01-9098. 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 pre-clearance 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 collection requirements on respondents can be properly assessed. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) is soliciting comments concerning the proposed revision of the “National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997.” A copy of the proposed information collection request (ICR) can be obtained by contacting the individual listed in the Addresses section of this notice.

DATES:

Written comments must be submitted to the office listed in the Addresses section below on or before June 11, 2001.

ADDRESSES:

Send comments to Amy A. Hobby, BLS Clearance Officer, Division of Management Systems, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Room 3255, 2 Massachusetts Avenue, NE., Washington, DC 20212, telephone number 202-691-7628 (this is not a toll free number).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Amy A. Hobby, BLS Clearance Officer, telephone number 202-691-7628. (See Addresses section.)

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

The National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997 (NLSY97) includes a nationally representative sample of 8,984 young men and women who were born in the years 1980 through 1984. These respondents were ages 12-17 when the first round of annual interviews began in 1997; the fourth round of annual interviews is being conducted from November 2000 to May 2001. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) contracts with the National Opinion Research Center (NORC) of the University of Chicago to interview these youths on a yearly basis to study how young people make the transition from full-time schooling to the establishment of their families and careers. The longitudinal focus of this survey requires information to be collected from the same individuals over many years in order to trace their education, training, work experience, fertility, income, and program participation. The mission of the Department of Labor (DOL) is to promote the development of the U.S. labor force and the efficiency of the U.S. labor market. The BLS contributes to this mission by gathering information about the labor force and labor market and disseminating it to policy makers and the public so that participants in those markets can make more informed, and thus more efficient, choices. Research based on the NLSY97 contributes to the formation of national policy in the areas of education, training, employment programs, and school-to-work transitions. In addition to the reports that the BLS produces based on data from the NLSY97, members of the academic community publish articles and reports based on NLSY97 data for the DOL and other funding agencies. The survey design provides data gathered from the same respondents over time to form the only data set that contains this type of information for this important population group. Without the collection of these data, an accurate longitudinal data set could not be provided to researchers and policy makers, thus adversely affecting the DOL's ability to perform its policy and report-making activities.

I. Desired Focus of Comments

The Bureau of Labor Statistics is particularly interested in comments that:

• 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.

III. Current Action

The Bureau of Labor Statistics seeks approval to conduct rounds five, six, and seven of annual interviews of the NLSY97. Respondents to the NLSY97 will undergo an interview of approximately one hour during which they will answer questions about schooling and labor market experiences, family relationships, and community background. For youths under age 18 who still live with their parents, one of the parents will be asked to complete a one-page questionnaire, called the Household Income Update, that collects information on the income in the previous calendar year of the respondent's parent and that parent's current spouse or partner. In addition, high school transcripts will be collected for NLSY97 respondents who no longer are attending high school and who provide written permission to contact their schools. The high schools will be asked to provide the youth's transcript, along with course descriptions and information about the school's grading scale. Finally, during the fielding period for the main youth interviews, about 900 respondents will be asked to participate in a brief second interview to ascertain whether the initial interview took place as the interviewer reported and to assess the data quality of selected questionnaire items.

Type of Review: Revision of a currently approved collection.

Agency: Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Title: National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997.

OMB Number: 1220-0157.

Affected Public: Individuals or households and not-for-profit institutions (public and private high schools).

Form	Total respondents	Frequency	Total responses	Average time per response (minutes)	Estimated total burden (hours)
Transcript Request and School Information	4,441	Once	4,441	30	2,221
Youth Interview	8,436	Annually	8,436	60	8,436
Youth Validation Reinterview	900	Annually	900	6	90
Household Income Update Form	3,374	Annually	3,374	4	225
Totals	16,251		17,151		10,972
The difference between the total number of respondents and the total number or responses reflects the fact that 900 respondents will be interviewed twice, once in the main survey and a second time in the validation reinterview.

Total Burden Cost (capital/startup): $0.

Total Burden Cost (operating/maintenance): $0.

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, DC, this 5th day of April 2001.

W. Stuart Rust, Jr.,

Chief, Division of Management Systems, Bureau of Labor Statistics.