[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 67 (Friday, April 5, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 15310-15312]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-8488]



-----------------------------------------------------------------------


DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Proposed Collection; Comment Request

ACTION: Notice.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

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. 
Currently, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) is soliciting comments 
concerning the proposed revision of the ``Report on Occupational 
Employment.'' 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 4, 1996.
    BLS is particularly interested in comments which help the agency 
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 NE., Washington, DC 20212. Ms. Kurz can be 
reached on 202-606-7628 (this is not a toll free number).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Background

    The Occupational Employment Statistics (OES) survey is a Federal/
State establishment survey of wage and salary workers designed to 
produce data on current occupational employment and wages. OES survey 
data assist in the development of employment and training programs 
established by the Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA) of 1982 and the 
Perkins Vocational Education Act of 1984. Planners are required to use 
OES data in justifying the need for training programs related to 
specific occupations.
    The OES programs operates a periodic mail survey of a sample of 
nonfarm establishments conducted by all fifty States, Puerto Rico, the 
District of Columbia, American Samoa, Guam, and the Trust Territories 
of the Pacific Islands. Over three-year periods, data on occupational 
employment are collected by industry classification. The past OES 
cycles surveyed manufacturing industries, agricultural services, and 
hospitals during the first year; mining, construction, finance, real 
estate, and services (except hospitals and education) during the second 
year; and trade, transportation, communications, public utilities, 
education, and government services during the third year.
    The OES wage survey addresses a critical void in the Federal 
statistical effort in a manner that is both cost effective and 
responsive to data quality concerns. Until recently, wage information 
was not provided across all occupations, industries, and Sates. The OES 
program started collecting wage data with two pilot surveys in 1989 and 
1990. Follow-up response analysis surveys (RAS's) were conducted for 
both test years to assess the quality of the date collected. Based upon 
the positive results of the RAS's, BLS made the decision to offer a 
voluntary wage survey option to all States beginning in 1991. Fifteen 
States opted to collect OES wage data.
    In 1995, a consortium comprised of officials from State Employment 
Security Agencies (SESAs) and the Employment and Training 
Administration (ETA) proposed collection of OES wage data in each State 
as a means of creating a consistently-developed national wage data base 
and for use in the Alien Labor Certification process.

The Immigration Act of 1990

    The Immigration Act of 1990 (Public Law 101-649--Nov. 29, 1990) and 
Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) regulations require that 
aliens seeking to enter the U.S. permanently or temporarily for the 
purpose of employment be excluded from admission unless the Department 
of Labor (DOL) certifies to INS and the Department of State that 
qualified U.S. workers are not available, and that the aliens' 
employment will not adversely affect the wages and working conditions 
of U.S. workers similarly employed.
    This process is known as labor certification. In order to obtain a 
labor certification, the alien must have an employer who is willing to 
make an offer of employment and apply for a labor certification on 
behalf of the alien. Any employer applying for a labor certification on 
behalf of an alien is required to conduct a good faith test of the 
labor market for qualified U.S. workers, and must document all efforts 
made to recruit such workers. This good faith test must include 
offering wages which equal or exceed the prevailing wage applicable to 
similarly employed individuals in the same geographical area.
    Therefore, the certification process relies heavily upon having 
accurate prevailing wage information readily available. Prevailing wage 
data currently are not collected in a systematic manner by the States. 
This has led to a process of determining prevailing wages that is both 
labor-intensive and cumbersome to the employer and the State agencies.

Difficulties of the Current System of Data Collection

    Most States currently conduct occupational wage surveys. In many 
instances, State wage surveys have been administered on an ad hoc 
basis, meaning they conduct the survey only as the need arises.
    Often this results in several surveys being done a year, each 
surveying different occupations for different

[[Page 15311]]
purposes. The methodologies employed by these State surveys vary widely 
and the resulting data, therefore, are sometimes of suspect quality. 
Often the surveys do not include basic instructions needed to 
adequately complete the form; others solicit information without 
properly defining key concepts for the respondent. These deficiencies 
lead to large non-sampling errors and produce unreliable estimates. In 
addition, ad hoc State surveys often lack statistically valid sampling 
techniques.

Advantages of Using the OES Survey

(1)  Produces Valid, Reliable Data

    The OES wage survey meets ETA's need for valid, reliable wage data. 
The OES wage survey offers comprehensive coverage of more than 750 
occupations. Since these occupations are representative of our entire 
industrial and service economy, virtually all of the most frequently 
reported occupations requested for Alien Labor Certification are 
covered by the survey.
    The survey covers sufficient geographic detail. Using the OES 
survey, it is possible to have any level of geographic detail as 
specified before sample selection. BLS currently provides funding for 
States to collect State-level data. A number of States use other 
funding sources to collect OES data by sub-State areas. Sampling could 
be expanded to the Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) level and other 
sub-State areas to provide occupational wage information for a specific 
area or labor market.
    The OES wage survey, through extensive pilot testing, has developed 
statistically reliable methods of collecting and calculating a mean, 
median, and distribution of wage rates for surveyed occupations from 11 
OES wage ranges. These mean and median wage rate estimates are valid 
measures of central tendency based on statistical research and validity 
testing.
    The OES survey is a pure probability-based survey employing a large 
stratified sample size. The sampling techniques and the rigorous 
attention to statistical methods make the OES survey a reliable source 
of occupational employment and wage information. The OES survey 
generates data which are comparable across States and areas. The 
various SESAs that collect OES survey data follow a uniform set of 
guidelines established by BLS. This consistency of methodology and 
process ensures that data are comparable across States, sub-State 
areas, regions, and the nation.

(2)  Eliminates Many Individual State Surveys Reducing Respondent 
Burden

    The OES survey would significantly reduce the burden on respondents 
by eliminating numerous State wage surveys that have a total sample of 
approximately 1.2 million units per year. Eliminating these surveys 
would be especially advantageous for employers operating in several 
States who (under the present collection system) could be asked to 
furnish differing levels of wage data in various State surveys. The OES 
survey would reduce the burden on multi-State units by consolidating 
the collection method into one survey and by soliciting information, at 
most, once every three years.
    Curently, the OES survey's average annual sample size is 240,000. 
Added to the 1,200,000 units surveyed by other annual State surveys, 
the total number of survey respondents per year is 1,440,000. The 
proposed change in the OES survey sample would result in 406,000 units 
being surveyed per year. The net reduction in respondents would be 
around 1,034,000 per year.

(3)  Standardizes the Survey Instrument

    Additionally, using the OES survey nationwide would help reduce 
respondent burden by standardizing the survey instrument. The OES wage 
survey has complete coverage of all occupations in an establishment. 
With the OES wage survey, the respondent simply provides the number of 
employees in each occupation broken out into 11 wage range categories.

(4)  Reduces Costs

    One of the most significant advantages of the OES survey would be 
the cost-savings to the taxpayer. Currently the ETA spends about $20 
million a year to obtain data needed for Alien Labor Certification 
purposes. States spend around $5 million to conduct their own non-Alien 
Certification related wage surveys from Wagner Peyser or LMI funds. 
Additionally, Federal and State governments spend approximately $6 
million on models that estimate occupational data for sub-State areas 
from State-wide OES data. The data, resulting from the proposed 
increased OES sample size, would preclude the need for these models. 
Expanding the OES wage survey nationwide would cost an estimated 24 
million dollars, generating a net savings of approximately 7 million 
dollars.

Additional Uses of OES Wage Data

    Historically, occupational employment data obtained by the OES 
survey have been used to develop information regarding current and 
projected employment needs and job opportunities. These data assist in 
the development of State vocational education plans. Nationwide 
collection of OES wage data can further develop labor market and 
occupational information at the Federal, State, and local levels. The 
survey meets the needs of organizations involved in planning and 
delivering services provided by the JTPA and the Perkins Vocational 
Education Act.
    National OES wage data collection can provide a significant source 
of information to support a number of different Federal, State, and 
local efforts. For instance, occupational wage data can be extremely 
useful in the area of Unemployment Insurance (UI). Generally, UI 
clients must meet work-search requirements and take jobs with pay 
equivalent to their previous employment. Wage data by occupation can 
help employment services identify occupations that meet the 
requirements of these individuals. Similarly, the dislocated workers 
program under JTPA uses previous employment wages as a guide in 
preparing dislocated workers for employment. Depending on individual 
State laws, the OES survey can provide a standard source of 
occupational wage data to assist these workers.
    Wage data at the occupational level can assist States in carrying 
out vocational rehabilitation programs or assist in the Social Security 
disability adjudication process. The data can support U.S. military 
interests by providing State and local career information for 
Department of Defense workers and uniformed personnel leaving military 
service.
    OES wage data provide vocational education trainers and enrollees 
with information on what occupations are present in the economy as well 
as their corresponding wage rates. These data will assist the National 
and State Occupational Information Coordinating Committees to develop 
occupational information systems designed to aid job searches and 
career counselors.

Summary

    At present, the Alien Labor Certification and other educational, 
training, and employment programs lack uniform, reliable wage data. The 
wage consortium comprised of State agencies has proposed using the OES 
survey, nationwide, to produce these data for

[[Page 15312]]
five main reasons: (1) The OES survey produces valid, reliable data; 
(2) it significantly reduces the burden on the respondent; (3) it 
produces the first national wage rate survey with comparable 
methodology across all locales; (4) it standardizes the collection 
process; and (5) it costs $7 million less than the current system.
    As indicated, in addition to the use of wage data with the Alien 
Labor Certification process, reliable wage data have many other 
practical uses. Wage data can enhance information currently provided 
under the JTPA and Perkins Act. OES wage data also can inform important 
legal and administrative decisions such as Social Security 
adjudication, Unemployment Insurance work-search requirements, or 
minimum wage deliberations. Timely and reliable wage information is a 
valuable commodity to vocational trainers and enrollees.

II. Current Actions

    BLS plans to revise the collection method of the OES survey. The 
revised OES survey will continue to be a probability-based sample 
survey of nonfarm establishments. Beginning in 1996, the OES survey 
will implement three major changes: (1) The sample will include all 
industries each year; (2) Estimates will be produced for 360 sub-State 
areas; and (3) Wage information will be collected for all States.
    Although OES will continue to operate on a three-year cycle, under 
the revised sampling procedures the OES survey will collect both 
occupational employment and wage information each year for all 
nonagricultural industries. To minimize response burden, the new 
sampling system will include an establishment, at most, once every 
three years. With the revised sampling procedures, the OES survey will 
produce employment and wage estimates on an annual basis.
    The OES sample is designed to yield reliable estimates by industry 
at the national, State, and sub-State levels. The revised OES survey 
will allow for estimates in 360 areas (310 Metropolitan Statistical 
Areas (MSAs) and other specified sub-State areas.) The sampling frame 
will stratify units by industry, geographic area, and by size of 
establishment. Establishments that employ 250 or more employees at a 
single worksite will be sampled with certainty once every three years.
    The revised survey solicits occupational employment information by 
wage ranges. A respondent participating in the OES survey will provide 
the number of employees by occupation, broken out across 11 wage range 
categories. The survey will be a cost-effective, statistically reliable 
method of producing occupational wage distributions as well as mean and 
median wage estimates. To comply with the Alien Labor Certification 
legislation, State agencies will use the OES survey in place of current 
State wage surveys. The overall effect on respondents will be a 
decrease in burden placed on them by Federal and State government 
agencies.
    Type of Review: Revision of a currently approved collection.
    Agency: Bureau of Labor Statistics.
    Title: Report on Occupational Employment.
    OMB Number: 1220-0042.
    Affected Public: Business or other for-profit; Not-for-profit 
institutions; Federal Government; State, local, or tribal governments.
    Total Respondents: 406,000.
    Frequency: BLS will conduct the survey annually. Reporting units 
will be sampled, at most, once every three years.
    Total Responses: 316,680.
    Average Time Per Response: 45 minutes.
    Estimated Total Burden Hours: 237,510 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 ICR; they also will become a matter of public record.

    Signed at Washington, D.C., this 2nd day of April, 1996.
Peter T. Spolarich,
Chief, Division of Management Systems, Bureau of Labor Statistics.
[FR Doc. 96-8488 Filed 4-4-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510-24-M