[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 69 (Monday, April 10, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 19022-19023]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-8776]


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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. The Bureau of Labor Statistics 
(BLS) is soliciting comments concerning the proposed revision of the 
Consumer Expenditure Surveys (CES). A copy of the proposed information 
collection request (ICR) can be obtained by contacting the individual 
listed in the Addresses section of this notice.

[[Page 19023]]


DATES:  Written comments must be submitted to the office listed in the 
Addresses section of this notice on or before June 9, 2000.

ADDRESSES:  Send comments to Sytrina D. Toon, BLS Clearance Officer, 
Division of Management Systems, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Room 3255, 
2 Massachusetts Avenue, N.E., Washington, DC 20212, telephone number 
202-691-7628 (this is not a toll free number).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:  Sytrina D. Toon, BLS Clearance 
Officer, telephone number 202-691-7628. (See Addresses section.)

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:  

I. Background

    The Consumer Expenditure (CE) Surveys collect data on consumer 
expenditures, demographic information, and related data needed by the 
Consumer Price Index (CPI) and other public and private data users. The 
continuing surveys provide a constant measurement of changes in 
consumer expenditure patterns for economic analysis and for future CPI 
revisions. The CE Surveys have been ongoing since 1979.
    The data from the CE Surveys are used (1) for CPI revisions; (2) to 
provide a continuous flow of data on income and expenditure patterns 
for use in economic analysis and policy formulation; and (3) to provide 
a flexible consumer survey vehicle that is available for use by other 
Federal Government agencies. Public and private users of price 
statistics, including Congress and the economic policymaking agencies 
of the Executive Branch, rely on data collected in the CPI in their 
day-to-day activities. If the CE Surveys were not conducted on a 
continuing basis, current information necessary for more timely as well 
as more accurate updating of the CPI would not be available. In 
addition, data would not be available to respond to the continuing 
demand--from the public and private sectors--for current information on 
consumer spending.
    In the Quarterly Interview Survey, each consumer unit (CU) in the 
sample is interviewed every three months over five calendar quarters. 
The sample for each quarter is divided into three panels, with CU's 
being interviewed every three months in the same panel of every 
quarter. The Quarterly Interview Survey is designed to collect data on 
the types of expenditures that respondents can be expected to recall 
for a period of three months or longer. In general the expenses 
reported in the Interview Survey either are relatively large, such as 
property, automobiles, or major appliances, or are expenses which occur 
on a fairly regular basis, such as rent, utility bills or insurance 
premiums.
    The Diary (or record keeping) Survey is completed at home by the 
respondent family for two consecutive one-week periods. The primary 
objective of the Diary Survey is to obtain expenditure data on small, 
frequently purchased items which normally are difficult to recall over 
longer periods of time.

II. Desired Focus of Comments

    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.

III. Current Action

    The Quarterly Interview Survey is being updated for implementation 
in April of 2001. The changes made to the forms fall into three 
categories: (1) Expenditures of new items in the marketplace were added 
for use in the Consumer Price Index and in CE publications. These 
include such items as DSL and ISDN services and shopping warehouse 
clubs. (2) Similar questions were consolidated to make the survey 
easier and more organized for the respondent. (3) Bracketed categories 
of responses were added to the income sections to decrease non-response 
through decreasing respondent burden.
    The Consumer Expenditure Surveys continuously make efforts to 
reduce respondent burden per case by streamlining the questionnaire. 
Efforts were made in this forms redesign, as follows:
     In several areas field representative instructions were 
added to make the forms easier to understand for the field 
representative and the respondent.
     The questionnaire flow was improved by moving similar 
questions into concise and consolidated sections.
     Wording was changed to use more current terminology.
    Once the forms have been in the field the BLS will perform timing 
tests to determine what impact these changes have had on burden. The 
Consumer Expenditure Surveys continue to investigate ways to reduce 
respondent burden, and have plans implement further changes aimed at 
reducing respondent burden when computer assisted personal interviewing 
is implemented in 2003.
    Type of Review: Revision.
    Agency: Bureau of Labor Statistics.
    Title: Consumer Expenditure Surveys.
    OMB Number: 1220-0050.
    Affected Public: Individuals or households.
    Total Respondents: 18,216.
    Frequency: Quarterly Interview Survey respondents are interviewed 
quarterly for five consecutive quarters (four time in any one year). 
Diary Survey respondents complete two consecutive weekly reports.
    Total Responses: 68,194.
    Average Time Per Response: 87.83 minutes.
    Estimated Total Burden Hours: 99,820 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.

    Dated: Signed at Washington, D.C., this 4th day of April 2000.
W. Stuart Rust, Jr.,
Chief, Division of Management Systems, Bureau of Labor Statistics.
[FR Doc. 00-8776 Filed 4-7-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510-24-M