DOL Collecting Information for Working Women Survey

Author: Ashley Shaw, XpertHR Legal Editor

April 2, 2015

The US Department of Labor (DOL), Women's Bureau (WB) has issued a Proposed Information Collection Request (ICR) to conduct a survey of working women. This survey is intended to address the changes in the workforce and employment landscape as a whole since the 1994 Working Women Count! survey conducted by the WB. Comments on this ICR will be accepted until April 27, 2015.

The WB has recognized that the employment landscape has drastically changed since 1994. It specifically notes changes in debt level, wealth distribution, telecommuting options, technology and family composition, among others, as factors influencing the changes in the workforce. As a result of this new landscape, the WB wants to create a new survey to better represent the current workforce.

In the survey, the WB is interested in learning the key issues and challenges women today are facing at work and how those concerns affect their job and career decision-making process, especially as relates to decisions to exit the workforce. The organization believes that the results of this survey, when shared with employers, advocates and stakeholders, will create opportunities for collaboration and policy and practice reform, which in turn will create a better working environment for working women as a whole. It is also intended to bring key issues to the forefront of the public dialogue.

In preparation for this survey, the WB commissioned a review of current literature on the subject, and determined from the review that there were large gaps of key information missing, especially in certain populations of working women, such as low-wage earners. The proposed quantitative survey is designed to collect information that will fill in these gaps and create a better picture of the current state of women in the workforce.

Comments may be sent to Angela Adams, US DOL, WB at any of the following:

  • Address: 200 Constitution Avenue NW, Frances Perkins Bldg., Washington, DC 20210;
  • Telephone: (202) 693-6730 (not a toll-free number);
  • Email: Adams.Angela@dol.gov; and
  • Fax: (202) 693-6725.