[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 84 (Friday, April 30, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 23820-23821]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-9807]


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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 June 29, 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 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 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 policymaking agencies 
of the Executive branch, rely on data collected in the CPI in their 
day-to-day activities. Hence, data users and policymakers 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

[[Page 23821]]

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 CUs 
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:
     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 BLS and the Census Bureau have completed a sample redesign 
based on the 2000 Census to be implemented for the Quarterly Interview 
in November, 2004 and for the Diary in January, 2005. While the new 
sample is introduced for the Quarterly Interview, there will be some 
overlap of old and new samples in some primary sampling units (PSUs) or 
areas in which CE data are collected.
    The BLS also is introducing a new Diary in which respondents report 
their daily expenditures. The BLS has reduced the number of ``parts'' 
of the Diary from five to four, eliminating ``Food and Drinks as 
Gifts'' as a separate part. In the remaining parts, the subgroups have 
either decreased or been eliminated, making it easier for the 
respondent to record their purchases. In the ``Food and Drinks Away 
From Home'' part, there are check boxes that help the respondent report 
the type of information the BLS needs. There also are fold-outs that 
have helpful tips for reporting information and a pocket for receipts 
to aid in remembering expenditures. These changes will facilitate the 
task of filling out the Diary for the respondent.
    Because of the implementation of Computer Assisted Personal 
Interview (CAPI) for the Quarterly Interview, the estimate of the time 
it takes to complete an interview has changed. Based on timing data 
maintained within the instrument, the BLS has determined the average 
interview time to be 70 minutes, down from an estimated 90 minutes. The 
BLS only recently implemented CAPI for the Diary Household 
Characteristics Survey and is unable to calculate the average at this 
time. The BLS is expecting a decrease in the average time for Diary 
interviews for the next clearance.
    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     (in hours)
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CE Quarterly Interview CAPI               11,024               4          44,096              70          51,445
 Instrument.....................
Quarterly Interview Reinterview            3,528               1           3,528              15             882
 CPI instrument.................
CE Diary: Household                        7,676               3          23,028              25           9,595
 Questionnaire CAPI instrument..
CE Diary: CE-801, Record of Your           7,676               2          15,352             105          26,866
 Daily Expenses.................
CE Diary Reinterview CAPI                    921               1             921              15             230
 instrument.....................
                                 -----------------
    Totals......................          18,700  ..............          86,925  ..............         89,018
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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. Also, for the Diary, the ``Record of Your Daily
  Expenses'' respondents are the same as the ``Household Questionnaire'' respondents.

    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 21st day of April, 2004.
Cathy Kazanowski,
Chief, Division of Management Systems, Bureau of Labor Statistics.
[FR Doc. 04-9807 Filed 4-29-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510-24-P