[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 98 (Wednesday, May 21, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 27719-27720]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-13249]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
Bureau of the Census
Title: 1997 Company Organization Survey
ACTION: Proposed collection; comment request.
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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, Public Law 104-13 (44 U.S.C.
3506(c)(2)(A)).
DATES: Written comments must be submitted on or before July 21, 1997.
ADDRESSES: Direct all written comments to Linda Engelmeier,
Departmental Forms Clearance Officer, Department of Commerce, Room
5327, 14th and Constitution Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20230.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information or
copies of the information collection instrument and instructions should
be directed to Dennis Wagner, Bureau of the Census, Room 2546, Federal
Building 3, Washington, DC 20233-6100, telephone (301) 457-2580.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Abstract
The Census Bureau conducts the annual Company Organization Survey
(COS) in order to update and maintain a central, multipurpose business
register, known as the Standard Statistical Establishment List (SSEL).
In particular, the COS supplies critical information to the SSEL
concerning the establishment composition, organizational structure, and
operating characteristics of multi establishment enterprises.
The SSEL serves two fundamental purposes:
--First and most important, it provides sampling populations and
enumeration lists for the Census Bureau's economic surveys and
censuses, and it serves as an integral part of the statistical
foundation underlying those programs. Essential for this purpose is the
SSEL's ability to identify all known United States business
establishments and their parent enterprises. Further, the SSEL must
accurately record basic business attributes needed to control sampling
and enumeration. These attributes include industrial and geographic
classifications, measures of size and economic activity, ownership
characteristics, and contact information (for example, name and
address).
--Second, it provides establishment data that serve as the basis for
the annual County Business Patterns (CBP) statistical series. CBP
reports present data on number of establishments, first quarter
payroll, annual payroll, and mid-March employment summarized by
industry and employment size class for the United States, states, the
District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, counties, and county-equivalents. No
other annual or more frequent series of industry statistics provides
comparable detail, particularly for small geographic areas.
II. Method of Collection
The Census Bureau will conduct the 1997 COS in conjunction with the
1997 Economic Census and will coordinate these collections so as to
minimize response burden. The consolidated COS/census mail canvass will
direct inquiries to the entire SSEL universe of multi establishment
enterprises, which comprises some 180,000 parent companies and more
than 1.5 million establishments. The primary collection medium for the
COS and census is paper questionnaire; however, several larger
enterprises, which account for about 30 percent of covered
establishments, will submit automated/electronic COS reports (many more
enterprises will submit automated/electronic census reports). COS data
content is identical for all reporting modes.
Primary COS inquiries to each of the 180,000 multi establishment
enterprises will include questions on ownership or control by a
domestic parent, ownership or control by a foreign parent, and
ownership of foreign affiliates. Additional COS inquiries will apply to
approximately 5,000 enterprises that operate some 25,000 establishments
classified in industries that are out-of-scope to the economic census.
The additional inquiries will list an inventory of those out-of-scope
establishments and request updates to the inventory, including
additions; deletions; and changes to Federal employer identification
number, name and address, and industrial classification. Further, the
additional inquiries will collect the following basic operating data
for each listed establishment: End-of-year operating status, mid-March
employment, first quarter payroll, and annual payroll. The economic
census will collect data for all other establishments of multi
establishment enterprises, including those items listed above. In
addition, the COS will include inquiries to approximately 1,000 large
single establishment enterprises on ownership or control and industry
classification.
III. Data
OMB Number: 0607-0444.
Form Number: NC-9901.
Type of Review: Regular Submission.
Affected Public: Businesses or other for-profit, not-for-profit
institutions.
Estimated Number of Respondents: 181,000 enterprises.
Estimated Time Per Response: .30 hour.
Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 90,500.
Estimated Total Annual Cost: Included in the total annual cost of
the SSEL, which is estimated to be $7.6 million for fiscal year 1997.
Respondent's Obligation: Mandatory.
Legal Authority: Title 13 U.S.C. sections 131 and 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 to be collected; and (d) ways to minimize the burden of the
collection of 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
[[Page 27720]]
included in the request for OMB approval of this information
collection; they also will become a matter of public record.
Dated: May 15, 1997.
Linda Engelmeier,
Departmental Forms Clearance Officer, Office of Management and
Organization.
(FR Doc. 97-13249 Filed 5-20-97; 8:45 am)
BILLING CODE 3510-07-P
