[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 2 (Thursday, January 9, 1997)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E87]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             THE UNREMUNERATED WORK ACT OF 1997 INTRODUCED

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                       HON. CONSTANCE A. MORELLA

                              of maryland

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, January 9, 1997

  Mrs. MORELLA. Mr. Speaker, today, I am introducing the Unremunerated 
Work Act, which would direct the Commissioner of the Bureau of Labor 
Statistics to conduct time-use surveys to measure the unwaged work 
women and men do inside and outside of the home. Household, 
agricultural, volunteer, and child care duties are considered 
unremunerated work, the value of which would be included in the gross 
national product [GNP] under this act.
  Unpaid work in the home is the full-time, lifelong occupation for 
many Americans, mostly women. For both men and women who work for pay 
in the marketplace, household work absorbs many hours per week. Yet, 
little is known about the value of household work.
  The only national survey that measures the value of household work 
for the adult population was conducted in the 1970's by the University 
of Michigan. Government statistics have overlooked the amount of time 
spent on housework, child care, agricultural work, food production, 
volunteer work, and unpaid work in family businesses. This visible work 
is often a full-time job for many men and women, and is also done by 
men and women who hold paid jobs in the marketplace.
  Women continue to enter the work force in record numbers. They also 
continue to serve in many unpaid roles, from hours caring for their 
children, running their households, and volunteering their time to 
charitable organizations. None of this ``unpaid'' work is counted when 
Government gathers statistics on the productivity of Americans. The 
collection of data about unpaid work would more accurately reflect the 
total work that Americans contribute to society, and would give greater 
value to the roles played by both women and men as volunteers, 
household engineers, and care-givers.

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