[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 84 (Tuesday, May 1, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 21784-21785]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-10827]


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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 ``Employment, Wages, and Contributions 
Report'' (ES-202 Program). 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 July 2, 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 ES-202 Program, a Federal/State cooperative effort, produces 
monthly employment and quarterly wage information. It is a by-product 
of quarterly reports submitted to State Employment Security Agencies 
(SESAs) by employers subject to State Unemployment Insurance (UI) laws. 
The collection of these data is authorized by 29 U.S.C. 1, 2. The ES-
202 data, which are compiled for each calendar quarter, provide a 
comprehensive business name and address file with employment and wage 
information for employers subject to State UI laws. Similar data for 
Federal Government employers covered by the Unemployment Compensation 
for Federal Employees program also are included. These data are 
submitted to the BLS by all 50 States, the District of Columbia, Puerto 
Rico, and the Virgin Islands. The BLS summarizes these data to produce 
totals for all counties, Metropolitan Statistical Areas, the States, 
and the nation. The ES-202 Program provides a virtual census of 
nonagricultural employees and their wages, with about 55 percent of the 
workers in agriculture covered as well.
    The ES-202 Program is a comprehensive and accurate source of data 
on the number of establishments, monthly employment, and quarterly 
wages, by industry, at the four-digit Standard Industrial 
Classification (SIC) level, and at the national, State, Metropolitan 
Statistical Area, and county levels. The North American Industry 
Classification System (NAICS), which will replace the SIC coding 
system, is scheduled to be implemented in the ES-202 Program with data 
for the first quarter of 2001. The ES-202 series has broad economic 
significance in measuring labor trends and major industry developments, 
and in time series analyses of establishments, employment, and wages by 
size of establishment.

II. 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 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; and
    <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.

III. Current Action

    Office of Management and Budget clearance is being sought for the

[[Page 21785]]

Employment, Wages, and Contributions Report (ES-202 Program).
    The ES-202 program is the only Federal statistical program that 
provides information on establishments, wages, tax contributions and 
the number of employees subject to State Unemployment Insurance laws 
and the Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees program. The 
consequences of not collecting ES-202 data would be grave to the 
Federal statistical community. BLS would not have a sampling frame for 
its establishment surveys; the Bureau of Economic Analysis would not be 
able to publish as accurate personal income data in a timely manner for 
the U.S., States, and local areas; and the Employment Training 
Administration would not have the information it needs to administer 
the Unemployment Insurance Program.
    Type of Review: Revision of a currently approved collection.
    Agency: Bureau of Labor Statistics.
    Title: Employment, Wages, and Contributions (ES-202) Program.
    OMB Number: 1220-0012.
    Affected Public: State, local, or tribal government.
    Total Respondents: 53.
    Frequency: Quarterly.
    Total Responses: 212.
    Average Time Per Response: 4,503 hours.
    Estimated Total Burden Hours: 954,720 hours.
    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 April, 2001.
W. Stuart Rust, Jr.,
Chief, Division of Management Systems, Bureau of Labor Statistics.
[FR Doc. 01-10827 Filed 4-30-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510-24-P