[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 48 (Friday, March 10, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 13016-13017]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-5843]


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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Employment and Training Administration


Proposed Collection; Comment Request

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL), as part of its 
continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, conducts a 
preclearance

[[Page 13017]]

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 Employment and Training Administration (ETA), Office of 
Workforce Security (OWS), is soliciting comments concerning a proposed 
new collection of survey data necessary to perform a benefit-cost 
analysis of the self-employment assistance (SEA) program.
    A copy of the proposed information collection request (ICR) can be 
obtained by contacting the office listed below in the addresses section 
of this notice.

DATES: Written comments must be submitted to the office listed in the 
addresses section below on or before May 9, 2000.

ADDRESSES: Wayne Gordon, USDOL, 200 Constitution Avenue, N.W., Room S-
4231, Washington, DC 20210, Phone: (202) 208-5915 x200 (this is not a 
toll-free number), fax: (202) 219-8506 (this is not a toll-free 
number), e-mail: [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Wayne Gordon, USDOL, 200 Constitution 
Avenue, N.W., Room S-4231, Washington, DC 20210, Phone: (202) 208-5915 
x200 (this is not a toll-free number), fax: (202) 219-8506 (this is not 
a toll-free number), e-mail: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background:

    As part of its mandate under Section 906 of the Social Security Act 
to establish a continuing and comprehensive program of research to 
evaluate the unemployment compensation system, the USDOL, ETA, OWS, is 
conducting a study of benefits and costs of Unemployment Insurance (UI) 
SEA programs that are currently operating in a small number of States. 
This requires conducting a telephone survey to gather information 
regarding the programs' impacts on society, employers, participants, 
nonparticipants and the government sectors. As a complement to the 
benefit-cost analysis, DOL wishes to assemble an inventory of knowledge 
of current SEA programs to assist States wishing to implement a SEA 
program.
    The study is following through on recommendations included in a 
report to Congress on implementation of the prior Unemployment 
Insurance (UI) Self-Employment Assistance Demonstration. That report, 
which recommended that the program be made permanent, identified a need 
for follow up on program participants and the desirability of benefit-
cost analysis.
    In accomplishing this overall purpose, the study will do the 
following: (1) Determine the net benefits of SEA programs; (2) obtain 
the necessary SESA and SEA participant cost information associated with 
these programs; (3) perform an analysis of program-to-program variation 
in service provision and other program variables; (4) develop a 
complete demographic profile of current SEA participants and identify 
the impacts of this relatively new reemployment strategy on labor 
market outcomes for these participants with regard to their total 
employment in wage and salary and self-employment (weeks worked), total 
earnings, and any subsequent claims for unemployment benefits; and (5) 
inventory the different administrative configurations and service 
packages offered within the participating States to provide information 
to other participating States on cost-effective strategies and to 
assist States wishing to implement a SEA program.

II. Current Actions

    To examine these issues, ETA is planning to collect survey data 
from random samples of present and past SEA participants in three 
designated States. The survey will collect data unavailable from 
administrative records. These data include detailed information on 
background characteristics of sample members, including characteristics 
of their pre-layoff jobs; information on their employment and earnings 
and job characteristics following receipt of UI; and information on 
their participation in any reemployment services, more specifically, 
the SEA program.
    The Department of Labor 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.
    Type of Review: New.
    Agency: U.S. DOL, ETA, Office of Workforce Security.
    Title: Benefit-cost Analysis of the Self-Employment Assistance 
program.
    Agency Number: 1205.
    Affected Public: Present and past participants in (SEA) programs in 
Maine, New York and New Jersey.

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                                                                                   Average time
        Cite/reference               Total          Frequency          Total       per response   Burden (hours)
                                  respondents                        responses       (minutes)
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Participant survey............            1200  One time........            1200              10             200
        Totals................                    ..............            1200                             200
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    Total Burden Cost: $35,000.00.
    Comments submitted in response to this comment request will be 
summarized and/or included in the request for Office of Management and 
Budget approval of the information collection request; they will also 
become a matter of public record.

    Dated: March 6, 2000.
Grace A. Kilbane,
Administrator, Office of Workforce Security.
[FR Doc. 00-5843 Filed 3-9-00; 8:45 am]
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