[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 98 (Tuesday, May 21, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 35836-35837]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-12695]


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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. 
Currently, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) is soliciting comments 
concerning the proposed revision of "The Consumer Expenditure 
Surveys: The Quarterly Interview and the Diary." A copy of the 
proposed information collection request (ICR) can be obtained by 
contacting the individual 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 July 22, 2002.

ADDRESSES: Send comments to Amy A. Hobby, BLS Clearance Officer, 
Division of Management Systems, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Room 4080, 
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 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 to obtain data 
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

[[Page 35837]]

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 policy making agencies of the 
Executive branch, rely on data collected in the CPI in their day-to-day 
activities. Hence, data users and policy makers widely accept the need 
to improve the process used for revising the CPI. 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 are either 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 recordkeeping) 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 that:
    ï¿½ 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;
    ï¿½ 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;
    ï¿½ Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the 
information to be collected; and
    ï¿½ 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 BLS and the Census Bureau have converted the paper and pencil 
CE Quarterly Interview Survey to a computer assisted personal interview 
(CAPI) instrument. The CE Quarterly Interview CAPI instrument will be 
implemented in April, 2003.
    Minor wording changes were made in the CAPI version of the 
questionnaire to streamline the reading of questions with automatic 
"fills" of pronouns or previously reported data.
    The race and ethnicity questions have been modified in both the 
Quarterly Interview and the Diary in accordance with the Office of 
Management and Budget's (OMB) 1997 published "Standards for 
Maintaining, Collecting, and Presenting Federal Data on Race and 
Ethnicity". The placement and exact wording of these questions 
were based on consultations with the interagency group formed to study 
the implementation of these standards, in an effort to maintain 
comparability with other household surveys collecting this information.
    The response category "unmarried partner" was added to 
the question defining each household member's relationship to the 
reference person. Previously, this response was a "write-
in" under "other" on the questionnaire. If this 
category is selected, the person is automatically included in the 
reference person's consumer unit without asking the subsequent 
financial responsibility questions.
    The wording of the question concerning receipt of cash assistance/
welfare was reworded in the Quarterly Interview Survey to ensure 
respondents correctly include all benefits received from state and 
local government agencies.
    Type of Review: Revision of a currently approved collection.
    Agency: Bureau of Labor Statistics.
    Title: The Consumer Expenditure Surveys: The Quarterly Interview 
and the Diary.
    OMB Number: 1220-0050.

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                                                                                                                                             Estimated
                                  Form                                         Total         Frequency         Total       Average Time    Total Burden
                                                                            Respondents                      Responses     per Response       (hours)
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CE Quarterly Interview CAPI Instrument..................................           9,629               4          38,516              90          57,774
Quarterly Interview Reinterview.........................................           2,118               1           2,118              15             530
CE Diary: CE-802 Household Questionnaire..........................           7,745               3          23,235              25           9,681
CE Diary: CE-801, Record of Your Daily Expenses...................           7,745               2          15,490             105          27,108
CE Diary Reinterview CE-880 CE-880(N).......................           1,293               1           1,293              12             259
                                                                         -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Totals..............................................................          17,374  ..............          80,652  ..............         95,352
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Please note: Reinterview respondents are a subset of the original number of respondents for each survey. Therefore, they are not counted again in the
  totals.

    Affected Public: Individuals or households.
    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 8th day of May, 2002.
Jesus Salinas,
Acting Chief, Division of Management Systems, Bureau of Labor 
Statistics.
[FR Doc. 02-12695 Filed 5-20-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510-24-P