[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 109 (Wednesday, June 7, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 32919-32920]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-8781]


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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 Utilities; Transportation and 
Warehousing; Finance and Insurance; and Real Estate and Rental and 
Leasing Sectors.
    Form Number(s): The 36 report forms covered by this request are too 
numerous to list here.
    Agency Approval Number: None.
    Type of Request: New collection.
    Burden: 951,328 hours.
    Number of Respondents: 787,577.
    Avg. Hours Per Response: One and one half hours.
    Needs and Uses: The 2007 Economic Census covering the Utilities; 
Transportation and Warehousing; Finance and Insurance; and Real Estate 
and Rental and Leasing sectors will use a mail canvass, supplemented by 
data from Federal administrative records, to measure the economic 
activity of more than 1,230,000 establishments in these sectors of the 
economy as classified in the North American Industry Classification 
System (NAICS). The Utilities sector comprises establishments primarily 
engaged in the provision of utility services through a permanent 
infrastructure. The Transportation sector comprises establishments 
primarily engaged in transporting people and goods. The Warehousing 
sector comprises establishments primarily engaged in the warehousing 
and storage of goods. The Finance and Insurance sector comprises two 
types of establishments: Those engaged in financial transactions, that 
is, transactions involving the creation, liquidation, or change in 
ownership of financial assets, or in facilitating financial 
transactions; and those engaged in the intermediating as the 
consequence of pooling risks and facilitating such intermediation. The 
Real Estate subsector comprises establishments primarily engaged in 
leasing real estate to others, as well as real estate managers, agents, 
and brokers. The Rental and Leasing subsector comprises establishments 
primarily engaged in acquiring, owning, and making available a wide 
variety of tangible goods such as machinery, equipment, computers, and 
consumer goods to businesses or individuals, in return for a periodic 
rental or lease payment. The economic census will produce basic 
statistics by kind of business on number of establishments, revenue, 
payroll, and employment. It also will yield a variety of subject 
statistics, including revenue by product line, and other industry-
specific measures, such as insurance benefits paid to policyholders, 
exported services, purchased transportation, and exported energy. Basic 
statistics will be summarized for the United States, states, 
metropolitan areas and, in some cases, for counties and places having 
2,500 inhabitants or more. 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

[[Page 32920]]

important part of the framework for the national income and product 
accounts, input-output tables, economic indices, 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, academia, 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 were 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: June 1, 2006.
Madeleine Clayton,
Management Analyst, Office of the Chief Information Officer.
 [FR Doc. E6-8781 Filed 6-6-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-07-P