[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 154 (Wednesday, August 11, 1999)] [Notices] [Pages 43733-43734] From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] [FR Doc No: 99-20621] ----------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF LABOR Bureau of Labor Statistics 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 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. DATES: Written comments must be submitted to the office listed in the Addresses section of this notice on or before October 12, 1999. 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, 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). FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Karin G. Kurz, BLS Clearance Officer. (See Addresses section.) SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: I. Proposed Collection Currently, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) is soliciting comments concerning the proposed reinstatement of the ``Displaced Workers, Job Tenure, and Occupational Mobility Supplement to the Current Population Survey (CPS).'' A copy of the proposed information collection request (ICR) can be obtained by contacting the individual [[Page 43734]] listed in the Addresses section of this notice. II. Background The February 2000 Displaced Workers, Job Tenure, and Occupational Mobility Supplement to the Current Population Survey (CPS) is sponsored by the Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (ETA). This supplement previously was conducted in conjunction with the February 1998 CPS and has been conducted biennially since 1984. Additional data on occupational mobility will be collected in the February 2000 supplement. The information will be used to determine the size and nature of the population affected by job displacements and, hence, the needs and scope of programs serving adult displaced workers. The information collected also will be used to assess employment stability by determining the length of time workers have been with their current employer and estimating the incidence of occupational change over the course of a year. In addition, data on job tenure for all workers are needed to calculate the incidence of displacement among various worker groups so that comparisons can be made over time and among different affected groups. Combining the questions on displacement, job tenure, and occupational mobility will enable analysts to obtain a more complete picture of employment stability. III. Current Actions The questions concerning displacement among workers will help define the size of the readjustment problem faced by individual workers and the economy including: (a) Workers who have lost their jobs or have received notice that they soon will lose their jobs due to a permanent plant closing; (b) laid-off workers who are unlikely to return to their previous industry or occupation; and (c) the long-term unemployed with little prospect of reemployment. Policy planning has to take into account the industries with the most severe displacement problem and the retraining needs of affected workers. This supplement also will provide data regarding: 1. The economic impact of job displacements. For those workers who have been reemployed, data will be collected to compare current earnings with those from the lost job. 2. Information on the receipt of unemployment compensation, the loss of health insurance coverage, and the time spent without a job. In combination, these supplemental data will provide the information needed to assess the economic hardship experienced by displaced workers. 3. The types of jobs that displaced workers have been able to find. This will assist in developing training programs that will provide other displaced workers with the skills necessary to adjust to the changing economic environment. 4. The extent to which displaced workers received advance notice of job cutbacks or the closing of their plant or business. The President, Congress, and private organizations have shown significant interest in this area. 5. The length of time workers (including those who have not been displaced) have been with their current employer. Tenure data are used to calculate displacement rates for long-tenured workers so that comparisons can be made over time and among different worker groups. Information on job tenure also is important because of the effect seniority has on wage levels, the receipt of employee benefits such as vacations and pensions, and other facets of the employment relationship. 6. The incidence and nature of occupational changes in the year prior to the survey. Such information is useful in assessing the training and educational needs of the workforce. Type of Review: Reinstatement with change of a previously approved collection for which approval has expired. Agency: Bureau of Labor Statistics. Title: Displaced Worker, Job Tenure, and Occupational Mobility Supplement to the Current Population Survey (CPS). OMB Number: 1220-0104. Affected public: Households. Total Respondents: 48,000. Frequency: One-time. Total Responses: 48,000. Average Time Per Response: 9 minutes. Estimated Total Burden Hours: 7,200 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, DC, this 5th day of August, 1999. W. Stuart Rust, Jr., Chief, Division of Management Systems, Bureau of Labor Statistics. [FR Doc. 99-20621 Filed 8-10-99; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4510-24-M