focusing on barriers to employment including discrimination and policy proposals to address these barriers. Through qualitative and anecdotal data, the study will be centered around the voices of TGNC New Yorkers with the goal of ensuring equitable representation of gender minorities throughout the study. The study will also explore the intersections of gender identity, race and ethnicity and the impacts of these identities on employment.

Women in the Workforce is a report of DOL’s efforts to refer women to jobs and careers with high earning potential. It also documents our efforts to refer women to counseling or skills development and training leading to careers that offer high earning potential. These efforts are steps towards pay equity and towards closing the gender wage gap. They also contribute towards women being included in high-earning jobs and careers that have traditionally been pursued by men.

DOL, in conjunction with NYSERDA, will be required to report annually on the participation of minority and women-owned business enterprises in relation to covered renewable energy systems as well as the diversity practices of contractors and subcontractors employing laborers, workers and mechanics on such projects. The reporting on these projects can contribute to a sense of fairness, by presenting data on how the companies participating in these projects are inclusive of minority and women-owned businesses, whether their practices and policies promote diversity in the workforce, and aggregate data on employment of women and minorities in construction related jobs.

DOL has qualified for grant programs that further its diversity, equity and inclusion goals, including:

• a USDOL equity grant to break down barriers to unemployment insurance for underserved populations.
• a USDOL grant to help at-risk workers and formerly incarcerated workers overcome barriers to employment through the Federal Bonding Program
• The Fostering Access, Rights, and Equity (FARE) grant from USDOL to increase awareness about employment rights to women.