Overview

• On June 3, a trade group representing operators of 120 Job Corps centers filed suit in Manhattan federal court to prevent the Labor Department from closing the program
• The Labor Department cited a $140 million deficit rising to $213 million in 2025, persistently low graduation rates and thousands of safety and security breaches as reasons for the shutdown
• Plaintiffs contend that federal law prohibits abrupt program elimination without public comment and congressional notification and seek to keep centers open during litigation
• Established in 1964, Job Corps provides residential education and vocational training to disadvantaged youth aged 16–24, serving about 25,000 participants at contractor-run centers and nearly 60,000 students annually
• The Labor Department has paused closure timetables pending the lawsuit’s outcome and promised to facilitate orderly transitions for students, staff and local communities