[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 239 (Wednesday, December 11, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 65240-65243]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-31474]


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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

[[Page 65241]]

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 assessed properly. Currently, the Bureau of Labor Statistics 
(BLS) is soliciting comments concerning the proposed new collection of 
``COMP2000.'' A copy of the proposed information collection request 
(ICR) can be obtained by contacting the individual listed below in the 
addressee section of this notices.

DATES: Written comments must be submitted to the office listed in the 
addressee section below on or before February 10, 1997. 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 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 COMP2000 survey, when fully in place, will allow the 
statistical series now generated by three separate BLS compensation 
programs to be jointly produced. These programs are the Occupational 
Compensation Survey Program (OCSP), Employment Cost Index (ECI), and 
Employee Benefits Survey (EBS). Data of these types are critical for 
setting Federal white-collar salaries, determining monetary policy (as 
a Principal Economic Indicator), and providing data for compensation 
administrators and researchers in the private sector. By uniting the 
collection of these surveys, BLS intends to decrease the cost of 
gathering and processing these statistics, improve the quality of the 
data, and reduce the burden on respondents.

II. Current Actions

    The transition to a jointly collected and processed survey began in 
October of 1996 with the replacement of the current OCSP wage levels 
data with those from the COMP2000 program. BLS began collecting a new, 
area-based sample to collect wage levels. A new way of identifying and 
classifying occupations in establishments was also implemented. Area 
and national bulletins replacing the OCSP publications will be produced 
beginning in 1997.
    Beginning in 1998, the COMP 2000 survey will include the collection 
of benefits. This collection will include information on the cost, 
provisions, and availability of the major types of employee benefits. 
This information will be integrated with the wage information to 
tabulate the total employer cost of compensation.
    Data will be updated on either an annual or quarterly basis. The 
updates will allow for production of data on change in earnings and 
total compensation over time.
    Type of Review: New collection.
    Agency: Bureau of Labor Statistics.
    Title: COMP2000.

[[Page 65242]]



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                                                                                                                            Average time                                                        
                   Form                         Total                         Frequency                         Total       per response                 Total burden hours (est.)              
                                             respondents                                                      responses       (minutes)                                                         
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Government Establishment Form............           4,677  Annual or Quarterly...........................           6,393               9  1,029                                                
Government Generic Level Form #1.........           4,677  Annual or Quarterly...........................           6,393               9  1,029                                                
Government Generic Level Form #2.........           4,677  Annual or Quarterly...........................           6,393               9  1,029                                                
Government Wage Form.....................           4,677  Annual or Quarterly...........................           6,393               9  1,029                                                
Government Work Schedule Form............           4,677  Annual or Quarterly...........................           6,393               9  1,029                                                
Government Benefits Collection Form (FYs            1,715  Annual or Quarterly...........................           4,193              49  2287 (3,430 avg. per year used)                      
 98 and 99 only).                                                                                                                                                                               
Private Establishment Form...............          21,823  Annual or Quarterly...........................          32,497               9  4,801                                                
Private Generic Level Form #1............          21,823  Annual or Quarterly...........................          32,497               9  4,801                                                
Private Establishment Generic Level Form           21,823  Annual or Quarterly...........................          32,497               9  4,801                                                
 #2.                                                                                                                                                                                            
Private Establishment Wage Form..........          21,823  Annual or Quarterly...........................          32,497               9  4,801                                                
Private Establishment Work Schedule Form.          21,823  Annual or Quarterly...........................          32,497               9  4,801                                                
Private Establishment Benefits Collection           8,005  Annual or Quarterly...........................          19,567              49  10,673 (16,009 Avg. per year used)                   
 Form (FYs 98 and 99 only).                                                                                                                                                                     
Government Benefit Tests Form (FY 97                  133  Annual........................................             133             262  194 (583 Avg. per year used)                         
 only).                                                                                                                                                                                         
Private Establishment Benefit Tests Form              623  Annual........................................             623             262  906 (2,718 Avg. per year used)                       
 (FY 97 only).                                                                                                                                                                                  
Employment Cost Index Collection Form                 158  Annual........................................             158             220  518 (777 Avg. per year used)                         
 (FYs 97 and 98 only).                                                                                                                                                                          
Employment Cost Index Update Form........           5,614  Quarterly.....................................          22,456              30  11,228                                               
Employment Cost Index Quality Assurance                 8  Annual........................................               8              15  2 (3 Avg. per year used)                             
 Form (FYs 97 and 98 only).                                                                                                                                                                     
Collection done solely on Computer.......          16,545  Annual........................................          16,545              25  7,261                                                
    Total................................          32,578  ..............................................          82,293  ..............  62,221                                               
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Note: All figures are based on a three-year average. The total respondents and total responses columns do not equal the totals, because most respondents are asked to give data that will be    
  used on several forms.                                                                                                                                                                        


[[Page 65243]]

    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, D.C., this 5th day of December, 1996.
W. Stuart Rust, Jr.,
Acting Chief, Division of Management Systems, Bureau of Labor 
Statistics.
[FR Doc. 96-31474 Filed 12-10-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510-24-M