[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 189 (Monday, September 30, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 79512-79513]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-22369]


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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) 2025 Field Test

AGENCY: Census Bureau, 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 new information collection, Current Population Survey (CPS) 
2025 Field Test, 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 November 29, 2024.

ADDRESSES: Interested persons are invited to submit written comments by 
email to Kyra Linse, Survey Director, Current Population Surveys via 
the internet at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#c7a3b4a3e9a4b7b487a4a2a9b4b2b4e9a0a8b1"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="117562753f7261625172747f6264623f767e67">[email protected]</span></a>. Please reference Current Population 
Survey (CPS) 2025 Field Test in the subject line of your comments. You 
may also submit comments, identified by Docket Number USBC-2024-0023, 
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

[[Page 79513]]

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 via the 
internet at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#3d594e59135e4d4e7d5e58534e484e135a524b"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="fc988f98d29f8c8fbc9f99928f898fd29b938a">[email protected]</span></a>, or by phone at 301-763-9280.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Abstract

    The Census Bureau plans to request clearance from the Office of 
Management and Budget (OMB) for the collection of information related 
to a field test of the Current Population Survey (CPS) in calendar year 
2025.
    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. The 
CPS collects labor force information for the civilian noninstitutional 
population including 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. Data 
for the CPS are currently collected by Census field interviewers via 
in-person interviews or by telephone.
    The 2025 Field Test's goal is to test the use of an internet self-
response method to measure its success as a possible method of contact 
and interviewing with the goal of review accuracy, reporting, and 
representativeness. In addition, should it prove as a viable response 
method, the goal is to experiment with timing and contacts in order to 
refine procedures that best fit the needs of CPS. This is the first of 
two major field tests with the second in 2026, and an ultimate goal to 
phase in changes to the survey in 2027.

II. Method of Collection

    The 2025 field test is planned for April 2025 until November 2025. 
The goal is to replicate the expected mode interaction of adding a 
self-response mode as close as possible to a production environment. 
The first interview will be conducted via computer-assisted person 
interview (CAPI) mode, and most cases will be followed up for three 
months with a mix of internet Self Response and CAPI follow-up based on 
the previous month's interview results and data reported. All cases 
will be in sample for four months. In addition, some cases will be put 
on hold for two months and then interviewed again in order to replicate 
the break in a normal CPS in a shorter interval. In addition, we will 
conduct experiments such as question wording, contact methods, and 
timing of mode switching in order to measure the best method to 
encourage response by internet mode and the best wording for accurate 
self-response reporting.

III. Data

    OMB Control Number: 0607-XXXX.
    Form Number(s): None.
    Type of Review: Regular submission, New Information Collection 
Request.
    Affected Public: Households.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 50,000.
    Estimated Time per Response: 10 minutes.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 33,333 hours.
    Estimated Total Annual Cost to Public: $0.
    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. 2024-22369 Filed 9-27-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-07-P


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