[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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