Compensation and Working Conditions (17.005)
Program
17.005 Compensation and Working Conditions
Federal Agency
BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Authorization
Public Laws 62-426, 71-537, 91-596 and 94-206, 29 U.S.C. 1-2; 29 U.S.C. 2b; 29 U.S.C. 4; 5 U.S.C. 5305; 29 U.S.C. 651; 29 U.S.C. 673.
Program Number
17.005
Last Known Status
Active
Objectives
To provide timely and relevant data on levels and trends in wages and employee benefits; occupational safety and health; collective bargaining; and work stoppages.
Types of Assistance
Project Grants (Cooperative Agreements); Dissemination of Technical Information.
Uses and Use Restrictions
This program provides for: (A) Trend data on employee wages and compensation; (B) occupational wage data in about 150 localities nationwide and studies of employee benefits plans; (C) national and State data on occupational injuries, illness and fatalities; (D) information on work stoppages. Funds in the form of cooperative agreements are available to State agencies or local governments for collection of data on occupational injuries, illnesses, and fatalities. The Occupational Safety and Health Statistics program authorizes funds on a matching basis to States or local governments to assist them in developing and administering programs.
Eligibility Requirements
Applicant Eligibility
State agencies or local governments are eligible to apply for cooperative agreement funding to share costs in operating statistical programs dealing with occupational safety and health statistics. Request for copies of published studies and reports may be made by the general public.
Beneficiary Eligibility
General public.
Credentials/Documentation
None for the general public requesting data; OMB Circular No. A-87 requirements apply as well as agency regulations implementing OMB Circulars No. A-102 and No. A-110 requirements, to State and local governments.
Application and Award Process
Preapplication Coordination
In early summer, BLS begins discussions with existing and potential agencies concerning the next fiscal year's cooperative agreement, and provides them the appropriate application materials. This program is excluded from coverage under E.O.12372.
Application Procedure
Requests for information may be made to the nearest regional office of the Bureau of Labor Statistics listed in Appendix IV of the catalog. Applications for cooperative agreement funding are submitted to the appropriate regional office of the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Award Procedure
Upon submission of an acceptable application and after negotiation of specific program deliverables and costs, the Bureau of Labor Statistics awards cooperative agreement funding to the State or local government.
Deadlines
Cooperative agreements which cover a given Federal fiscal year are executed prior to the beginning of the fiscal year (October 1).
Range of Approval/Disapproval Time
Appeals
Not applicable.
Renewals
Each fiscal year the Bureau of Labor Statistics enters into new cooperative agreements with appropriate State or local governments.
Assistance Considerations
Formula and Matching Requirements
The Federal share for each State's or local government's statistical program may be up to 50 percent of the State's or local government's total cost.
Length and Time Phasing of Assistance
Cooperative agreement funding generally is for a single fiscal year.
Post Assistance Requirements
Reports
Cooperative agreements with State or local government specify quarterly financial reports and periodic program reports.
Audits
In accordance with the provisions of OMB Circular No. A- 133 (Revised, June 24, 1997), "Audits of States, Local Governments, and Non-Profit Organizations," non federal entities that expend financial assistance of $300,000 or more in Federal awards will have a single or a program-specific audit conducted for that year. Nonfederal entities that expend less than $300,000 a year in Federal awards are exempt from Federal audit requirements for that year, except as noted in Circular No. A-133.
Records
Recordkeeping is in accordance with 29 CFR 97 (implementing OMB Circulars No. A-102 and No. A-110).
Program Accomplishments
The Office of Compensation Levels and Trends within the Office of Compensation and Working Conditions published approximately 140 bulletins, news releases, and research articles during fiscal year 2002 and estimates a similar number of publications for fiscal year 2003. Titles of these publications are included in the literature below. During fiscal year 2003, the National Compensation Survey programs will continue to integrate the survey processes for the benefits and wage surveys. The programs have increased the base of establishments contacted for the surveys to support publication of expanded data tabulations for wage and benefit statistics. The Office continues to research stock options as a measurable benefit for inclusion in the Employment Cost Index. The Office of Safety, Health, and Working Conditions Statistics produces 13 national level publications during the fiscal year including news releases, a bulletin, summaries, and articles. The Office also produces the data for each State to publish a State level bulletin and three news releases.
Financial Information
Account Identification
16-0200-0-1-505.
Obligations
(Salaries and Expenses) FY 02 $74,190,693; FY 03 est $75,925,000; and FY 04 est $80,169,000. (Grants) FY 02 $5,508,625; FY 03 est $5,726,000; and FY 04 est $5,932,000.
Range and Average of Financial Assistance
The size of each cooperative agreement reflects the staff and nonpersonal resources required to operate the program. The range of awards in fiscal year 2003 is from $4,000 (Idaho) to $635,100 (California). The average is $110,015.
Regulations, Guidelines and Literature
"Compensation and Working Conditions"; "National Compensation Survey" - National bulletin, National summary, Locality bulletins and summaries; "Occupational Compensation Surveys"; "Employment Cost Index"; "Occupational Injuries and Illnesses: Counts, Rates, and Characteristics" (Annually); "Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries and Illnesses"; "Employee Benefits Survey"; "Employer Costs for Employee Compensation"; "Major Work Stoppages" - news release; "Major Programs of the Bureau of Labor Statistics"; "Bureau of Labor Statistics Customer Service Guide"; "BLS Handbook of Methods."
Related Programs
17.002, Labor Force Statistics; 17.003, Prices and Cost of Living Data.
Information Contacts
Regional or Local Office
Contact the nearest regional office of the Bureau of Labor Statistics listed in Appendix IV of the Catalog.
Headquarters Office
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Office of Compensation and Working Conditions, Room 4130, 2 Massachusetts Avenue, NE., Washington, DC 20212. Telephone: (202) 691-6300. Contact: Kathleen MacDonald. For general information and data requests for wage, benefits and collective bargaining data (National Compensation Survey, Employment Cost Index, Employee Benefits Survey) contact (202) 691-6199. For general information and data requests for Occupational Safety and Health data contact (202) 691-6179 for Annual Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses data or (202) 691-6175 for Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries data.
Web Site Address
Examples of Funded Projects
Not applicable.
Criteria for Selecting Proposals
Acceptable application and specific program deliverables and cost.
