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[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 82 (Friday, April 26, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 18627-18628]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-10378]

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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

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 preclearance 
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 the 
collection requirements on respondents can be properly assessed. 
Currently, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) is soliciting comments 
concerning the proposed extension of the ``Current Population Survey 
(CPS).''
    A copy of the proposed information collection request (ICR) can be 
obtained by contacting the individual listed below in the addressee 
section of this notice.

DATES: Written comments must be submitted to the office listed in the 
addressee section below on or before June 25, 1996.
    BLS is particularly interested in comments which help to:
     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.

ADDRESSES: Send comments to Karin G. Kurz, BLS Clearance Officer, 
Division of Management Systems, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Room 3255, 
2 Massachusetts Avenue N.E., Washington, D.C. 20212. Ms. Kurz can be 
reached on 202-606-7628 (this is not a toll free number).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

    The CPS has been the principal source of the official Government 
statistics on employment and unemployment for 50 years. BLS and the 
Census Bureau share the responsibility for this survey and are 
submitting two separate clearance requests that reflect the joint 
funding provided by the two agencies for this survey and the way in 
which the Census Bureau and BLS divide the responsibilities for the 
analysis and dissemination of the data from the survey. The Census 
Bureau is submitting a request for clearance of the collection of the 
basic demographic information on the population being sampled, and BLS 
is requesting clearance for the collection of the labor force 
information which it analyzes and publishes monthly. The labor force 
information gathered through the survey is of paramount importance in 
keeping track of the economic health of the Nation. The survey is the 
only source of data on total employment and unemployment, with the 
monthly unemployment rate obtained through this survey being regarded 
as one of the most important economic indicators. Moreover, the survey 
also yields data on the basic status and characteristics of the persons 
not in the labor force. The CPS data are used monthly, in conjunction 
with data from other sources, to analyze the extent to which the 
various components of the American population are participating in the 
economic life of the Nation and with what success.
    The labor force data gathered through the CPS are provided to users 
in the greatest detail possible, consistent with the demographic 
information obtained in the survey. In brief, the labor force data can 
be broken down by sex, age, race and ethnic origin, marital status, 
family composition, educational level, and various other 
characteristics. Through such breakdowns, one can focus on the 
employment situation of specific population groups as well as on the 
general trends in employment and unemployment. Information of this type 
can be obtained only through

[[Page 18628]]

demographically-oriented surveys such as the CPS.
    The basic CPS also are used as an important platform on which to 
base the data derived from the various supplemental questions which are 
administered in conjunction with the survey. By coupling the basic data 
from the monthly survey with the special data from the supplements, one 
can get valuable insights on the behavior of American workers and on 
the social and economic health of their families.

II. Current Actions

    There is wide interest in the monthly CPS data among Government 
policymakers, legislators, outside economists, the media, and the 
general public. While the data from the CPS are used in conjunction 
with data from other surveys in assessing the economic health of the 
Nation, they are unique in various ways. They provide a measurement of 
total employment, including self-employment and unpaid family work, 
while the other surveys are generally restricted to the nonagricultural 
sector. The CPS provides data on all jobseekers, and on all persons 
outside the labor force, while payroll-based surveys cannot, by 
definition, cover these sectors of the population. Finally, the CPS 
data on employment, unemployment, and on persons not in the labor force 
can be linked to the demographic characteristics of the many groups 
which make up the Nation's population, while the data from other 
surveys are usually devoid of demographic information.
    Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved collection.
    Agency: Bureau of Labor Statistics.
    Title: Current Population Survey.
    OMB Number: 1220-0100.
    Affected Public: Individuals or households.
    Total Respondents: 48,000 per month.
    Frequency: Reporting Monthly.
    Total Responses: 576,000.
    Average Time Per Response: 7 Minutes.
    Estimated Total Burden Hours: 67,200 Hours.
    Total Burden Cost (capital/startup): None.
    Total Burden Cost (operating/maintenance): None.
    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, D.C., this 22nd day of April, 1996.
Peter T. Spolarich,
Chief, Division of Management Systems, Bureau of Labor Statistics.
[FR Doc. 96-10378 Filed 4-25-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510--24-M
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