Editing Job Corps (section)

===21st century===
A series of audits, studies and investigations -- public and private --  starting in the late 1990s, and extending through to the early 2020s, cast doubt on the safety and cost-effectiveness of the program, and have brought calls for the program's end. But bipartisan Congressional support has kept the program alive.<ref name="cost_2014_05_19_wapo" /><ref name="failng_2018_08_26_nytimes" /><ref name="questions_2014_10_22_cbsnews" />

With a $1.7 billion annual budget (in 2014 and 2018), it is the U.S. Department of Labor's largest-budget training program, providing about 37,000 training slots for young people annually.<ref name="cost_2014_05_19_wapo" /><ref name="failng_2018_08_26_nytimes" />

Starting in 2020, the [[COVID-19 pandemic]] triggered the closure of Job Corps physical sites, and the organization attempted to shift to [[online education]].  Enrollment dropped by about 75 percent.<ref name="washingtonmonthly">Kim, Anne: [https://washingtonmonthly.com/2021/04/04/out-of-school-out-of-work/ "Out of School, Out of Work,"] April 4, 2021, ''[[Washington Monthly]],'' retrieved June 7, 2024</ref>

Since its inception in 1964 under the [[Economic Opportunity Act]], Job Corps has served more than 2 million young people.<ref>{{Cite web |title=What is Job Corps? |url=https://www.dol.gov/agencies/eta/jobcorps |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231224203807/https://www.dol.gov/agencies/eta/jobcorps |archive-date=December 24, 2023 |access-date=December 24, 2023 |website=Employment and Training Administration}}</ref> As of 2019, Job Corps serves over 60,000 youths annually at Job Corps centers throughout the country.<ref>{{Cite web |date= |title=Job Corps Program Year (PY) 2019 Annual Performance Report |url=https://jobcorps-gov.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/2023-04/PY%202019%20WIOA%20Job%20Corps%20Annual%20Report%20and%20Appendix.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231224203414/https://jobcorps-gov.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/2023-04/PY%202019%20WIOA%20Job%20Corps%20Annual%20Report%20and%20Appendix.pdf |archive-date=December 24, 2023 |access-date=December 24, 2023 |website=Job Corps}}</ref>

In May 2025, the U.S. Department of Labor announced a nationwide pause of Job Corps center operations by June 30, 2025, following a review of the program’s outcomes, financial structure, and safety concerns. The decision, costing taxpayers up to $1.8 billion annually, drew bipartisan pushback, with supporters highlighting its role in training 50,000 low-income youth aged 16-24 each year. Critics, however, pointed to persistent issues, including violence at centers and mixed economic returns.<ref>{{cite web |title=US Department of Labor pauses Job Corps center operations |url=https://www.dol.gov/newsroom/releases/osec/osec20250529 |website=DOL |access-date=30 May 2025 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Folley |first1=Aris |title=Labor Department suspends Job Corps centers operations, drawing bipartisan pushback |url=https://thehill.com/business/budget/5325826-labor-department-job-corps-centers/ |website=The Hill |access-date=30 May 2025}}</ref>