[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 33 (Thursday, February 19, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 8480-8481]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-4194]


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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 
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 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 addressee 
section of this notice.

DATES: Written comments must be submitted to the office listed in the 
addressee section below on or before April 20, 1998.
    The Bureau of Labor Statistics is particularly interested in 
comments which:
     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,

[[Page 8481]]

electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or 
other forms of information technology, e.g., permitting electronic 
submissions of responses.

ADDRESSES: Send comments to Kairn 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 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 employees covered by the Unemployment Compensation 
for Federal Employees program are also included. These data are 
submitted to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) by all 50 States, the 
District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands. 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 47 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 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 2000. The ES-202 series has broad economic 
significance in measuring labor trends and major industry developments, 
in time series analyses and industry comparisons, and in special 
studies such as analyses of establishments, employment, and wages by 
size of establishment.

II. Current Actions

    BLS is requesting a revision of the current Office of Management 
and Budget (OMB) approval of the Employment, Wages, and Contributions 
Report (ES-202 Program).
    Type of Review: Revision.
    Agency: Bureau of Labor Statistics.
    Title: Employment, Wages, and Contributions Report (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: 4,464 hours.
    Estimated Total Burden Hours: 846,400 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, D.C., this 12th day of February, 1998.
W. Stuart Rust, Jr.,
Chief, Division of Management Systems, Bureau of Labor Statistics.
[FR Doc. 98-4194 Filed 2-18-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510-24-M