[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 94 (Tuesday, May 16, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Page 28300]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-7419]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE


Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

    DOC has submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for 
clearance the following proposal for collection of information under 
the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. chapter 35).
    Agency: U.S. Census Bureau.
    Title: 2007 Economic Census Covering the Retail Trade and 
Accommodation and Food Services Sectors.
    Form Number(s): Too numerous to list here.
    Agency Approval Number: None.
    Type of Request: New collection.
    Burden: 1,165,100 hours.
    Number of Respondents: 1,418,690.
    Avg Hours Per Response: 48 minutes.
    Needs and Uses: The 2007 Economic Census Covering the Retail Trade 
and Accommodation and Food Services Sectors will use a mail canvass, 
supplemented by data from Federal administrative records, to measure 
the economic activity of more than 1.7 million establishments 
classified in the North American Industry Classification System 
(NAICS). The retail trade sector comprises establishments primarily 
engaged in selling merchandise, generally without transformation, and 
rendering services incidental to the sale of merchandise. The 
accommodation and food services sector comprises establishments 
providing customers with lodging and/or preparing meals, snacks, and 
beverages for immediate consumption. The information collected will 
produce basic statistics by kind of business on number of 
establishments, sales, payroll, and employment. It will also yield a 
variety of subject statistics, including sales by product line, sales 
by class of customer, and other industry-specific measures, such as 
number of prescriptions filled by drug stores and number of guestrooms 
provided by hotels. Basic statistics will be summarized for the United 
States, states, metropolitan areas, counties, places, and ZIP code 
areas. Tabulations of subject statistics also will present data for the 
United States and, in some cases, for states.
    The economic census is the primary source of facts about the 
structure and functioning of the Nation's economy and features unique 
industry and geographic detail. Economic census statistics serve as 
part of the framework for the national accounts and provide essential 
information for government, business, and the general public. The 
Federal Government uses information from the economic census as an 
important part of the framework for the national income and product 
accounts, input-output tables, economic indexes, and other composite 
measures that serve as the factual basis for economic policy-making, 
planning, and program administration. Further, the census provides 
sampling frames and benchmarks for current surveys of business which 
track short-term economic trends, serve as economic indicators, and 
contribute critical source data for current estimates of gross domestic 
product. State and local governments rely on the economic census as a 
unique source of comprehensive economic statistics for small geographic 
areas for use in policy-making, planning, and program administration. 
Finally, industry, business, academe, and the general public use 
information from the economic census for evaluating markets, preparing 
business plans, making business decisions, developing economic models 
and forecasts, conducting economic research, and establishing 
benchmarks for their own sample surveys.
    If the economic census was not conducted, the Federal Government 
would lose vital source data and benchmarks for the national accounts, 
input-output tables, and other composite measures of economic activity, 
causing a substantial degradation in the quality of these important 
statistics. Further, the government would lose critical benchmarks for 
current sample-based economic surveys and an essential source of 
detailed, comprehensive economic information for use in policy-making, 
planning, and program administration.
    Affected Public: Business or other for-profit; Individuals or 
households; Not-for-profit institutions; State, local or Tribal 
governments.
    Frequency: One-time.
    Respondent's Obligation: Mandatory.
    Legal Authority: Title 13 U.S.C. Sections 131 and 224.
    OMB Desk Officer: Susan Schechter, (202) 395-5103.
    Copies of the above information collection proposal can be obtained 
by calling or writing Diana Hynek, Departmental Paperwork Clearance 
Officer, (202) 482-0266, Department of Commerce, Room 6625, 14th and 
Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20230 (or via the Internet at 
[email protected]).
    Written comments and recommendations for the proposed information 
collection should be sent within 30 days of publication of this notice 
to Susan Schechter, OMB Desk Officer either by fax (202-395-7245) or e-
mail ([email protected]).

    Dated: May 11, 2006.
Madeleine Clayton,
Management Analyst, Office of the Chief Information Officer.
 [FR Doc. E6-7419 Filed 5-15-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-07-P