[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 61 (Wednesday, March 30, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 17710-17711]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-7451]


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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Bureau of Labor Statistics


Proposed Collection, Comment Request

ACTION: Notice.

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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 ``Report on Current Employment Statistics.'' A 
copy of the proposed information collection request (ICR) can be 
obtained by contacting the individual listed below in the Addresses 
section of this notice.

DATES: Written comments must be submitted to the office listed in the 
ADDRESSES section of this notice on or before May 31, 2011.

ADDRESSES: Send comments to Carol Rowan, BLS Clearance Officer, 
Division of Management Systems, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Room 4080, 
2 Massachusetts Avenue, NE., Washington, DC 20212. Written comments 
also may be transmitted by fax to 202-691-5111 (this is not a toll free 
number).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Carol Rowan, BLS Clearance Officer, 
202-691-7628 (this is not a toll free number). (See ADDRESSES section.)

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Background

    The Current Employment Statistics (CES) program provides current 
monthly statistics on employment, hours, and earnings, by industry and 
geography. CES estimates are among the most visible and widely-used 
Principal Federal Economic Indicators (PFEIs). CES data are also among 
the timeliest of the PFEIs, with their release each month by BLS in the 
Employment Situation, typically on the first Friday of each month. The 
statistics are fundamental inputs in economic decision processes at all 
levels of government, private enterprise, and organized labor.
    The CES monthly estimates of employment, hours, and earnings are 
based on a sample of U.S. nonagricultural establishments. Information 
is derived from approximately 290,600 reports (from a sample of 140,000 
employers with State Unemployment Insurance (UI) accounts comprised of 
440,000 individual worksites), as of January 2011. Each month, firms 
report their employment, payroll, and hours on forms identified as the 
BLS-790. The sample is collected under a probability based design. 
Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands collect an additional 5,600 reports 
using a quota sample.
    A list of all form types currently used appears in the table below. 
Respondents receive variations of the basic collection forms, depending 
on their industry.
    The CES program is a voluntary program under Federal statute. 
Reporting to the State agencies is voluntary in all but four States 
(Oregon, Washington, North Carolina, South Carolina), Puerto Rico, and 
the Virgin Islands. To our knowledge, the States that do have mandatory 
reporting rarely exercise their authority. The collection form's 
confidentiality statement cites the Confidential Information Protection 
and Statistical Efficiency Act of 2002 and mentions the State mandatory 
reporting authority.

II. Current Action

    Office of Management and Budget clearance is being sought for the 
Report on Current Employment Statistics.
    Automated data collection methods are now used for most of the CES 
sample. Approximately 131,200 reports are received through Electronic 
Data Interchange as of January 2011. Web data collection accounts for 
58,900 reports. Computer Assisted Telephone Interviewing is used to 
collect 62,000. Fax is also a significant collection mode, as 15,300 
reports are collected via this method. Touchtone Data Entry is used for 
10,900 reports. In comparison, only 5,700 reports are collected by 
mail.
    The balance of the sample is collected through other automated 
methods including submission of tapes, diskettes, and email.

III. Desired Focus of Comments

    The Bureau of Labor Statistics is particularly interested in 
comments that:
    <bullet> Evaluate whether the proposed collection of information is 
necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, 
including

[[Page 17711]]

whether the information will have practical utility.
    <bullet> 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.
    <bullet> Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the 
information to be collected.
    <bullet> 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.
    Type of Review: Revision of a currently approved collection.
    Agency: Bureau of Labor Statistics.
    Title: Report on Current Employment Statistics.
    OMB Number: 1220-0011.
    Affected Public: State or local governments; Businesses or other 
for-profit; Non-profit institutions.

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                                                    Minutes per    Frequency of       Annual      Annual  burden
              Form                    Reports         report         response        responses         hours
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A--Mining and Logging...........           1,400              11              12          16,800           3,080
B--Construction.................          13,100              11              12         157,200          28,820
C--Manufacturing................          11,400              11              12         136,800          25,080
E--Service Providing Industries.         193,400              11              12       2,320,800         425,480
G--Public Administration........          47,400               6              12         568,800          56,880
S--Education....................           9,800               6              12         117,600          11,760
F1, F2, F3 Fax Forms............          14,100              11              12         169,200          31,020
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    Total.......................         290,600  ..............  ..............       3,487,200         582,120
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    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 25th day of March 2011.
Kimberley Hill,
Chief, Division of Management Systems, Bureau of Labor Statistics.
[FR Doc. 2011-7451 Filed 3-29-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510-24-P