[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 218 (Wednesday, November 12, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 64128-64129]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-28298]


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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 preclearance 
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 reinstatement of the Work Schedules Supplement to the Current 
Population Survey (CPS), to be conducted in May 2004. 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 of this notice on or before January 12, 2004.

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 CPS has been the principal source of the official Government 
statistics on employment and unemployed for over 50 years. Collection 
of labor force data through the CPS is necessary to meet the 
requirements in title 29, United States Code, sections 1 and 2. Over 
the past several decades, the economy of the United States has been 
undergoing a fundamental restructuring. Advances in computer and 
communications technology have increasingly enabled some workers to 
perform part or all of their work at home. The growth of this 
phenomenon represents an important development in this country's labor 
markets. This supplement will provide a substantial and objective set 
of data about work at home and work in home-based businesses. It will 
provide valuable information on the work schedules of employed persons, 
that is, the beginning and ending times of work, type of shift worked, 
and calendar days worked. It also will provide information about 
employed persons who do work at home. Work schedule supplements have 
been conducted since the 1970s. Questions on home-based work were 
included in May 1985, May 1991, May 1997, and May 2001. A key purpose 
of the May 2004 supplement is to gather updated information on these 
topics. The May 2004 supplement will provide information that will help 
researchers gauge the extent to which the number of persons who work at 
home is expanding and will provide additional detail on the nature of 
this work activity. More generally, the May 2004 supplement will be 
used by BLS researchers and others to examine the changes in work 
schedules and work at home that are taking place over time.

II. Desired Focus of Comments

    The Bureau of Labor Statistics is particularly interested in 
comments which:
    [sbull] 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;
    [sbull] 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;
    [sbull] Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the 
information to be collected; and
    [sbull] 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

    OMB clearance is being sought for the Work Schedules Supplement to 
the CPS.
    Type of Review: Reinstatement, with change, of a previously 
approved collection for which approval has expired.
    Agency: Bureau of Labor Statistics.
    Title: Work Schedules Supplement to the CPS:
    OMB Number: 1220-0119.
    Affected Public: Households.
    Total Respondents: 58,000.
    Frequency: Occasional.
    Total Responses: 58,000.
    Average Time Per Response: 4.5 Minutes.

[[Page 64129]]

    Estimated Total Burden Hours: 4,3250 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.

    Signed at Washington, DC, this 3rd day of November, 2003.
Cathy Kazanowski,
Chief, Division of Management Systems, Bureau of Labor Statistics.
[FR Doc. 03-28298 Filed 11-10-03; 8:45 am]
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