Georgia Department of Labor

The Georgia Department of Labor was established in 1911. Known then as the Department of Commerce and Labor, it had broad authority over industrial and occupational safety and administration of labor laws. The Wagner-Peyser Act, passed by the U.S. Congress in 1935, mandated a federal-state partnership for operation of employment service agencies. As a result, the General Assembly enacted the Employment Security Law of 1937, officially creating a Georgia Department of Labor. The agency was placed under control of an elected commissioner.

Our mission is to work with public and private partners in building a world-class workforce system that contributes to Georgia's economic prosperity. We accomplish this by:

• Helping individuals attain their work goals and increase self-sufficiency through employment, training, comprehensive rehabilitation and support services
  
• Helping employers meet their business needs through employee recruitment and selection services, workforce information and technical support.

With a staff of over 4,000 under the leadership of State Labor Commissioner Michael L. Thurmond, the GDOL consists of the following divisions and offices: Employment services, Unemployment Insurance, Workforce Development, Vocational Rehabilitation Services, Safety Engineering, and Workforce Information and Analysis. Also, the Georgia Department of Labor has 53 local career centers and 55 Vocational Rehabilitation Services hubs throughout the state.

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