Secretary\'s Message

As Americans joined together during 2002 to rebuild from tragedy and conquer terrorism in the aftermath of September 11, 2001, the Nation's economy and our confidence in its financial institutions faced new tests. With the collapse of noted corporate giants and the caution of investors in the wake of these scandals, unemployment rose to 6 percent by December 2002. Heading into the New Year, however, there is cause for optimism. Inflation is low, home and auto sales remain strong, interest rates are at the lowest levels in decades, and we have had four straight quarters of positive economic growth. The productivity gains that have continued through our economic slowdown confirm that our Nation's most important resource — American workers and the spirit they embody — is stronger than ever. No event during the past year symbolized the indomitable spirit of the American worker more than the rescue of nine heroic miners trapped by flooding waters in a Pennsylvania coal mine. I am proud of the leading role our tireless team from the Department of Labor (DOL) played, in partnership with many other organizations, in returning the mine workers safely to their families. And I salute the courage of the miners who so inspired the Nation last summer. At this time last year, I challenged all of my colleagues at DOL with the observation that " the new century requires new partnerships and a different way of thinking. " As our FY 2002 Annual Report illustrates, the response to that call has been overwhelming. We have reached out to all sectors — government, business, academia, labor, and non-profit — to improve the lives of today's workers and to plan ahead to meet the challenges they will face in the new Century. Under the leadership of the Department's Office of the 21st Century Workforce, for example, we have brought together economic and social policy leaders to examine the issues that will challenge our economy and workforce in the coming decades, including the impact of productivity improvements, the role of technology, and challenges for female entrepreneurs, and to develop solutions to meet these challenges. Through the President's Council on the 21st Century Workforce and its three related secretarial committees, we have gathered a distinguished cross-section of business, labor, civic, and academic leaders to focus on these issues. New partnerships have also enriched the Department's job training and employment services in 2002. Faith-based and …