Quick Hits

• OSHA’s FY 2026 budget request includes $582,381,000 in discretionary funding and 1,587 FTEs, reflecting a decrease of $49,928,000 and 223 FTEs from FY 2025.
• The proposed budget emphasizes targeted enforcement in high-hazard industries, modernization of technical support functions, and enhanced data-driven decision-making.
• Significant reductions include the elimination of the Susan Harwood Training Grant Program and a decrease in inspection activities, aligning with the administration’s deregulatory initiatives and efficiency goals.

For FY 2026, OSHA requests $582,381,000 in discretionary funding and 1,587 full-time equivalent (FTE) employees, representing a decrease of $49,928,000 and 223 FTEs from the FY 2025 enacted level. The precise number of FTE reductions thus far in 2025 is not known, but the agency was under budgeted staffing levels coming into the year and lost a number of personnel due to various acts by the Trump administration. The reduction of 223 FTEs is primarily attributed to staff attrition and the proposed elimination of the Susan Harwood Training Grant Program, which OSHA characterizes as duplicative and less effective than other compliance assistance tools.

The budget request reflects the Trump administration’s priorities, including realignment of agency operations in accordance with recent executive orders on government efficiency, workforce optimization, deregulatory initiatives, and the elimination of certain diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs.

Major Program Activities

Safety and Health Standards

• FY 2026 request: $16 million and forty-eight FTEs (decrease of $5 million and twenty-three FTEs over FY 2025).
• OSHA will continue to advance priority rulemakings, update existing standards, and pursue deregulatory activities to modernize requirements and reduce burdens on employers, while maintaining worker protections.
• The agency anticipates producing twenty new guidance products and updating additional resources. It appears these would go beyond the return of letters of interpretation or standard interpretations announced by Deputy Secretary of Labor Keith Sonderling.

Federal Enforcement

• FY 2026 request: $219,343,000 and 1,124 FTEs (decrease of $23,657,000 and 168 FTEs over FY 2025).
• OSHA plans to conduct 24,929 inspections, with a focus on high-hazard industries and the most serious workplace hazards (e.g., falls, electrocution, struck-by, and caught-between hazards). This would be a reduction of nearly 10,000 inspections over FY 2024.
• Enforcement strategies will continue to prioritize both unprogrammed (responsive) and programmed (targeted) inspections, with an emphasis on impactful and complex cases.

Whistleblower Programs

• FY 2026 request: $25 million and 114 FTEs (decrease of $1 million; FTEs level over FY 2025).
• OSHA will administer whistleblower protections under twenty-five statutes, with an anticipated completion of 2,574 cases. The last year for which data is available is FY 2023, when some 3,243 whistleblower cases were administered by OSHA.
• The agency will implement process improvements, including revised intake procedures and enhanced investigative practices, to streamline case management and improve quality.

State Programs

• FY 2026 request: $115.2 million (decrease of $1,473,000 over FY 2025).
• OSHA will continue to support twenty-two state plans covering private- and public-sector employers and seven covering only public-sector employer, which collectively oversee safety and health for over 40 percent of U.S. workers.
• State plans are projected to conduct 35,663 inspections and 1,463 whistleblower investigations.

Technical Support

• FY 2026 request: $23.5 million and
• seventy-four FTEs (decrease of $2.5 million and sixteen FTEs over FY 2025).
• Technical support activities include hazard analysis, emergency response, equipment calibration, and laboratory services.
• OSHA will continue modernization efforts, including the consolidation of technical centers and implementation of advanced laboratory information management systems.

Compliance Assistance—Federal and State

• Federal Compliance Assistance: $78,262,000 and 183 FTEs (decrease of $1,711,000).
• State Consultation: $60,476,000 (decrease of $800,000).
• OSHA will maintain outreach, training, and cooperative programs, including the Voluntary Protection Programs (VPP), Strategic Partnerships, and Alliances.
• On-Site Consultation programs are expected to conduct 19,869 visits, prioritizing small businesses in high-hazard industries.

Compliance Assistance—Training Grants

• FY 2026 request: $0 (elimination of $12,787,000).
• The Susan Harwood Training Grant Program is proposed for elimination, with OSHA citing limited evidence of success and the availability of more effective compliance assistance mechanisms.

Safety and Health Statistics

• FY 2026 request: $34.5 million and sixteen FTEs (decrease of $1 million and sixteen FTEs over FY 2025).
• OSHA will continue to collect, analyze, and disseminate injury and illness data, support IT modernization, and leverage artificial intelligence for data processing and public transparency.

Executive Direction

• FY 2026 request: $10.1 million and twenty-eight FTEs (level funding).
• This activity provides leadership, policy development, and administrative support for OSHA operations, including management of advisory committees and strategic planning.

Key Takeaways

The OSH Act authorizes OSHA’s activities with indefinite statutory authority. The agency’s budget and operations are further shaped by annual appropriations language, which includes specific limitations and authorities regarding state grants, fee retention, and enforcement exclusions for certain small employers and agricultural operations.

The FY 2026 budget reflects a continued emphasis on:

• Targeted enforcement and compliance assistance for high-hazard industries.
• Streamlining and modernizing regulatory and technical support functions.
• Enhancing data-driven decision-making and public access to workplace safety information.
• Realigning resources to support administration priorities, including deregulatory efforts and the elimination of certain grant programs deemed less effective.

OSHA’s FY 2026 budget request seeks to maintain the agency’s core mission of protecting America’s workers through a balanced approach of enforcement, compliance assistance, technical support, and data-driven oversight, while implementing programmatic efficiencies and alignment with current administration directives. The proposed reductions reflect both workforce attrition and a strategic shift away from certain grant-based training programs in favor of alternative compliance assistance strategies.