Government

What does the do?

Updates published annually

The Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) is a subdivision of the Department of Labor responsible for ensuring the security of retirement, health, and other workplace-related benefits for America's workers and their families. The agency enforces the provisions of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) and provides assistance to workers in understanding their rights and benefits. It also oversees the administration of pension plans and health plans to ensure compliance with federal regulations. It was established in 1974.

In FY 2024,

$195M

was spent by the Employee Benefits Security Administration
In FY 2024,

0.4%

of Dept. of Labor spending was by the Employee Benefits Security Administration

How much does the Employee Benefits Security Administration spend?

The Employee Benefits Security Administration spent a net total of $194.8 million in fiscal year (FY) 2024. This was 0.4% of the $54.3 billion spent by the Department of Labor, which itself was 0.8% of all federal spending. The EBSA ranked 7th among DOL subdivisions in net spending.
Net spending is the difference between agency spending and any financial accounts generating funds from the agency’s own activities, like fees or rent. When these funds offset all spending, net spending appears negative. Some agencies tend to operate with positive net spending while others will register negative net spending sometimes or often.

The Employee Benefits Security Administration ranked 7th among Department of Labor divisions in net spending in 2024.

DOL net spending by division, FY 2024

Like the overall federal budget, agency spending may shift over time due to population growth, changes in policy and programs, and emerging problems to address. Adjusting for inflation, the Employee Benefits Security Administration’s federal spending has decreased from $205.9 million in 2003 to $194.8 million in 2024.

The Employee Benefits Security Administration’s federal spending in FY 2024 was lower than in FY 2003.

Yearly federal net spending by EBSA, adjusted for inflation (2024 dollars), FYs 2003–2024

Since 2003, the Employee Benefits Security Administration's spending has decreased 5.4%, while overall spending has increased 83.3%.
As a percentage of the overall federal budget, a positive number means agency net spending made up some positive share of total federal spending; a negative number means that net generated funds offset a portion of total spending. EBSA spending grew less than overall federal spending since 2003, which means that its share of the federal budget decreased. In 2024, EBSA accounted for 0.0029% of overall federal spending.

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Major legislation, internal or global economic conditions, and acute events like the COVID-19 pandemic can affect spending year to year. For example, the federal budget fluctuated during the pandemic, rising from $5.3 trillion (in 2023 dollars) in 2019 to $7.7 trillion in 2020 and $7.8 trillion in 2021.

The Employee Benefits Security Administration’s share of federal spending in FY 2024 was lower than in FY 2003.

Net spending by EBSA as a share of federal spending, FYs 2003–2024

Most federal spending can be categorized as direct or indirect. Direct spending refers to money the federal government spends on budget items such as federal programs, employee salaries, and debt interest. Indirect spending refers to federal transfers to state and local governments.
In FY 2024, all of the Employee Benefits Security Administration's spending was direct.
The chart below outlines all net EBSA spending.

How did the Employee Benefits Security Administration spend its budget in 2024?

Federal government net spending isolated to EBSA, FY 2024

How many people work for the Employee Benefits Security Administration?

Some 830 of the 2.31 million total civilian federal employees work for the Employee Benefits Security Administration as of September 2024. This is 15.3% fewer people than the division staffed in 2010.

The number of federal employees working for the Employee Benefits Security Administration has decreased 15.3% since 2010.

Number of federal employees working for EBSA, September 2010–2024

The Employee Benefits Security Administration accounts for 0.036% of the overall federal workforce. As the number of federal employees has changed, so too has the way the workforce is organized, with resources allocated to agencies depending on government priorities. The division constituted a smaller share of the overall federal workforce in September 2024 compared to 2010 (0.046%).
While the number of employees on an agency’s payroll contributes to that agency’s expenditures, some agencies have relatively few employees compared to their budget or vice versa, giving them an outsized share of either the budget or the workforce. According to the most recent data, the Employee Benefits Security Administration's share of the workforce (0.036%) is larger than its share of the budget (0.0029%).

Who leads the Employee Benefits Security Administration?

The EBSA is led by the Assistant Secretary of Labor for Employee Benefits Security. This individual is nominated by the president of the United States and confirmed by the Senate.There is no fixed term for this position.

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Methodology

USAFacts standardizes data, in areas such as time and demographics, to make it easier to understand and compare.

Page sources

USAFacts endeavors to share the most up-to-date information available. We sourced the data on this page directly from government agencies; however, the intervals at which agencies publish updated data vary.

  • Office of Personnel Management

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  • Office of Management and Budget and US Department of the Treasury

    Budget of the US Government and Monthly Treasury Statement

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