[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 71 (Thursday, April 12, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 18983-18984]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-9098]


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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 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 ``National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 
1997.'' A copy of the proposed information collection request (ICR) can 
be obtained by contacting the individual listed 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 June 11, 2001.

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

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Amy A. Hobby, BLS Clearance Officer, 
telephone number 202-691-7628. (See Addresses section.)

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

    The National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997 (NLSY97) includes a 
nationally representative sample of 8,984 young men and women who were 
born in the years 1980 through 1984. These respondents were ages 12-17 
when the first round of annual interviews began in 1997; the fourth 
round of annual interviews is being conducted from November 2000 to May 
2001. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) contracts with the National 
Opinion Research Center (NORC) of the University of Chicago to 
interview these youths on a yearly basis to study how young people make 
the transition from full-time schooling to the establishment of their 
families and careers. The longitudinal focus of this survey requires 
information to be collected from the same individuals over many years 
in order to trace their education, training, work experience, 
fertility, income, and program participation. The mission of the 
Department of Labor (DOL) is to promote the development of the U.S. 
labor force and the efficiency of the U.S. labor market. The BLS 
contributes to this mission by gathering information about the labor 
force and labor market and disseminating it to policy makers and the 
public so that participants in those markets can make more informed, 
and thus more efficient, choices. Research based on the NLSY97 
contributes to the formation of national policy in the areas of 
education, training, employment programs, and school-to-work 
transitions. In addition to the reports that the BLS produces based on 
data from the NLSY97,

[[Page 18984]]

members of the academic community publish articles and reports based on 
NLSY97 data for the DOL and other funding agencies. The survey design 
provides data gathered from the same respondents over time to form the 
only data set that contains this type of information for this important 
population group. Without the collection of these data, an accurate 
longitudinal data set could not be provided to researchers and policy 
makers, thus adversely affecting the DOL's ability to perform its 
policy and report-making activities.

I. Desired Focus of Comments

    The Bureau of Labor Statistics is particularly interested in 
comments that:
     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 Bureau of Labor Statistics seeks approval to conduct rounds 
five, six, and seven of annual interviews of the NLSY97. Respondents to 
the NLSY97 will undergo an interview of approximately one hour during 
which they will answer questions about schooling and labor market 
experiences, family relationships, and community background. For youths 
under age 18 who still live with their parents, one of the parents will 
be asked to complete a one-page questionnaire, called the Household 
Income Update, that collects information on the income in the previous 
calendar year of the respondent's parent and that parent's current 
spouse or partner. In addition, high school transcripts will be 
collected for NLSY97 respondents who no longer are attending high 
school and who provide written permission to contact their schools. The 
high schools will be asked to provide the youth's transcript, along 
with course descriptions and information about the school's grading 
scale. Finally, during the fielding period for the main youth 
interviews, about 900 respondents will be asked to participate in a 
brief second interview to ascertain whether the initial interview took 
place as the interviewer reported and to assess the data quality of 
selected questionnaire items.
    Type of Review: Revision of a currently approved collection.
    Agency: Bureau of Labor Statistics.
    Title: National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997.
    OMB Number: 1220-0157.
    Affected Public: Individuals or households and not-for-profit 
institutions (public and private high schools).

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                                                                                   Average time      Estimated
             Form                   Total          Frequency           Total       per response    total burden
                                 respondents                         responses       (minutes)        (hours)
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Transcript Request and School           4,441  Once                        4,441              30           2,221
 Information.
Youth Interview..............           8,436  Annually                    8,436              60           8,436
Youth Validation Reinterview.             900  Annually                      900               6              90
Household Income Update Form.           3,374  Annually                    3,374               4             225
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    Totals...................          16,251  .................          17,151  ..............         10,972
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The difference between the total number of respondents and the total number or responses reflects the fact that
  900 respondents will be interviewed twice, once in the main survey and a second time in the validation
  reinterview.

    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 April 2001.
W. Stuart Rust, Jr.,
Chief, Division of Management Systems, Bureau of Labor Statistics.
[FR Doc. 01-9098 Filed 4-11-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510-24-P