2011-28140. Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

The Department of Commerce will submit to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for clearance the following proposal for collection of information under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. chapter 35).

Agency: U.S. Census Bureau.

Title: 2012 Economic Census Covering the Manufacturing Sector.

OMB Control Number: 0607-0938.

Form Number(s): MA-10000, MC-31000, MC-32000.

Type of Request: Reinstatement of a previously approved collection.

Burden Hours: 693,000.

Number of Respondents: 168,000.

Average Hours per Response: 4 hours and 8 minutes.

Needs and Uses: The 2012 Economic Census covering the Manufacturing Sector will use a mail canvass, supplemented by data from federal administrative records, to measure the economic activity of more than 291,000 establishments classified in the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS).

The manufacturing sector comprises establishments engaged in the mechanical, physical, or chemical transformation of materials, substances, or components into new products. The assembling of component parts of manufactured products is considered manufacturing, except in cases where the activity is appropriately classified in Sector 23, Construction. The economic census will produce basic statistics by industry for number of establishments, payroll, employment, value of shipments, value added, capital expenditures, depreciation, materials consumed, selected purchased services, electric energy used, and inventories held.

The economic census is the primary source of facts about the structure and functioning of the Nation's economy and features unique industry and geographic detail. Economic census statistics serve as part of the framework for the national accounts and provide essential information for government, business, and the general public. The Federal government (i.e., Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA), Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)) uses information from the economic census as an important part of the framework for the national income and product accounts, input-output tables, economic indexes, and other composite measures that serve as the factual basis for economic policymaking, planning, and program administration. Further, the census provides sampling frames and benchmarks for current surveys which track short-term economic trends, serve as economic indicators, and contribute critical source data for current estimates of the gross domestic product. State and local governments rely on the economic census as a unique source of comprehensive economic statistics for small geographic areas for use in policymaking, planning, and program administration. Finally, industry, business, academia, and the general public use information from the economic census for evaluating markets, preparing business plans, making business decisions, developing economic models and forecasts, conducting economic research, and establishing benchmarks for their own sample surveys.

If the economic census was not conducted, the Federal government would lose vital source data and benchmarks for the national accounts, input-output tables, and other composite measures of economic activity, causing a substantial degradation in the quality of these important statistics. Further, the government would lose critical benchmarks for current sample-based economic surveys and an essential source of detailed, comprehensive economic information for use in policymaking, planning, and program administration.

Affected Public: Business or other for-profit.

Frequency: One-time.

Respondent's Obligation: Mandatory.

Legal Authority: This information collection is part of the 2012 Economic Census, which is required by law under Title 13, United States Code (U.S.C.). Section 131 of this statute directs the taking of a census at five-year intervals. Section 224 makes reporting mandatory.

OMB Desk Officer: Brian Harris-Kojetin, [phone].

Copies of the above information collection proposal can be obtained by calling or writing Diana Hynek, Departmental Paperwork Clearance Officer, [phone], Department of Commerce, Room 6616, 14th and Constitution Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20230 (or via the Internet at [e-mail]).

Written comments and recommendations for the proposed information collection should be sent within 30 days of publication of this notice to Brian Harris-Kojetin, OMB Desk Officer either by fax [phone]) or email ([e-mail]).

Dated: October 26, 2011.

Glenna Mickelson,

Management Analyst, Office of the Chief Information Officer.