The Department of Labor (DOL) is committed to implementing policies and programs that protect workers and promote fair and equal labor standards. Labor standards include factors such as workplace safety, minimum wage, and overtime pay.
The Chief Evaluation Office (CEO) collaborates with other DOL agencies such as the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), Mine and Safety Health Administration (MSHA) and the Bureau of International Labor Affairs (ILAB) in conducting rigorous evaluations and other systematic studies of policies and programs to support America’s workforce and workers’ rights.
Explore CEO’s current studies, completed reports, and public use data on worker protection, labor standards, and workplace-related benefits.
Completed Reports Jumplinks
Current Studies
Completed Reports
Minimum Wage and Overtime Pay
Worker Classification Knowledge Survey
(November 2016)
- Worker Classification Knowledge Survey Volume I — Technical Report
- Worker Classification Knowledge Survey Volume II — Methodology Report
- Worker Classification Knowledge Survey Public Use File Documentation
- Understanding of Employee Protections
- Understanding Self-Reported Self-Employment Status
The Social and Economic Effects of Wage Violations: Estimates for California and New York
(Final Report, December 2014)
A Paper Series Commemorating the 75th Anniversary of the Fair Labor Standards Act
(Final Report, June 2014)
For more studies on earnings and wages, visit the Employer Compliance: Wages and Earnings page.
Paid Leave
2018 Employee and Worksite Perspectives of the Family and Medical Leave Act National Surveys
(August 2020)
Understanding Attitudes on Paid Family Leave: Discussions with Parents and Caregivers in California, New Jersey and Rhode Island
(Final Report, July 2016)
Leaving it to the Family: the Effects of Paid Leave on Adult Child Caregivers
(Final Report, July 2016)
California's Paid Family Leave Law: Lessons from the First Decade
(Final Report, June 2014)
Family and Medical Leave in 2012:
(Technical Report, September 2012)
For more studies and resources on paid leave, visit the Worker Leave page.
Workplace Safety
Black Lung Incidence Study Navajo Nation Research Brief
(Research Brief, January 2024)
Black Lung Incidence Literature Review
(Literature Review, December 2023)
Black Lung Incidence Study Final Report
(Final Report, December 2023)
Employer Adoption of Voluntary Health and Safety Standards
(Final Report, July 2023)
Workers’ Compensation and the Opioid Epidemic: State of the Field in Opioid Prescription Management
(Final Report, August 2020)
Evaluation of the Completeness of Injury and Illness Reporting in the Illinois Mining Industry
(Final Report, November 2016)
Occupational Safety and Health Administration's Site-Specific Targeting Program Evaluation
(Final Report, June 2016)
The Effect of Marketing on Demand for OSHA's On-site Consultation Program
(Final Report, April 2016)
OSHA On-site Consultation Program (OSC) Evaluation: The Effect of High-Rate Letters on OSC Requests
(Final Report, April 2015)
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration's Site Specific Targeting Program Evaluation
(Interim Report, September 2014)
Evaluation of Accuracy and Completeness of Nonfatal Injury and Illness Reporting in the Mining Industry
(Final Report, June 2013)
International Standards
LGBTQI+ Workers in Latin America
(August 2023)
Work-Related Violence Research Project: Overview and Survey Module and Focus Group Findings
(Final Report, June 2017)
Independent Implementation Evaluation for the Strengthening Protections of Internationally Recognized Labor Rights in Colombia Project
(Final Report, November 2016)
Independent Impact Evaluation for the Strengthening Protections of Internationally Recognized Labor Rights in Colombia Project
(Final Report, November 2016)
For more studies on international programs and policies, visit the International Labor Issues page.
Additional Labor Standards
OFCCP Compliance Officer Training Study (Report, August 2023)
Can we Use Local Outreach to Improve Equity in Federal Oversight? A Case Study with the H-2A Visa Program
(Final Report, February 2022)
This study was done as part of CEO’s Summer Data Challenge on Equity and Underserved Communities, and was produced outside of CEO’s standard research development process.
Analysis of FY2013 Policy Change on Disability Management under the Federal Employees' Compensation Program
(Final Report, June 2021)
Contingent Work Paper Series
(Final Report, February 2021)
An Analysis of Benefit Plans Auditors
(February 2019)
Return-to-Work Outcomes for Federal Employees in the Office of Workers’ Compensation Disability Management Program
(Final Report, January 2019)
An Analysis of Retirement Models to Improve Portability and Coverage
(Final Report, March 2018)
Future of Work Paper Series
(Final Report, May 2016)
A Paper Series Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of American Women: Report of the President's Commission on the Status of Women
(Final Report, June 2014)
Workers' Rights — Access, Assertion, and Knowledge Study
(Final Report, November 2013)
- Issue Brief
- National Section
- OSHA Section
- WHD Section
- Working Women Section
- Appendices
- Non-Response Report
Workers' Rights — Access, Assertion, and Knowledge in Mining Workplaces: Assessing the Feasibility of Developing a Measure of WRAAK in Mines and Different Modes of Data Collection
(Final Report, June 2013)
Public Use Data
2018 Employee and Worksite Perspectives of the Family and Medical Leave Act National Surveys
Public Use File Documentation Guide
2018 FMLA Employee Survey
- Employee SAS data set (.sas7bdat)
- Employee SAS formats (.sas7cdat)
- Employee Stata data set (.dta)
Codebook
- Employee Codebook (.xlsx)
- Employee Codebook (.pdf)
SAS/STATA Programs
- Employee SAS read in program to assign formats (.sas)
- Employee SAS sample code (.sas)
- Employee Stata sample code (.do)
2018 FMLA Worksite Survey
- Worksite SAS data set (.sas7bdat)
- Worksite SAS formats (.sas7cdat)
- Worksite Stata data set (.dta)
Codebook
- Worksite Codebook (.xlsx)
- Worksite Codebook (.pdf)
SAS/STATA Programs
- Worksite SAS read in program to assign formats (.sas)
- Worksite SAS sample code (.sas)
- Worksite Stata sample code (.do)
Family and Medical Leave Act Surveys (2012)
- Documentation
- Data File - Employee (.dta)
- Data File - Employee (.sas7bdat)
- Data File - Worksite (.dta)
- Data File - Worksite (.sas7bdat)
Labor Research Scholars and Grants
DOL and CEO fund grants and awards to support academic research that build evidence on labor issues important to the department. Read more about each research program and explore the final reports and datasets.
The Department of Labor’s (DOL) Chief Evaluation Office (CEO) sponsors independent evaluations and research, primarily conducted by external, third-party contractors in accordance with the Department of Labor Evaluation Policy. CEO’s research development process includes extensive technical review at the design, data collection and analysis stage, including: external contractor review and OMB review and approval of data collection methods and instruments per the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA), Institutional Review Board (IRB) review to ensure studies adhere to the highest ethical standards, review by academic peers (e.g., Technical Working Groups), and inputs from relevant DOL agency and program officials and CEO technical staff. Final reports undergo an additional independent expert technical review and a review for Section 508 compliance prior to publication. The resulting reports represent findings from this independent research and do not represent DOL positions or policies.