04-23642. Monthly Wholesale Trade Survey

ACTION:

Proposed collection; comment request.

SUMMARY:

The Department of Commerce, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on proposed and/or continuing information collections, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Pub. L. 104-13 (44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)).

DATES:

Written comments must be submitted on or before December 21, 2004.

ADDRESSES:

Direct all written comments to Diana Hynek, Departmental Paperwork Clearance Officer, Department of Commerce, Room 6625, 14th and Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20230 (or via the Internet at [e-mail]).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Requests for additional information or copies of the information collection instrument(s) and instructions should be directed to Nancy Piesto, U.S. Census Bureau, Room 2632-FOB 3, Washington, DC 20223-6500, at [phone].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION

I. Abstract

The Monthly Wholesale Trade Survey provides the only continuous measure of monthly sales, end-of-month inventories, method of inventory valuation, and inventories/sales ratios in the United States by selected kinds of business for merchant wholesalers. The Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) uses this information to improve the inventory valuation adjustments applied to estimates of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) uses the data as input to their Producer Price Indexes and in developing productivity measurements.

Estimates produced from the Monthly Wholesale Trade Survey are based on a probability sample and are published on the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) basis. The sample design consists of small, medium, and large cases requested to report sales and inventories each month. The sample, consisting of about 4,000 wholesale businesses, is drawn from the Business Register, which contains all Employer Identification Numbers (EINs) and listed establishment locations. The sample is updated quarterly to reflect employer business “births” and “deaths”; adding new employer businesses identified in the Business and Professional Classification Survey and deleting firms and EINs when it is determined they are no longer active.

The Monthly Wholesale Trade Survey will continue to generate its monthly report form through a print-on demand system. This system allows us to tailor the survey instrument to a specific industry. For example, it will print an additional instruction for a particular NAICS code. This system also reduces the time and cost of preparing mailout packages that contain unique variable data, while improving the look and quality of the products being produced.

II. Method of Collection

We collect this information by mail, fax, and telephone follow-up.

III. Data

OMB Number: 0607-0190.

Form Number: SM-42 (00).

Type of Review: Regular Submission.

Affected Public: Wholesale firms in the United States.

Estimated Number of Respondents: 4,000.

Estimated Time Per Response: 7 minutes.

Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 5,600 hours.

Estimated Total Annual Cost: The cost to the respondents for fiscal year 2005 is estimated to be $132,104 based on the annual response burden of 5,600 hours and an hourly salary of $23.59 to complete the form.

Respondent's Obligation: Voluntary.

Legal Authority: Title 13, United States Code, Section 182.

IV. Request for Comments

Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, including whether the information shall have practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden (including hours and cost) of the proposed collection of information; (c) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information on respondents, including through the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology.

Comments submitted in response to this notice will be summarized and/or included in the request for OMB approval of this information collection; they also will become a matter of public record.

Dated: October 18, 2004.

Madeleine Clayton,

Management Analyst, Office of the Chief Information Officer.