[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 101 (Tuesday, May 25, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 29689-29690]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-11763]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Bureau of the Census

[Docket Number 040510146-4146-01]


Annual Survey of Manufacturers

AGENCY: Bureau of the Census, Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of consideration and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The Bureau of the Census (Census Bureau) plans to reduce the 
number of individual 6-digit North American Industry Classification 
System (NAICS) industries for which the Annual Survey of Manufacturers 
(ASM) estimates are published. We will continue to publish estimates 
for all manufacturing industries at higher levels of industry 
aggregation. By doing this, we hope to improve the timeliness of the 
estimates we produce as well as enhance the reliability and relevance 
of variables we collect.
    We are replacing the current 473 6-digit NAICS industries with a 
new list of 318 ASM industries, which will include selected 6-digit 
NAICS industries and other industries defined as groups of the 6-digit 
NAICS industries. Six-digit industries are the most detailed defined by 
the NAICS. The lists of present and proposed industries along with the 
concordance are available on our Web site at http://www.census.gov/mcd/asmchange/.

DATES: Written comments on this notice must be submitted on or before 
June 24, 2004.

ADDRESSES: Direct all written comments to the Director, U.S. Census 
Bureau, Room 2049, Federal Building 3, Washington, DC 20233.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Judy M. Dodds, Assistant Division 
Chief, Census and Related Programs, Manufacturing and Construction 
Division, on (301) 763-4587 or by e-mail at [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Census Bureau is authorized to conduct 
surveys necessary to furnish current data on subjects covered by the 
major censuses authorized by title 13, United States Code (U.S.C.), 
sections 182, 224, and 225. Reporting by ASM establishments will 
continue to be mandatory and provide continuing and timely national 
statistical data on the manufacturing sector. Data collected in this 
survey will be within the general scope, type, and character of those 
inquiries covered in the Economic Census.
    The ASM collects industry statistics, such as total value of 
shipments, employment, payroll, workers' hours, capital expenditures, 
cost of materials consumed, supplemental labor costs, and so forth. 
This survey, conducted on a sample basis, covers all manufacturing 
industries, including data on plants under construction, but not yet in 
operation.

[[Page 29690]]

    Beginning with the survey year 2003, the Census Bureau plans to 
reduce the number of detailed industries for which the ASM estimates 
are published. Reducing the level of detail for which characteristics 
are estimated will allow the Census Bureau to focus resources on 
improving other aspects of the ASM program. We believe that this 
reduction in ASM detail will not have a substantial adverse impact upon 
the public. While some industry detail will be lost for ASM, similar 
data for some of the variables are available from other sources, such 
as County Business Patterns or programs of the Bureau of Labor 
Statistics. The ASM is conducted as a mail-out/mail-back survey. No 
changes in the collection of information are planned as a result of 
this proposal.
    Published estimates from the ASM are used by a variety of private 
business and trade associations. They provide various governmental 
agencies with a tool to evaluate economic policy and to measure 
progress toward established goals. For example, Bureau of Economic 
Analysis staff use data to develop nonresidential fixed investment 
components of gross private domestic investment in the gross domestic 
product. The Federal Reserve Board uses the data to estimate indexes of 
production, which are presented to the Board of Governors and have an 
impact on monetary policy.

Paperwork Reduction Act

    Notwithstanding any other provision of law, no person is required 
to respond to, nor shall a person be subject to a penalty for failure 
to comply with, a collection of information subject to requirements of 
the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA), unless that collection of 
information displays a current valid Office of Management and Budget 
(OMB) control number. In accordance with the PRA, 44 U.S.C. chapter 35, 
the OMB approved the current ASM under OMB Control Number 0607-0449. 
The total burden hours associated with OMB Control Number 0607-0449 are 
187,000 hours. We will provide copies of each form upon written request 
to the Director, U.S. Census Bureau, Washington, DC 20233-0001.

    Dated: May 19, 2004.
Charles Louis Kincannon,
Director, Bureau of the Census.
[FR Doc. 04-11763 Filed 5-24-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-07-P