[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 38 (Thursday, February 26, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 10516-10518]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-04047]
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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Proposed Information Collection Request (ICR) for the Survey of
Working Women; Comment Request
AGENCY: Women's Bureau, Department of Labor.
ACTION: Notice of information collection.
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SUMMARY: The Department of Labor (DOL or the Department), as part of
its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden,
conducts a
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preclearance consultation program to provide the general public and
Federal agencies with an opportunity to comment on proposed and/or
continuing collections of information in accordance with the Paperwork
Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA) [44 U.S.C. 3505(c)(2)(A)]. This program
helps to ensure that required data can be provided in the desired
format, reporting burden (time and financial resources) is minimized,
collection instruments are clearly understood, and the impact of
collection requirements on respondents can be properly assessed. The
Department notes that a Federal agency cannot conduct or sponsor a
collection of information unless it is approved by the Office of
Management and Budget (OMB) under the PRA and the related materials
display a currently valid OMB control number. Also, notwithstanding any
other provisions of law, no person shall be subject to penalty for
failing to comply with a collection of information if the related
materials do not display a currently valid OMB control number. See 5
CFR 1320.5(a) and 1320.6. A copy of the proposed ICR can be obtained by
contacting the office listed below in the ADDRESSES section.
DATES: Written comments must be received by the office listed in the
addresses section below on or before April 27, 2015.
ADDRESSES: Send comments to Angela Adams, U.S. Department of Labor,
Women's Bureau, 200 Constitution Avenue NW., Frances Perkins Bldg.,
Washington, DC 20210, telephone number (202) 693-6730 (this is not a
toll-free number). Email address is [email protected] and fax number
is (202) 693-6725.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
1. Background: The labor force, employment opportunities, work
environments, and the American family have changed substantially since
the Women's Bureau (WB) published the results of the Working Women
Count! survey in 1994. Specifically, in the last twenty years, there
have been significant changes in technology, wealth distribution,
family composition and individual debt levels. There have also been
changes in educational attainment, wage disparity, health benefits, the
number of single mothers in the work force, and marriage, divorce and
birth rates. Additionally the emergence of a more global economy,
telecommuting, and continuing significant changes in the racial,
ethnic, and cultural demographics of the United States labor force have
all shifted.
As a result of these major changes in the economic and employment
landscapes, the WB is interested in conducting a Survey of Working
Women (Survey) in order to identify women's current employment issues
and challenges and how these issues and challenges relate to job and
career decisions, particularly reasons for exiting the workforce.
Understanding women's perceptions about the workplace and their
participation in the workforce, as well as decision points made at the
intersection of work and family obligations, will allow the WB to share
valuable information and data with employers, advocates and other
stakeholders in an effort to foster greater collaboration and inform
policies and practices that meet women's changing needs; and also
foster greater public dialogue on these key issues impacting women in
today's workforce.
As part of this study of working women, the WB commissioned a
thorough review of the literature and an environmental scan to examine
existing research related to the realities of working women's
experience to identify and highlight the research gaps. Key research
gaps identified, through this extensive review, included the need for
more research among specific populations of working women (i.e. low-
wage earning workers and women who opted out of the workforce) and
around specific topics (i.e. factors impacting working women's career
decisions and perceptions, off-ramping, and workplace challenges).
The WB is proposing to conduct a quantitative survey, which would
collect information in order to identify employment issues and
challenges currently facing women, including their perceptions on
career choice and overall equity in the workplace, and also to explore
the factors that contribute to women leaving and/or staying out of the
workforce.
The Survey will address the current information needs of the WB and
DOL. This research will help the WB support and meet its objectives of:
1. Expanding knowledge
2. Informing policy and practice
3. Fostering collaboration with key stakeholders and
4. Fostering public dialogue on key issues affecting women in
today's workforce.
2. Desired Focus of Comments: Currently, the Department of Labor is
soliciting comments concerning the above data collection. Comments are
requested that:
* Evaluate whether the proposed collection of information is
necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency,
including whether the information will have practical utility;
* Evaluate the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of
the proposed collection of information, including the validity of the
methodology and assumptions used;
* Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to
be collected; and
* Minimize the burden of the information collection on those who
are to respond, including the use of appropriate automated, electronic,
mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or other forms
of information technology, e.g., permitting electronic submissions of
responses.
3. Current Actions: Pursuant to the PRA implementing regulations at
5 CFR Sec. 1320.8(d)(1), this notice requests comments on the proposed
information collection request discussed above in the Background
section of this notice. Interested parties are encouraged to provide
comments to the individual list in the ADDRESSES section above.
Agency: Women's Bureau.
Type of Review: New Collection.
Title of Collection: Survey of Working Women.
OMB Control Number: 1291--0NEW.
Affected Public: Individuals or households.
The Survey will be conducted with 2700 respondents. Outlined below
are estimates of the total burden hours associated with the data
collection.
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Number Average burden
Type of respondent Form name Number of responses per per response Total burden
respondents respondent (in hours) hours
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General Working Population...................... Survey of Working Women........... 2700 1 .25 675
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Comments submitted in response to this request will be summarized
and/or included in the request for OMB approval; they will also become
a matter of public record.
Dated: February 18, 2015.
Latifa Lyles,
Director of the Women's Bureau.
[FR Doc. 2015-04047 Filed 2-25-15; 8:45 am]
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