[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 82 (Friday, April 26, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 18627-18628]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-10378]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Proposed Collection; Comment Request
ACTION: Notice.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The Department of Labor, as part of its continuing effort to
reduce paperwork and respondent burden, conducts a preclearance
consultation program to provide the general public and Federal agencies
with an opportunity to comment on proposed and/or continuing
collections of information in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction
Act of 1995 (PRA95) [44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)]. This program helps to
ensure that requested data can be provided in the desired format,
reporting burden (time and financial resources) is minimized,
collection instruments are clearly understood, and the impact of the
collection requirements on respondents can be properly assessed.
Currently, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) is soliciting comments
concerning the proposed extension of the ``Current Population Survey
(CPS).''
A copy of the proposed information collection request (ICR) can be
obtained by contacting the individual listed below in the addressee
section of this notice.
DATES: Written comments must be submitted to the office listed in the
addressee section below on or before June 25, 1996.
BLS is particularly interested in comments which help to:
Evaluate whether the proposed collection of information is
necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency,
including whether the information will have practical utility;
Evaluate the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the
burden of the proposed collection of information, including the
validity of the methodology and assumptions used;
Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the
information to be collected; and
Minimize the burden of the collection of information on
those who are to respond, including through the use of appropriate
automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection
techniques or other forms of information technology, e.g., permitting
electronic submissions of responses.
ADDRESSES: Send comments to Karin G. Kurz, BLS Clearance Officer,
Division of Management Systems, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Room 3255,
2 Massachusetts Avenue N.E., Washington, D.C. 20212. Ms. Kurz can be
reached on 202-606-7628 (this is not a toll free number).
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Background
The CPS has been the principal source of the official Government
statistics on employment and unemployment for 50 years. BLS and the
Census Bureau share the responsibility for this survey and are
submitting two separate clearance requests that reflect the joint
funding provided by the two agencies for this survey and the way in
which the Census Bureau and BLS divide the responsibilities for the
analysis and dissemination of the data from the survey. The Census
Bureau is submitting a request for clearance of the collection of the
basic demographic information on the population being sampled, and BLS
is requesting clearance for the collection of the labor force
information which it analyzes and publishes monthly. The labor force
information gathered through the survey is of paramount importance in
keeping track of the economic health of the Nation. The survey is the
only source of data on total employment and unemployment, with the
monthly unemployment rate obtained through this survey being regarded
as one of the most important economic indicators. Moreover, the survey
also yields data on the basic status and characteristics of the persons
not in the labor force. The CPS data are used monthly, in conjunction
with data from other sources, to analyze the extent to which the
various components of the American population are participating in the
economic life of the Nation and with what success.
The labor force data gathered through the CPS are provided to users
in the greatest detail possible, consistent with the demographic
information obtained in the survey. In brief, the labor force data can
be broken down by sex, age, race and ethnic origin, marital status,
family composition, educational level, and various other
characteristics. Through such breakdowns, one can focus on the
employment situation of specific population groups as well as on the
general trends in employment and unemployment. Information of this type
can be obtained only through
[[Page 18628]]
demographically-oriented surveys such as the CPS.
The basic CPS also are used as an important platform on which to
base the data derived from the various supplemental questions which are
administered in conjunction with the survey. By coupling the basic data
from the monthly survey with the special data from the supplements, one
can get valuable insights on the behavior of American workers and on
the social and economic health of their families.
II. Current Actions
There is wide interest in the monthly CPS data among Government
policymakers, legislators, outside economists, the media, and the
general public. While the data from the CPS are used in conjunction
with data from other surveys in assessing the economic health of the
Nation, they are unique in various ways. They provide a measurement of
total employment, including self-employment and unpaid family work,
while the other surveys are generally restricted to the nonagricultural
sector. The CPS provides data on all jobseekers, and on all persons
outside the labor force, while payroll-based surveys cannot, by
definition, cover these sectors of the population. Finally, the CPS
data on employment, unemployment, and on persons not in the labor force
can be linked to the demographic characteristics of the many groups
which make up the Nation's population, while the data from other
surveys are usually devoid of demographic information.
Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved collection.
Agency: Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Title: Current Population Survey.
OMB Number: 1220-0100.
Affected Public: Individuals or households.
Total Respondents: 48,000 per month.
Frequency: Reporting Monthly.
Total Responses: 576,000.
Average Time Per Response: 7 Minutes.
Estimated Total Burden Hours: 67,200 Hours.
Total Burden Cost (capital/startup): None.
Total Burden Cost (operating/maintenance): None.
Comments submitted in response to this notice will be summarized
and/or included in the request for Office of Management and Budget
approval of the information collection request, they also will become a
matter of public record.
Signed at Washington, D.C., this 22nd day of April, 1996.
Peter T. Spolarich,
Chief, Division of Management Systems, Bureau of Labor Statistics.
[FR Doc. 96-10378 Filed 4-25-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510--24-M
