By 1933, she had earned the title as Secretary of Labor under President Roosevelt and the first woman ever to hold a position in the White House. Perkins made it clear to Roosevelt the changes he intended to do before taking the Cabinet position. Roosevelt became president at a time when the United States was in an economic crisis so changes had to immediately take place. During his first 100 days in office, with the help of Frances Perkins, acts such as NIRA, NLRA, and FERA was passed. Two programs she strongly wanted to see in effect was the Social Security Act of 1935. Perkins felt that old age insurance was important for the elderly if economic crisis was to ever occur again. The S.S.A was put into effect so that when people old in age retired or became disabled, they could get a monthly compensation for what they have already paid into the system.
Many of the programs that FDR and Perkins started still exist today. Although the New Deal did not end the country's economic dilemma, it helped America to get back on track. During this time, the United States employed many Americans and things were a lot better than before. Unemployment rates dropped by at least