[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 49 (Thursday, March 13, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 12034-12035]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-5965]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Census Bureau


Annual Survey of Manufacturers

ACTION: Proposed collection; comment request.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Commerce, as part of its continuing effort 
to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general public 
and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on 
proposed and/or continuing information collections, as required by the 
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Public Law 104-13 (44 U.S.C. 
3506(c)(2)(A)).

DATES: Written comments must be submitted on or before May 12, 2003.

ADDRESSES: Direct all written comments to Diana Hynek, Departmental 
Paperwork Clearance Officer, Department of Commerce, Room 6625, 14th 
and Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20230 (or via the Internet 
at [email protected]).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information or 
copies of the information collection instrument(s) and instructions 
should be directed to Mendel D. Gayle, Census Bureau, Room 2108, 
Building 4, Washington, DC 20233, (301) 763-4769 or via the Internet at 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION

I. Abstract

    The Census Bureau has conducted the Annual Survey of Manufacturers 
(ASM) since 1949 to provide key measures of manufacturing activity 
during intercensal periods. In census years ending in ``2'' and ``7'', 
we mail and collect the ASM as part of the Economic Census covering the 
Manufacturing Sector. This survey is an integral part of the 
Government's statistical program. The ASM furnishes up-to-date 
estimates of employment and payrolls, hours and wages of production 
workers, value added by manufacture, cost of materials, value of 
shipments by product class, inventories, and expenditures for both 
plant and equipment and structures. The survey provides data for most 
of these items for each of the 473 industries as defined in the North 
American Industry Classification System (NAICS). It also provides 
geographic data by state at a more aggregated industry level.
    The survey also provides valuable information to private companies, 
research organizations, and trade associations. Industry makes 
extensive use of the annual figures on product class shipments at the 
U.S. level in its market analysis, product planning, and investment 
planning. The ASM data are used to benchmark and reconcile monthly and 
quarterly data on manufacturing production and inventories.

II. Method of Collection

    The ASM statistics are based on a survey which includes two 
components, mail and nonmail. The mail portion of the survey is a 
probability sample of about 55,000 manufacturing establishments 
selected from a total of about 225,000 establishments. These 225,000 
establishments represent all manufacturing establishments of multiunit 
companies (companies that operate at more than one physical location) 
and all single-establishment manufacturing companies that were mailed 
forms in the 1997 Economic Census.
    The nonmail portion of the survey is defined as all single-
establishment manufacturing companies that we tabulated as 
administrative records in the 1997 Economic Census. Although this 
portion includes approximately 155,000 establishments, it accounted for 
less than 2 percent of the estimate for total value of shipments at the 
total manufacturing level for 1997. No data are collected from this 
portion of the population, instead data are estimated based on selected 
information obtained annually from the administrative records of the 
Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and the Social Security Administrative 
(SSA). This administrative information, which includes payroll, total 
employment, industry classification, and physical location, is obtained 
under conditions which safeguard the confidentiality of both tax and 
census records.

III. Data

    MB Number: 0607-0449.
    Form Number: MA-10000(L), MA-10000(S).
    Type of Review: Regular review.
    Affected Public: Businesses or other for profit, non-profit 
Institutions, small businesses or organizations, and State or Local 
Governments.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 55,000.
    Estimated Time Per Response: 3.4 hours.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 187,000.
    Estimated Total Annual Cost: The estimated cost to the respondents 
is $4,885,410.
    Respondent's Obligation: Mandatory.

[[Page 12035]]

    Legal Authority: Title 13, United States Code, sections 182, 224, 
and 225.

IV. Request for Comments

    Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed collection of 
information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of 
the agency, including whether the information shall have practical 
utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden 
(including hours and cost) of the proposed collection of information; 
(c) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the 
information to be collected; and (d) ways to minimize the burden of the 
collection of information on respondents, including through the use of 
automated collection techniques or other forms of information 
technology.
    Comments submitted in response to this notice will be summarized 
and/or included in the request for OMB approval of this information 
collection; they also will become a matter of public record.

    Dated: March 7, 2003.
Madeleine Clayton,
Management Analyst, Office of the Chief Information Officer.
[FR Doc. 03-5965 Filed 3-12-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-07-P