About the Secretary

Portia Wu, Secretary
Maryland Department of Labor

Portia Wu serves as the Secretary of Labor for the State of Maryland. The Labor Office is an economic driver for the state by providing businesses, the workforce, and the consuming public with customer-focused regulatory, employment, and training services. Labor safeguards Maryland's work environments through partnership, outreach, and educational programs that encourage ongoing workplace safety and health improvements.

Secretary Wu is an experienced leader who has spent her career developing and implementing policies that benefit America’s workers. Before joining the Moore Administration, Secretary Wu was Assistant Secretary for Employment and Training at the United States Department of Labor (DOL). During her time at DOL, Secretary Wu led the implementation of the bipartisan Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act of 2015, which reformed federal workforce programs and instituted new accountability and reporting measures.

Before joining DOL, Secretary Wu served at the White House Domestic Policy Council as Special Assistant and Senior Policy Advisor to President Barack Obama for Labor and Workforce from 2011 to 2014. Before joining the Obama Administration, Wu also served as Labor Policy Director for the late Senator Edward M. Kennedy.

Throughout her career, Secretary Wu has overseen federal programs providing employment services and job training for millions of individuals annually.