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[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 42 (Friday, March 1, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 15119-15120]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-04381]

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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Census Bureau

Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the 
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for Review and Approval; Comment 
Request; Current Population Survey (CPS) Basic Demographic Items

AGENCY: Census Bureau, Department of Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of information collection, request for comment.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Commerce, in accordance with the Paperwork 
Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995, invites the general public and other 
Federal agencies to comment on proposed, and continuing information 
collections, which helps us assess the impact of our information 
collection requirements and minimize the public's reporting burden. The 
purpose of this notice is to allow for 60 days of public comment on the 
proposed reinstatement without change of the Current Population Survey 
Basic Demographics as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, 
prior to the submission of the information collection request (ICR) to 
OMB for approval.

DATES: To ensure consideration, comments regarding this proposed 
information collection must be received on or before April 30, 2024.

ADDRESSES: Interested persons are invited to submit written comments by 
email to Kyra Linse, Survey Director, Current Population Surveys via 
the internet at [email protected], or by calling 301-763-9280. Please 
reference Current Population Survey (CPS) Basic Demographic Items in 
the subject line of your comments. You may also submit comments, 
identified by Docket Number USBC-2024-0003, to the Federal e-Rulemaking 
Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. All comments received are part of 
the public record. No comments will be posted to http://www.regulations.gov for public viewing until after the comment period 
has closed. Comments will generally be posted without change. All 
Personally Identifiable Information (for example, name and address) 
voluntarily submitted by the commenter may be publicly accessible. Do 
not submit Confidential Business Information or otherwise sensitive or 
protected information. You may submit attachments to electronic 
comments in Microsoft Word, Excel, or Adobe PDF file formats.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information or 
specific questions related to collection activities should be directed 
to Kyra Linse, Survey Director, Current Population Surveys by phone at 
(301) 763-9280 or via email at [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Abstract

    The Census Bureau plans to request clearance from the Office of 
Management and Budget (OMB) for the collection of basic demographic 
information on the Current Population Survey (CPS) beginning in 
September 2024. The current clearance expires August 31, 2024.
    The CPS has been the source of official government statistics on 
employment and unemployment since 1942. The Bureau of Labor Statistics 
(BLS) and the Census Bureau jointly sponsor the basic monthly survey. 
The Census Bureau also prepares and conducts all the field work. At the 
OMB's request, the Census Bureau and the BLS divide the clearance 
request in order to reflect the joint sponsorship and funding of the 
CPS program. BLS submits a separate clearance request for the portion 
of the CPS that collects labor force information for the civilian 
noninstitutional population. Some of the information within that 
portion includes employment status, number of hours worked, job search 
activities, earnings, duration of unemployment, and the industry and 
occupation classification of the job held the previous week. The 
justification that follows is in support of the demographic data.
    The demographic information collected in the CPS provides a unique 
set of data on selected characteristics for the civilian 
noninstitutional population. Some of the demographic information we 
collect are age, marital status, sex, Armed Forces status, education, 
race, origin, and family income. We use these data in conjunction with 
other data, particularly the monthly labor force data, as well as 
periodic supplement data. We also use these data independently for 
internal analytic research and for evaluation of other surveys. In 
addition, we use these data as a control to produce accurate estimates 
of other personal characteristics.

II. Method of Collection

    The CPS basic demographic information is collected from individual 
households by both personal visit and telephone interviews each month. 
All interviews are conducted using computer-assisted interviewing. 
Households in the CPS are in sample for four consecutive months, and 
for the same four months the following year. This is called a 4-8-4 
rotation pattern; households are in sample for four months, in a 
resting period for eight months, and then in sample again for four 
months.

III. Data

    OMB Control Number: 0607-0049.

[[Page 15120]]

    Form Number(s): There are no forms. All interviews are conducted on 
computers.
    Type of Review: Regular submission, Request for Reinstatement, 
without Change of a Previously Approved Collection for which approval 
has expired.
    Affected Public: Households.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 59,000 per month.
    Estimated Time per Response: 1.5 minutes.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 17,700.
    Estimated Total Annual Cost to Public: There is no cost to the 
respondents other than their time (This is not the cost of respondents' 
time, but the indirect costs respondents may incur for such things as 
purchases of specialized software or hardware needed to report, or 
expenditures for accounting or records maintenance services required 
specifically by the collection.)
    Respondent's Obligation: Voluntary.
    Legal Authority: Title 13 U.S.C. 8(b), 141, and 182.

IV. Request for Comments

    We are soliciting public comments to permit the Department/Bureau 
to: (a) Evaluate whether the proposed information collection is 
necessary for the proper functions of the Department, including whether 
the information will have practical utility; (b) Evaluate the accuracy 
of our estimate of the time and cost burden for this proposed 
collection, including the validity of the methodology and assumptions 
used; (c) Evaluate ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of 
the information to be collected; and (d) Minimize the reporting burden 
on those who are to respond, including the use of automated collection 
techniques or other forms of information technology.
    Comments that you submit in response to this notice are a matter of 
public record. We will include, or summarize, each comment in our 
request to OMB to approve this ICR. Before including your address, 
phone number, email address, or other personal identifying information 
in your comment, you should be aware that your entire comment--
including your personal identifying information--may be made publicly 
available at any time. While you may ask us in your comment to withhold 
your personal identifying information from public review, we cannot 
guarantee that we will be able to do so.

Sheleen Dumas,
Department PRA Clearance Officer, Office of the Under Secretary for 
Economic Affairs, Commerce Department.
[FR Doc. 2024-04381 Filed 2-29-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-07-P
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