[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 65 (Monday, April 5, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 17640-17641]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-7549]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Census Bureau


Annual Survey of Manufactures

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 June 4, 2004.

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:

[[Page 17641]]

I. Abstract

    The Census Bureau has conducted the Annual Survey of Manufactures 
(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 5-digit and selected 6-digit 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.
    This ASM clearance request will be for the years 2004 to 2006. 
There will be no changes to the information requested from respondents.

II. Method of Collection

    The ASM statistics are based on a survey that includes both a mail 
and a nonmail components. Previously, the mail portion of the survey 
was comprised of a probability sample of approximately 55,000 
manufacturing establishments from a frame of approximately 225,000 
establishments. These 225,000 establishments were all manufacturing 
establishments of multiunit companies (companies with operations at 
more than one location) and all single-location manufacturing companies 
that were mailed in the 1997 Census of Manufacturing. The nonmail 
component was comprised of the remaining small single-location 
companies; approximately 155,000 companies. No data has been collected 
from companies in the nonmail component. Rather, data has been directly 
obtained from the administrative records of the Internal Revenue 
Service (IRS), the Social Security Administration (SSA), and the Bureau 
of Labor Statistics (BLS). Although the nonmail companies account for 
over half of the population, they have accounted for less than 2 
percent of the manufacturing output.
    For the 2004-06 cycles of the ASM, we are researching options to 
expand the use of administrative record data and reduce the reporting 
burden on medium size single location companies by significantly 
expanding the scope of the nonmail component. This spring, we will be 
developing comparisons between administrative record data and the 
reported data in the 2002 Economic Census Covering the Manufacturing 
Sector. Based on these comparisons, we hope to expand the nonmail 
component to include approximately 200,000 single-unit companies. 
Currently, we are developing criteria to assist in this determination.
    For the 2004-06 ASM's, we will continue to have a mail component of 
approximately 55,000 establishments from a significantly smaller sample 
frame. This will allow us to improve the overall quality of the survey 
estimates and allow us to better direct the sample towards specific 
tabulation cells that are difficult to estimate due to their size. The 
relative importance of the nonmail will increase; however, we do not 
expect the nonmail component to account for more than 10 percent of the 
survey estimates.

III. Data

    OMB 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.
    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 30, 2004.
Madeleine Clayton,
Management Analyst, Office of the Chief Information Officer.
[FR Doc. 04-7549 Filed 4-2-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-07-P