NUMBERS DON'T LIE -- UNLESS THEY DON'T EXIST!

The Bush administration has proposed to end the monthly tabulation of gender in America's workforce, part of the payroll survey of current employment statistics. What is this data used for? Keeping employment records by gender allows researchers to track women's participation in all elements of the workforce. The Labor Department argued the tracking by gender is burdensome on respondents, but in the same proposed revisions they recommended expanding reporting requirements in other areas.

The Congressional Caucus for Women's Issues is speaking out -- telling the Bush administration that, "With a gender breakdown, the payroll survey is capable of painting a reliable picture of where women are working across industries and business cycles. Without a gender breakdown, that picture becomes far more difficult to obtain."

Learn more about the issue here:

http://www.iwpr.org/pdf/IWPRStatementonBLS.pdf

Voice your opinion before the rule is finalized.The Department of Labor will be accepting comments on the proposal until February 22, 2005. Send your comments to:

Amy A. Hobby
BLS Clearance Officer
Division of Management Systems
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Room 4080
2 Massachusetts Avenue NE.
Washington, DC 20212