State collects prevailing wage data

Nevada's labor commissioner last week began updating data on prevailing wages for construction jobs in the state, and he seeks wide participation among construction companies.

Contractors are required to pay prevailing wages whenever they handle a public works job such as a highway or school.

Labor Commissioner Terry Johnson said the quality of the data depends on the number of companies that participate in the survey particularly in rural areas.

The state publishes prevailing wages on a county-by-county basis.

For the fourth year, Johnson made the prevailing-wage survey available on the labor commissioner's Web site www.LaborCommissioner.com.

Because the completed forms must be signed, they can't be filed electronically.

Instead, contractors need to print out the survey for mailing.

Completed surveys are due July 15.

Results will be posted on the labor commissioner's Web site on Oct.

1.

Previously, the surveys were mailed to contractors around the state.

Johnson said the Internet survey saves postal costs.

At the same time, however, the number of responses to the survey has dropped from about 800 in 2000 to about 700 a year ago a decline that makes the survey less representative.

Contractors who fill out the survey, Johnson said, should include wages paid on private nonresidential jobs as well as taxpayer funded projects.

It's especially important, he said, to include information on wages paid on rural projects no matter how small.

Information from all contractors will be included as long as it reflects nonresidential jobs completed in the specified time period.

Once the data is collected, the labor commissioner's office uses a computerized formula that follows state law to determine the prevailing-wage rate.