[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 150 (Friday, August 2, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 40458-40459]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-19716]


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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 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 
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 Employment, 
Payroll, and Hours (BLS-790).''
    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 October 1, 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 Bureau of Labor Statistics has been charged by Congress (29 
U.S.C. 1) with the responsibility of collecting and publishing monthly 
information on employment, the average wage received, and the hours 
worked, by area and by industry. The Current Employment Statistics 
(CES) program produces monthly estimates, hours, and earnings of U.S. 
nonagricultural establishment payrolls. Information for these estimates 
is derived from a sample of 391,800 establishments, who each month 
report their employment, payroll, and hours on forms identified as BLS-
790. The estimates produced from the data are fundamental inputs in 
economic decision processes at all levels of private enterprise, 
government, and organized labor. The estimates are vital to the 
calculation of the Gross Domestic Product, the Federal Reserve Board's 
Index of Industrial Production and the Composite Index of Leading 
Economic Indicators among others.
    The earnings data provide a proxy measure of the cost of labor for 
the industry detail not available from the Bureau's Employment Cost 
Index program. The early availability of employment and hours data 
provide early signals of economic change.

II. Current Actions

    BLS has improved methods of collecting the CES. A portion of the 
CES sample is now collected (about 210,000 establishments) using two 
automated methods--Computer Assisted Telephone Interviewing (CATI) and 
Touchtone Data Entry (TDE). These methods have improved the timelines 
of data collection as well as reduced costs.
    Forms have been developed that make it easier for respondents to 
report data by facsimile transmission (``fax''). These forms lessen 
reporting burden on large multi-unit reporters by allowing them to 
report information for several of their establishments on one form each 
month.
    Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) is also used for some very large 
multi-unit reporters and research into the use of the World Web for 
data collection has begun.
    Type of Review: Revision.
    Agency: Bureau of Labor Statistics.
    Title: Report on Employment, Payroll, and Hours (BLS-790).
    OMB Number: 1220-0011.
    Affected Public: State or local governments; businesses or other 
for-profit; non-profit institutions; small businesses or organizations.

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                                                                                          Minutes               
                                                  Number of    Frequency      Annual    required to     Annual  
                      Form                       respondents  of response   responses     complete      burden  
                                                                                           report       hours   
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BLS 790 BM.....................................          400           12        4,800           15        1,200
BLS 790-G, G-S, J-FD...........................       36,400           12      436,800            5       36,400
BLS 790-CU.....................................        \1\ 0            1       45,000            2        1,500

[[Page 40459]]

                                                                                                                
BLS 790-Multi..................................   \2\ 30,000           12      360,000            7       42,000
All other BLS-790..............................  \3\ 325,000           12    3,900,000            7      455,000
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    Total......................................      391,800  ...........    4,746,600  ...........      536,100
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\1\ A subset of current reporters (45,000) receive this ``one-time'' supplemental form.                         
\2\ Assumes 3,000 multi-unit firms report by fax for approximately 30,000 establishments.                       
\3\ All other BLS-790 forms collect the same information and differ only by industry definitions.               


    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 29th day of July, 1996.
Peter T. Spolarich,
Chief, Division of Management Systems, Bureau of Labor Statistics.
[FR Doc. 96-19716 Filed 8-1-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510-24-M