Tuesday, December 10, 2024

Hilda Solis Resigns as Secretary of Labor

Hilda Solis

The 25th Labor Secretary of the United States, Hilda Solis, announced her resignation on Wednesday in a letter to her Labor Department colleagues, stating that she reflected on all of her accomplishments over the holidays and has decided that it is time to begin a new future.

Hilda Solis was appointed Secretary of Labor in 2009 – the first Latina to take this position – on the same day the President was inaugurated. She served through the President’s first term and took over the Department in what CBS News calls the worst economic recession since the Great Depression.

“Her efforts have helped train workers for the jobs of the future, protect workers’ health and safety and put millions of Americans back to work,” shared President Obama in an official press release. “I am grateful to Secretary Solis for her steadfast commitment and service not only to the Administration, but on behalf of the American people. I wish her all the best in her future endeavors.”

Solis leaves the Labor Department with a string of accomplishments under her belt, having worked on behalf of families to ensure that 1.7 million people have successfully completed federally-funded job training programs. With her help, the Labor Department also invested in community colleges, job training, and worker protection.

“As the daughter of parents who worked in factories, paid their union dues and achieved their goal of a middle class life, and as the first Latina to head a major federal agency, it has been an incredible honor to serve,” says Solis.

NBC Latino