Job Corps Closings
A Way Home America and National Homelessness Law Center Condemn the Dangerous Cuts made by The One Big Beautiful Bill (H.R. 1) and those targeting Job Corps: A Blow to Vulnerable Youth and a Betrayal of Justice.
We are truly outraged by the U.S. Department of Labor’s attempt to phase out operations at over 100 Job Corps centers on June 30, 2025. This decision was NOT about trimming necessary fat from the federal budget: it was a direct attack on low-income youth, particularly youth of color, and a devastating step backward in the fight against youth homelessness and unemployment. And now, thanks to the newly passed “One Big Beautiful Bill” or H.R. 1, we can expect even more cuts to necessary agencies, programs, and safety nets. In June, a federal judge blocked the closing of the 99 centers, but later allowed 63 of them to close. The federal block is only temporary, and we are keeping track of impending updates.
How Job Corps Cuts Affect the Average Person (Outside of Job Corps)
Cuts to Job Corps devastate the pipeline of skilled trade workers, meaning industries like construction, automotive repair, and electrical services would face labor shortages. When there are fewer trained workers, businesses struggle to meet demand, leading to longer wait times, higher labor costs, and reduced quality of service. Without enough competition in these fields, companies have less incentive to keep prices fair or maintain high standards.
Moving forward, the average consumer could face increased costs and delays for essential services, including but not limited to:
Plumbing – A shortage of licensed plumbers could mean paying premium rates for emergency repairs, while small leaks turn into costly water damage due to slow response times.
Electrical work – Homeowners may struggle to find affordable electricians for wiring upgrades, leading to safety risks or higher insurance premiums due to DIY fixes gone wrong.
Car repairs – With fewer trained mechanics, auto shops might charge more for basic services, leaving low-income drivers unable to afford critical maintenance.
Home construction – Builders already facing labor shortages could pass rising costs onto buyers, worsening housing affordability.
HVAC services – During extreme weather, families might wait days for furnace repairs or AC installations if there aren’t enough technicians available.
These issues hit rural and low-population areas hardest, where communities already struggle with limited access to skilled labor. Many small towns rely on Job Corps to train young people in trades, keeping local businesses running and preventing economic decline. Without these programs, more residents could be forced to pay inflated prices for outsourced services—or go without vital repairs altogether.
In the long run, these cuts don’t just hurt trainees—they strain entire industries, drive up living costs, and weaken the economy for everyone.
Job Corps Is a Lifeline for Disadvantaged Youth
Job Corps is one of the few federal programs that provides residential job training, education, and housing to young people facing systemic barriers to stability and security. For over 60 years, it has served as a critical pathway out of poverty, offering vocational training, high school diplomas, and wraparound support to thousands of young adults every year.
The program specifically targets low-income youth, many of whom are at-risk of or currently experiencing homelessness or housing insecurity. Without Job Corps, these young people—already navigating systemic inequities—will be forced out of stable housing, robbed of career opportunities, and left to fend for themselves in an economy that already disproportionately excludes them.
These Cuts Will Have Life-or-Death Consequences
The Department of Labor claims this decision is based on fiscal responsibility and program performance, but the real cost will be measured in shattered lives.
Housing instability: Many Job Corps students depend on the program’s residential component to avoid homelessness. Where will they go when centers close? Especially because many do not have stable families and resources to fall back on.
Lost economic opportunity: With an average post-program income of just $16,695, graduates already face an uphill battle. Cutting this program ensures they will earn even less, or nothing at all.
Increased vulnerability: The administration cites safety concerns, but eliminating the program does not make young people safer. It abandons them to even worse dangers on the streets, in unstable housing, or in underpaid, exploitative jobs.
Do not be fooled: This is not about “efficiency” or “taxpayer value.” It is about prioritizing corporate tax cuts and billionaire wealth over the survival of marginalized young people.
A Pattern of Disinvestment in Youth and Communities of Color
This decision fits into a larger pattern of dismantling anti-poverty programs, all while funneling resources toward the already-wealthy. We’ve seen this before: politicians scapegoating programs that serve poor communities of color, while refusing to address the root causes of inequity. The claim that Job Corps is “no longer achieving intended outcomes” ignores the fact that systemic underfunding and policy neglect have starved the program of the resources it needs to thrive.
Shutting Down Job Corps was Illegal
On June 3, 2025, national trade organizations and unions, Job Corps training center operators, and one current Job Corps student filed suit in the District Court for the Southern District of New York to stop the shutdown. They were granted a temporary restraining order on June 4, 2025, prohibiting the DOL from taking any action to eliminate the Job Corps program until a further ruling in the case and ordering any person acting in concert with the DOL to immediately cease any action “giving effect to the elimination of the Job Corps program,” including, but not limited to, student removals from the program, until further order of the Court.
Then on June 18, 2025, seven Job Corps students filed a class action lawsuit, arguing that the shutdown violates the Administrative Procedures Act (APA), due to failure to follow proper procedures in shutting down the program, violating the law that mandates the existence of the Job Corps program, failure to engage in reasoned decision-making or to consider reasonable alternative to shutting down, shutting it down without proper authority to do so, and illegally withholding funds for the program. These arguments are similar to the ones filed in the earlier case that the court found likely to be successful.
Action Steps
A Way Home America and the National Homelessness Law Center stand with current and future Job Corps students, advocates, and lawmakers fighting to stop these cuts and interruptions. We call on the federal executive administration and judiciary to:
Reverse the decision to close Job Corps centers and instead expand funding to improve safety, graduation rates, and job placement.
Invest in transitional support for students displaced by closures, ensuring they are connected to housing, education, and employment.
Reject policies that punish the poor to benefit the rich.
This Fight Is About More Than a Program. It’s About Equity and Justice
Job Corps is not just a line item in a budget. It represents hope, stability, and opportunity for young people who have been failed and targeted by every other system. Cutting it is an act of abhorrent cruelty—one that will deepen poverty, homelessness, and racial inequity.
We refuse to accept a future where the most vulnerable are sacrificed for political greed. Join us in demanding that our leaders protect, not destroy, the programs that give young people a chance to be securely-housed, survive, and thrive.
Statement co-authored by A Way Home America and National Homelessness Law Center
