[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 83 (Thursday, April 29, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 23538-23540]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-9701]


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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 28, 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 National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997 (NLSY97) is a 
nationally representative sample of persons who were born in the years 
1980 to 1984. These respondents were ages 12-17 when the first round of 
annual interviews began in 1997; the eighth round of annual interviews 
is being conducted from November 2004 to May 2005. The Bureau of Labor 
Statistics (BLS) contracts with the Center for Human Resource Research 
(CHRR) of the Ohio State University to implement the NLSY97 survey. The 
National Opinion Research Center (NORC) of the University of Chicago is 
responsible for interviewing 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. One of the goals of the Department of Labor (DOL) is to 
produce and disseminate timely, accurate, and relevant information 
about the U.S. labor force. The BLS contributes to this goal 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, 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 policymakers, thus 
adversely affecting the DOL's ability to perform its policy- and 
report-making activities.

II. 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 
eight, nine, and ten 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.
    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     Estimated
                                          Total                               Total       time per      total
                 Form                  respondents        Frequency         responses     response      burden
                                                                                         (minutes)     (hours)
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Youth Interview......................        7,900  Annually.............        7,900           60        7,900
Youth Validation Reinterview.........          900  Annually.............          900            6           90
                                      -------------                       -------------             ------------
      Totals.........................        7,900                               8,800  ...........       7,990
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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.


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    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 15th day of April, 2004.
Cathy Kazanowski,
Chief, Division of Management Systems, Bureau of Labor Statistics.
[FR Doc. 04-9701 Filed 4-28-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510-24-P