RICHMOND, Va. — Governor-elect Abigail Spanberger today announced the appointment of Jessica K. Looman to serve as Virginia’s next Secretary of Labor.
“Virginia’s workforce is the most talented in America — and the foundation of what makes our economy great. Workers and their families deserve leaders who will continue to expand opportunity by investing in workforce training programs and creating good-paying jobs in every region of our Commonwealth,” said Spanberger. “Ms. Looman has extensive experience supporting workers and fostering economic growth at the local, state, and federal levels. As a proud member of the Laborers’ International Union of North America, she understands how important it is to uphold workforce protections and prepare our citizens for both the jobs of today and tomorrow. As Secretary of Labor, Ms. Looman will drive my administration’s mission to equip Virginians with the skills and education they need to build steady, rewarding careers — and power Virginia’s economy into the future.”
“I am honored to be nominated by Governor-elect Spanberger to serve as Virginia’s third Secretary of Labor and I look forward to working with the Commonwealth’s workforce protection and development agencies to improve economic opportunity and security for Virginia’s workers,” said Looman. “I share Governor-elect Spanberger’s vision that both investing in the creation of good jobs and protecting workers are essential to sustaining the Commonwealth’s economic growth and shared prosperity.”
BIOGRAPHY
Jessica Looman, Secretary of Labor
The Honorable Jessica K. Looman brings extensive national experience leading agencies and organizations focused on protecting workers, expanding economic security, and advancing workforce development initiatives to the Commonwealth of Virginia. She looks forward to implementing Governor-elect Spanberger’s vision of growing an economy that will continue to ensure Virginia is a place for business to be able to create good jobs and where we value every single Virginian that works hard every day.
Ms. Looman was appointed by President Biden and confirmed by the U.S. Senate to serve as Administrator of the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division, leading the federal labor standards enforcement agency from 2021 to 2025. At the U.S. Department of Labor, Ms. Looman was entrusted with protecting the nation’s foundational federal labor standards laws for 165 million workers at 11 million workplaces nationwide. Her leadership prioritized strategic enforcement of minimum wage and overtime protections for low-wage and vulnerable workers, combating child labor exploitation, addressing the misclassification of employees as independent contractors, preventing retaliation against workers, and modernizing the administration of the federal Davis-Bacon construction prevailing wage program.
Ms. Looman also served as Commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Commerce, overseeing energy, insurance, and financial institution regulation. She previously served as Deputy Commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry, where she was responsible for the strategic coordination of the agency’s five worker protection divisions.
Most recently, Ms. Looman has served as a Senior Fellow with the NYU Wagner Labor Initiative, focused on developing best practices and supporting state and local governments in protecting workers’ rights, providing guidance on strategic enforcement, child labor, proactive compliance efforts, and building interstate collaboration among enforcement agencies. Ms. Looman also served as Executive Director of the Minnesota State Building and Construction Trades Council, and is a 30-year member of the Laborers’ International Union of North America (LIUNA).
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