The U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) Employment and Training Administration released a “Job Corps Transparency Report” in April 2025. The below provides accurate context regarding the report.
Job Corps center costs have NOT increased since 2018 (Fig. 1).
Although Congress has increased funding to fix aging Job Corps facilities and for staffing at the U.S. Department of Labor (Fig. 2), funding for Job Corps center operations has decreased when taking into account inflation.
Fig. 1 Job Corps Funding Fiscal Year 2018-2025 (Dollars in Thousands)
Fig. 2 Job Corps Appropriations Breakdown Fiscal Year 2018-2025 (Dollars in Thousands)
| Job Corps Total | Operations | CRA | Administration | |
| FY18 | 1,749,155 | 1,603,325 | 113,900 | 32,330 |
| FY19 | 1,718,655 | 1,603,325 | 83,000 | 32,330 |
| FY20 | 1,743,655 | 1,603,325 | 108,000 | 32,330 |
| FY21 | 1,748,655 | 1,603,325 | 113,000 | 32,330 |
| FY22 | 1,747,155 | 1,601,825 | 113,000 | 32,330 |
| FY23 | 1,760,155 | 1,603,325 | 123,000 | 33,830 |
| FY24 | 1,760,155 | 1,603,325 | 123,000 | 33,830 |
| FY25 | 1,760,155 | 1,603,325 | 123,000 | 33,830 |
- Operations is funding for center operations and support services
- CRA is funding for the construction, rehabilitation, and acquisition of Job Corps facilities
- Administration is funding for staffing at the U.S. Department of Labor
Like schools and colleges nationwide, Job Corps enrollments were negatively affected by COVID but have rebounded.
The transparency reports examine years when enrollments and utilization were historically low as result of COVID and associated restrictions implemented by DOL (Fig. 3).
Fig. 3 Impact of COVID on Job Corps Average Daily Enrollment and Utilization Rates
Higher utilization yields more graduates, often at a similar total cost due to economies of scale. For example, placing an additional student in a Job Corps welding class generally does not require hiring an additional instructor. Therefore, higher utilization rates result in a lower cost-per-graduate.
The initially posted transparency report examined data for PY 2022, although incorrectly labeled as PY 2023. The updated report examined PY 2023 data. The reported cost per student decreased by 25% between the two versions of the reports reflecting the increased utilization rates.
The average Job Corps graduate exceeded the earnings goals set by DOL in PY 2023.
The footnotes of the transparency report state that all participants were included in its calculations. This implies that students enrolled in college, those enlisted the military, as well as those who did not respond to surveys were listed as earning $0. This would explain the lower average wages listed in the report. Comprehensive studies indicate Job Corps increases participants’ earnings and decreases their future reliance on public assistance.
Students are safe on Job Corps campuses.
Job Corps centers are required to report incidents as minor as being late to class or using profanity to DOL. In fact, 98 percent of reported incidents are similarly minor incidents. Job Corps students experience assaults and sexual violence at far lower rates than their peers in their home communities and on college campuses. As a result, students report feeling safe on Job Corps campuses.
