BILL REQ. #:  H-1190.1 

Read first time 02/03/2005.   Referred to Committee on Commerce & Labor.

     TO THE HONORABLE GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, AND TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE AND THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, AND TO THE SENATE AND HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE UNITED STATES, IN CONGRESS ASSEMBLED, AND TO THE SECRETARY OF THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF LABOR:
     We, your Memorialists, the Senate and House of Representatives of the State of Washington, in legislative session assembled, respectfully represent and petition as follows:
     WHEREAS, The bureau of labor statistics recently announced its decision to discontinue data collection on women workers in the current employment statistics survey after July 2005; and
     WHEREAS, The current employment statistics survey of payroll records covers over 300,000 businesses and provides detailed industry data on employment, hours, and earnings of nonfarm workers on a monthly basis; and
     WHEREAS, Analysis of the survey shows where women are gaining or losing jobs, in response to economic restructuring, changes in the business cycle, variation in labor supply, or other factors; and
     WHEREAS, It represents a critical, ongoing source of employment information for policymakers and researchers; and
     WHEREAS, With a gender breakdown, the payroll survey is capable of painting a reliable picture of where women are working across industries and business cycles; and
     WHEREAS, Without a gender breakdown, that picture becomes far more difficult to obtain; and
     WHEREAS, The current population survey is not an adequate substitute for the current employment statistics survey in this area; and
     WHEREAS, The smaller sampling size of the current population survey produces a greater margin for error; and
     WHEREAS, The current population survey's reliance on household interviews introduces the possibility of subjective reporting bias that does not exist with the payroll survey; and
     WHEREAS, The compilation of women worker data in the current employment statistics survey represents a critical component of the bureau of labor statistics' work;
     NOW, THEREFORE, Your Memorialists respectfully request that Congress and the President direct the Department of Labor to reconsider this decision and continue publishing women worker information in the current employment statistics survey after July 2005.
     BE IT RESOLVED, That copies of this Memorial be immediately transmitted to the Honorable George W. Bush, President of the United States, the Secretary of the United States Department of Labor, the President of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and each member of Congress from the State of Washington.