The Work Number is an employment and income verification service from Equifax Workforce Solutions.
Participating employers and payroll processors provide employment and income data to The Work Number. Credentialed verifiers can request information when they have a permissible purpose under the Fair Credit Reporting Act and meet the service’s access requirements.
For job seekers, the most important point is this:
You cannot assume The Work Number contains your complete employment history.
It contains information contributed by participating sources.
The short answer
The Work Number can be used by employers, background screening companies, lenders, government agencies, and other credentialed verifiers for permitted verification purposes.
Employees can review their own data through an Employment Data Report, or EDR.
An EDR can show:
- current and historical employment and income information available in The Work Number database; and
- a list of verifiers that requested the employee’s information during the prior two years.
Equifax says the EDR is available to the employee at no cost.
What Information Can The Work Number Contain?
The exact information varies by employer and payroll feed.
Depending on the source, available data may include:
- employer name;
- employment status;
- job tenure;
- employment dates;
- pay frequency;
- earnings information;
- employer records available in the database; and
- verifier access history.
Do not assume every field exists for every employer.
Is The Work Number a Complete Employment-History Database?
No.
This is an important misconception.
The Work Number contains information from employers and payroll processors that contribute data.
Equifax’s own employee FAQ says its employer search does not include all employers that contribute data, and its products refer to available records within The Work Number.
A person can have:
- several past employers represented;
- only recent employers represented;
- older records missing;
- a current employer absent; or
- no record from an employer that does not participate.
So do not use one Work Number report as the sole proof of your complete work history.
Read the employment-history guide for related guidance.
What Is an Employment Data Report?
The Employment Data Report is the consumer-facing report that lets an employee review their own information in The Work Number.
Equifax describes the EDR as a consumer report that provides current and historical employment and income information available in The Work Number database, plus a list of verifiers that requested the information during the previous two years.
This is the correct self-access concept.
IMPORTANT: An employee reviewing an Employment Data Report is not the same as generating the independent verification that a credentialed employer or background screener receives.
Equifax’s 2026 employer reference guide states that an employee cannot pull their own verification. Instead, employees can view their data through the EDR.
How Do You Get Your Employment Data Report?
Use The Work Number’s official employee portal or its official EDR request process.
Equifax’s employee materials direct users to:
employees.theworknumber.com
and provide an EDR request line.
Because contact details and workflows can change, always use Equifax’s current official page rather than an old blog post.
What Should You Review on the EDR?
Use a structured review.
Employer names
Does the report show the legal employer you expected?
Employment dates
Do the dates match payroll or HR records?
Employment status
Does the current/terminated status make sense?
Income information
If income appears, is it consistent with your records?
Duplicate or unfamiliar employers
Could a payroll processor, corporate affiliate, acquisition, or staffing relationship explain the name?
Verifier history
Do you recognize organizations that accessed your data?
If something appears inaccurate, use the official dispute process.
Can The Work Number Be Used for Employment Background Checks?
Yes.
Equifax markets Work Number employment-verification products to employers and background screeners.
Current Equifax product materials describe products that can verify available employment history for selected periods, such as one, three, five, or seven years, or all available employment history within The Work Number database.
That means the scope can vary by product and employer need.
Can The Work Number Show Employers You Did Not List?
Potentially, depending on the product and available data.
Equifax markets products that can identify available employer records associated with a candidate and help identify omissions or inconsistencies in self-reported information.
That does not mean every employer receives every available record.
The employer or screening company may order a product with a specific scope.
What Is a Work Number Freeze?
A freeze can restrict access to employment data available to verifiers through The Work Number.
Equifax provides a process for employees to place and remove a data freeze.
A freeze is not the same as deleting employment data.
It can also affect legitimate verification requests, so understand the consequences before placing one.
Do not freeze data simply to conceal accurate employment history from an employer.
If you need a freeze for identity-theft or privacy reasons, use Equifax’s official instructions.
Does a Freeze Stop Every Employment Background Check?
No.
The Work Number is only one possible verification source.
A screening company may verify employment by:
- contacting the employer directly;
- using another verification platform;
- requesting candidate documents; or
- using another authorized source.
A Work Number freeze therefore does not create a universal block on employment verification.
What If The Work Number Information Is Wrong?
Because The Work Number operates as a consumer reporting system, consumers have rights to dispute inaccurate information.
Use a records-first process:
- Obtain the EDR.
- Identify the exact item that is wrong.
- Compare it with authoritative records.
- Use The Work Number’s official dispute process.
- Correct the underlying employer/payroll source where appropriate.
- Review the report after the dispute is resolved.
Do not alter a W-2, pay statement, or employer letter.
Read the background-check error guide for related guidance.
What If an Employer Is Missing From The Work Number?
A missing employer does not automatically mean your work history is wrong.
Possible explanations:
- employer did not participate;
- payroll data was not contributed;
- historical coverage does not extend that far;
- employer appears under a different legal entity;
- staffing company was the legal employer; or
- records have not yet updated.
Use other authoritative records to reconstruct your history.
Read the employment-verification guide for related guidance.
The Work Number vs. Your Resume
Your resume and The Work Number may describe employment differently.
Example:
Resume: Client A — Business Analyst
Payroll record: Staffing Company A — Associate
The resume may emphasize the client and functional role.
The Work Number may reflect the legal employer and payroll title.
That is why a mismatch should be investigated before being labeled deception.
Read the background-check discrepancy guide for related guidance.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is The Work Number?
It is an Equifax Workforce Solutions employment and income verification service.
Can I see my own Work Number data?
Yes. Employees can request an Employment Data Report to review data available about them.
Can I run my own Work Number verification?
Equifax’s current guidance distinguishes the employee’s EDR from the independent verification provided to credentialed verifiers. Employees can review their data through the EDR.
Does The Work Number show every employer?
No. It reflects available data contributed to the service.
Can I dispute Work Number data?
Yes. Use The Work Number’s official consumer dispute process if information is inaccurate.
What does a Work Number freeze do?
It restricts access to employment data through The Work Number under Equifax’s freeze process. It does not delete the data or block every possible employment-verification method.
Your next step
Use the Background Check Prep Packet to organize the facts, questions and supporting records relevant to your situation.