Notice2026-02629
Proposed Revision of Information Collection; Contingent Work Supplement to the Current Population Survey
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
February 10, 2026
Issuing agencies
Labor DepartmentLabor Statistics Bureau
Abstract
The Department of Labor, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, conducts a pre-clearance 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. This program helps to ensure that requested 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 Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) is soliciting comments concerning the proposed revision of the "Contingent Work Supplement (CWS) to the Current Population Survey (CPS)." A copy of the proposed information collection request can be obtained by contacting the individual listed below in the Addresses section of this notice.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 27 (Tuesday, February 10, 2026)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 27 (Tuesday, February 10, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Pages 5957-5958]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-02629]
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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Bureau of Labor Statistics
Proposed Revision of Information Collection; Contingent Work
Supplement to the Current Population Survey
AGENCY: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Department of Labor.
ACTION: Request for comment.
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SUMMARY: The Department of Labor, as part of its continuing effort to
reduce paperwork and respondent burden, conducts a pre-clearance
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. This program helps to ensure that requested 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 Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) is soliciting
comments concerning the proposed revision of the ``Contingent Work
Supplement (CWS) to the Current Population Survey (CPS).'' A copy of
the proposed information collection request can be obtained by
contacting the individual listed below in the Addresses section of this
notice.
DATES: Written comments must be submitted to the office listed in the
Addresses section of this notice on or before April 13, 2026.
ADDRESSES: Send comments to Erin Good, BLS Clearance Officer, Division
of Management Systems, Bureau of Labor Statistics, by email to
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#abe9e7f8f4fbf9eaf4fbdec9c7c2c8ebc9c7d885ccc4dd"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="a5e7e9f6faf5f7e4faf5d0c7c9ccc6e5c7c9d68bc2cad3">[email protected]</span></a>.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Erin Good, BLS Clearance Officer, at
202-691-7628 (this is not a toll free number). (See Addresses section.)
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Background
The purpose of this request for review is for the Bureau of Labor
Statistics (BLS) to obtain clearance for a revision to the Contingent
Work Supplement (CWS) to the Current Population Survey (CPS), which was
last conducted in May 2025. The CWS questions focus on people with
contingent jobs--those that people do not expect to last or that are
temporary--and workers in alternative employment arrangements, such as
independent contractors, on-call workers, temporary help agency
workers, and workers provided by contract firms. There are also
questions to identify digital labor platform workers, those who obtain
work or pick tasks by using a digital labor platform mobile application
(app) or website to directly connect them with customers or clients and
arrange payment for the tasks.
Because this supplement is part of the CPS, the same detailed
demographic information collected in the CPS will be available on
respondents to the supplement. Comparisons will be possible across
characteristics such as sex, race and ethnicity, age, and educational
attainment of the respondent.
The CWS will provide information on the number and characteristics
of workers in contingent jobs and alternative employment arrangements
and those using digital labor platforms. The CWS was fielded
periodically 5 times from 1995 to 2005 and then in May 2017, July 2023,
and May 2025. There is interest in more regular collection of these
data to show how the number and characteristics of these workers are
changing over time. July 2026 CWS data will allow researchers and
policy makers to evaluate how the number and characteristics of these
workers has evolved. Policy makers also can use these data to inform
the design of regulations for different types of workers.
BLS is proposing changes to the digital labor platform work portion
of the July 2026 supplement. Separate sections that asked about
platform work on an employed person's main job (17 questions) and the
second job of multiple jobholders (15 questions) will be streamlined
into a single platform work section (24 questions, about half of which
are new). The revised platform work section will include new items
about work over the prior 4 weeks. The
[[Page 5958]]
expanded time reference for this portion of the supplement, and
inclusion of people not employed at the time of the survey, will
provide more information about digital platform work that might be of
short duration or intermittent. The new questions include how many days
per week and hours per day were typically spent on work obtained
through an app or website and what type of work was done.
II. Current Action
Office of Management and Budget clearance is being sought for the
Contingent Work Supplement to the CPS.
A revision of the existing collection is needed to incorporate
updates to the digital labor platform work portion of the July 2026
supplement and provide the Nation with timely information about
contingent and alternative work arrangements.
III. Desired Focus of Comments
The Bureau of Labor Statistics is particularly interested in
comments that:
<bullet> 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.
<bullet> 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.
<bullet> Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the
information to be collected.
<bullet> Minimize the burden of the collection of information on
those who are to respond, including through 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.
Title of Collection: Contingent Work Supplement (CWS) to the
Current Population Survey (CPS).
OMB Number: 1220-0153.
Type of Review: Revision.
Affected Public: Households.
Annual Number of Respondents: 48,000.
Frequency: Once.
Total Annual Responses: 48,000.
Average Time per Response: 3 minutes.
Estimated Annual Total Burden Hours: 2,400 hours.
Comments submitted in response to this notice will be summarized
and/or included in the request for Office of Management and Budget
approval of the information collection request; they also will become a
matter of public record.
Signed on February 6, 2026.
Eric Molina,
Chief, Division of Management Systems, Branch of Policy Analysis.
[FR Doc. 2026-02629 Filed 2-9-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510-24-P
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