[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 114 (Wednesday, June 14, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 34393-34394]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-9254]


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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 August 14, 2006.

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 tenth round of annual interviews 
is being conducted from October 2006 to May 2007. The pretest 
interviews for round 11 will take place in July and August 2007. 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) at the 
University of Chicago is responsible for interviewing these respondents 
on a yearly basis to study transition from schooling to the 
establishment of careers and families. 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. Current Action

    The Bureau of Labor Statistics seeks approval to conduct round 10 
of annual interviews of the NLSY97 as well as the pretest for round 11. 
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 round 10 interviews, about 
750 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.
    During round 10, the BLS proposes to increase respondent financial 
and in-kind incentives to encourage greater cooperation both in the 
current round and in future rounds. In addition, the BLS proposes to 
add a set of experimental questions near the end of the round 10 
questionnaire that are designed to improve respondent engagement with 
and enjoyment of the survey. The experimental questions are subjective 
and provide respondents with an opportunity to express their opinions 
or feelings about various topics, in contrast to most other questions 
in the survey, which generally are objective and focus on behavior. The 
ultimate goal of the experimental questions is to encourage long-term 
respondent cooperation.
    The BLS also proposes to add a questionnaire section that includes 
questions about labor force participation that also are asked in the 
monthly Current Population Survey. These questions previously were 
asked in round 4 of the NLSY97. Finally, the BLS proposes in round 10 
to make a variety of minor changes to existing questionnaire sections 
and to remove some less vital questions to offset the additional 
respondent burden from the questionnaire sections that are being added.

III. 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.

[[Page 34394]]

    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.

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                                                                                             Average   Estimated
                                          Total                                  Total      time  per     total
                Form                   respondents         Frequency           responses     response    burden
                                                                                            (minutes)   (hours)
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Main Round 10 Interview............           7,500  Annually.............           7,500     60      7,500
Round 10 Validation Interview......             750  Annually.............             750      6         75
Round 11 Pretest...................             200  Annually.............             200     60        200
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    Totals.........................           7,700  .....................           8,450  .........  7,775
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The difference between the total number of respondents and the total number of responses reflects the fact that
  750 respondents will be interviewed twice, once in the main round 10 survey and a second time in the
  validation interview.

    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 5th day of June, 2006.
Cathy Kazanowski,
Chief, Division of Management Systems, Bureau of Labor Statistics.
 [FR Doc. E6-9254 Filed 6-13-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510-24-P