Consumer & Employee Safeguards

How many fraud cases are reported? How often does the government start antitrust investigations? How safe are workplaces?

Latest update on February 24, 2023

What are the basic facts?

The federal government tracks data on consumer and employee safeguards including fraud complaints, antitrust investigations, and workplace injuries and deaths. This page provides some of these measures to answer fundamental questions on regulations related to consumer and employee safety and rights.

Government spending

In fiscal year 2020, governments spent a combined total of $26.1 billion on consumer and employee safeguards.

That’s $79 per person in the US.

USAFacts categorizes government budget data to allocate spending appropriately, and to arrive at the estimate presented here.

Government revenue and expenditures are based on data from the Office of Management and Budget, the Census Bureau, and the Bureau of Economic Analysis. Each is published annually, although due to collection times, state and local government data are not as current as federal data. Thus, when combining federal, state, and local revenues and expenditures, the most recent year for a combined number may be delayed.

Agencies and elected officials

Focus
Level of government
Key actors
Responsibilities

Consumer and financial protection

Federal

Federal Trade Commission, Securities and Exchange Commission

Regulate the financial sector

Workplace safety and labor protections

Federal

Occupational Safety and Health Administration

Maintain and investigate businesses for workplace safety

Transportation and infrastructure safety

Federal

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, National Transportation Safety Board, Federal Aviation Administration, Coast Guard

Oversee transportation-related safety issues

Licensing and permitting

State and local

Business charters, safety inspectors, building permits, zoning laws, state departments of motor vehicles

Focus

Consumer and financial protection

Workplace safety and labor protections

Transportation and infrastructure safety

Licensing and permitting