[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 171 (Wednesday, September 5, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 50983-50985]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-17498]


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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR


Proposed Information Collection Request for National Agricultural 
Workers Survey; Comment Request

AGENCY: Employment and Training Administration.

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 preclearance 
consultation program to provide the general public and Federal agencies 
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

[[Page 50984]]

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 Employment and Training Administration is soliciting 
comments concerning the proposed three-year continuation of the 
National Agricultural Workers Survey with revisions.
    A copy of the proposed information collection request can be 
obtained by contacting the office listed below in the addressee section 
of this notice or by accessing: http://www.doleta.gov/OMBCN/1205-0453.cfm.

DATES: Written comments must be submitted to the office listed in the 
addressee's section below on or before November 5, 2007.

ADDRESSES: Submit written comments to the Employment and Training 
Administration, Office of Policy Development and Research, 200 
Constitution Avenue, NW., Room N5641, Washington, DC 20210, Attention: 
Mr. Daniel Carroll. Telephone number: 202-693-2795 (this is not a toll-
free number). Fax: 202-693-2766. E-mail: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

    The Department of Labor has been continually surveying hired farm 
workers since 1988 via the National Agricultural Workers Survey (NAWS). 
The survey's primary focus is to describe the employment, demographic, 
and health characteristics of hired crop farm workers. It is the only 
national-level data source for this information.
    The NAWS provides an understanding of the manpower resources 
available to U.S. agriculture, and both public and private service 
programs use the data for planning, implementing, and evaluating farm 
worker programs.
    The NAWS samples hired crop farm workers in three cycles each year 
to capture the seasonality of agricultural employment. Workers are 
randomly sampled at their work sites. During the initial contact, 
arrangements are made to interview the respondent at home or at another 
location of convenience to the respondent. Depending on the information 
needs and resources of the various federal agencies that use NAWS data, 
between 1,500 and 4,000 workers are interviewed each year.
    The primary NAWS questionnaire routinely provides a standard set of 
information on the employment, demographic, and health characteristics 
of hired crop workers. When new information is required, Federal 
agencies add supplemental collection instruments to the NAWS.
    Beginning with the October 2007 interview cycle, the Employment and 
Training Administration, in partnership with the Centers for Disease 
Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and 
Health, proposes to collect additional information on the occupational 
health of hired crop workers via the NAWS. The new information would 
come from administering new questions on occupational mental health.
    The purpose of this notice is to solicit comments regarding: (1) 
The currently approved versions of the primary questionnaire and the 
agricultural occupational injury supplement; and (2) the addition of 
the occupational mental health questions. The primary questionnaire, 
injury supplement, and proposed occupational mental health questions 
are discussed below.

Primary NAWS Questionnaire

    The questionnaire is administered to hired crop agricultural 
workers 14 years old and older. It contains a household grid, where the 
education level and migration history of the respondent and each member 
of the respondent's household are recorded, and an employment grid, 
where a full year of respondent's employment is detailed. Information 
on income, assets, legal status, and use of contribution- and needs-
based programs is also elicited.
    In the employment grid, interviewers record the task and crop for 
agricultural jobs, type and amount of non-agricultural employment, 
periods of unemployment, and time spent outside the United States. For 
the respondent's current agricultural job, information on how the job 
was obtained, wages and payment method (piece or hourly), employment 
type (direct hire or labor-contracted) and duration (year-round or 
seasonal), benefits, availability of water and sanitation, pesticide 
training, transportation, and housing arrangements is recorded.
    Demographic and health information collected via the primary 
questionnaire includes age, gender, place of birth, marital status, 
languages spoken, English language ability, participation in education 
and employment training programs, health history (lifetime), 
musculoskeletal problems (last 12 months), and quality of and access to 
health care.

The Agricultural Occupational Injury Supplement

    This CDC/NIOSH-sponsored supplement is administered to all NAWS 
respondents who had a qualifying agricultural occupational injury in 
the United States in the 12-month period before the date of interview. 
For each qualifying injury, the respondent is asked how, when and where 
the injury occurred, the body part(s) injured, where medical treatment 
was received, how the treatment was paid for, and the number of days 
the respondent couldn't work or worked at a reduced activity level.

Proposed Occupational Mental Health Supplement

    CDC/NIOSH is proposing to add, for one year only, an occupational 
mental health supplement. The supplement will include four questions 
each concerning decisions latitude and work limitations, two questions 
each concerning job demands and job insecurity, and one question each 
concerning perceived general health and family concerns. In addition, 
the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) Short 
Form 10 (SF-10), which contains 10 items, would be administered.

II. Review Focus

    The Department of Labor is particularly interested in comments 
which:
     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 appropriated 
automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection 
techniques or other forms of information technology, e.g., permitting 
electronic submissions of responses.

III. Current Actions

    Type of Review: Revision of Approved Collection.
    Agency: Employment and Training Administration.
    Title: National Agricultural Workers Survey.

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    OMB Number: 1205-0453.
    Affected Public: Individuals, Farms.
    Total Respondents: 5,344.
    Frequency: Annual.
    Total Responses: 5,344.
    Average Time per Response: 48.1 minutes.
    Estimated Total Burden Hours: 4,288 (see Table 1, below).

                        Table 1.--Estimated Burden Hours Associated With the FY 2008 NAWS
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                                                             Respondents      Average time per
     Who will be interviewed?         Survey instrument       per year           respondent         Total hours
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Farm Workers......................  Primary                         4,000  57 minutes...........           3,800
                                     Questionnaire,
                                     including
                                     occupational mental
                                     health questions.
Farm Workers with a qualifying      Occupational Injury              160*  15 minutes...........              40
 injury.                             Supplement.
Employers.........................  Point of Contact Only           1,344  20 minutes...........             448
    Total.........................  .....................           5,344  .....................          4,288
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*Not included in total respondents; they are a subset of the Primary Questionnaire respondents.

    Total Burden Cost (operating/maintaining): $0.
    Comments submitted in response to this comment request will be 
summarized and/or included in the request for Office of Management and 
Budget approval of the information collection request; they will also 
become a matter of public record.

    Dated: August 29, 2007.
Emily Stover DeRocco,
Assistant Secretary, Employment and Training Administration.
[FR Doc. E7-17498 Filed 9-4-07; 8:45 am]
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