Obama's Labour Secretary Solis confirmed by Senate

Feb 24, 2009, 23:04 GMT

Washington - President Barack Obama's choice to head the US Labour Department was confirmed Tuesday by the Senate.

Hilda Solis, a former congresswoman from California, was approved 80 to 17 by the Senate, putting in place one of the last members of Obama's economic team.

Solis, 51, becomes the country's first labour secretary of Hispanic origin. She will be charged with reversing a record rise in unemployment as the United States combats its worst economic crisis in decades.

More than 3.6 million jobs have been cut since the world's largest economy entered recession in December 2007, the sharpest loss in 50 years. The country's jobless rate stood at 7.6 per cent in January.

Solis is considered a favourite choice of labour unions but faced a skeptical business community. Her nomination was held up for weeks by opposition Republican senators wary of her ties to organized labour groups.

Labour leader John Sweeney, president of the AFL-CIO, called it a 'huge victory' for the movement.

'Finally, Americans will have a secretary of labour who represents working people, not wealthy CEO's,' he said in a statement.