[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 122 (Tuesday, June 24, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 35636-35637]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-14241]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

U.S. Census Bureau


Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; 2008 Company 
Organization Survey

AGENCY: U.S. Census Bureau, Commerce.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Commerce, as part of its continuing effort 
to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general public 
and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on 
proposed and/or continuing information collections, as required by the 
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Public Law 104-13 (44 U.S.C. 
3506(c)(2)(A)).

DATES: To ensure consideration, written comments must be submitted on 
or before August 25, 2008.

ADDRESSES: Direct all written comments to Diana Hynek, Departmental 
Paperwork Clearance Officer, Department of Commerce, Room 6625, 14th 
and Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20230 (or via the Internet 
at [email protected]).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information or 
copies of the information collection instrument(s) and instructions 
should be directed to Cynthia M. Wrenn-Yorker, U.S. Census Bureau, Room 
8K319, Washington, DC 20233-6100; telephone (301) 763-1383.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Abstract

    The Census Bureau conducts the annual Company Organization Survey 
(COS) to update and maintain a central, multipurpose Business Register 
(BR). In particular, the COS supplies critical information on the 
composition, organizational structure, and operating characteristics of 
multi-location companies.

The BR Serves Two Fundamental Purposes

--First and most importantly, it provides sampling populations and 
enumeration lists for the Census Bureau's economic surveys and 
censuses, and it serves as an integral part of the statistical 
foundation underlying those programs. Essential for this purpose is the 
BR's ability to identify all known United States business 
establishments and their parent companies. Further, the BR must 
accurately record basic business attributes needed to control sampling 
and enumeration. These attributes include industrial and geographic 
classifications, and name and address information.
--Second, it provides establishment data that serve as the basis for 
the annual County Business Patterns (CBP) statistical series. The CBP 
reports present data on number of establishments, first quarter 
payroll, annual payroll, and mid-March employment summarized by 
industry and employment size class for the United States, the District 
of Columbia, Puerto Rico, counties, and county-equivalents. No other 
annual or more frequent series of industry statistics provides 
comparable detail, particularly for small geographic areas.

II. Method of Collection

    The Census Bureau will conduct the 2008 COS in a similar manner as 
the 2006 COS. (In 2007 the COS was conducted in conjunction with the 
2007 Economic Census to minimize response burden). These collections 
will direct inquiries to approximately 43,000 multi-establishment 
companies, which operate over 1.2 million establishments. This panel 
will be drawn from the BR universe of nearly 200,000 multi-
establishment companies, which operate 1.6 million establishments. 
Additionally, the panel will include approximately 5,000 large single-
establishment companies that may have added locations during the year.
    The mailing list for the 2008 COS will include a certainty 
component, consisting of all multi-establishment companies with 250 or 
more employees, and those multi-establishment companies with 
administrative record values that indicate organizational changes. A 
non-certainty component will be drawn from the remaining multi-
establishment companies based on employment size. The mailing list also 
will include entities that are most likely to have added establishments 
at other locations.
    The primary collection medium for the COS is a paper questionnaire; 
however, many enterprises will submit automated/electronic COS reports. 
For 2008, electronic reporting will be available to all COS 
respondents. Companies will receive and return responses by secure 
Internet transmission. Companies that cannot use the Internet will 
receive a CD-ROM containing their electronic data. All respondents will 
be allowed to mail the data via diskette or CD-ROM or submit their 
response data via the Internet. COS data is identical for all of the 
reporting modes.
    The instrument will include inquiries on ownership or control by 
domestic or foreign parents, ownership of foreign affiliates, and 
leased employment. Further, the instrument will list an inventory of 
establishments belonging to the company and its subsidiaries, and 
request updates to these inventories, including additions, deletions, 
and changes to information on Employer Identification Number, name and 
address, and industrial classification, end-of-year operating status, 
mid-March employment, first quarter payroll, and annual payroll.
    Additionally, the Census Bureau will ask certain questions in the 
2008 COS in order to enhance content. We will include questions on 
leased employees working in the company, questions on

[[Page 35637]]

research and development activities performed by the company, and 
questions on new or significantly improved methods of manufacturing, 
producing, delivering or distributing goods or services within the 
company.

III. Data

    OMB Control Number: 0607-0444.
    Form Number: NC-99001 and NC-99007 (for single-location companies).
    Type of Review: Regular submission.
    Affected Public: Business and not-for-profit institutions.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 48,000.
    Estimated Time per Response: 1.59 hours.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 127,517.
    Estimated Total Annual Cost: $3,497,791.
    Respondent's Obligation: Mandatory.
    Legal Authority: Title 13 of U.S.C. Sections 182, 195, 224, and 
225.

IV. Request for Comments

    Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed collection of 
information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of 
the agency, including whether the information shall have practical 
utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden 
(including hours and cost) of the proposed collection of information; 
(c) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the 
information to be collected; and (d) ways to minimize the burden of the 
collection of information on respondents, including through the use of 
automated collection techniques or other forms of information 
technology.
    Comments submitted in response to this notice will be summarized 
and/or included in the request for OMB approval of this information 
collection; they also will become a matter of public record.

    Dated: June 19, 2008.
Gwellnar Banks,
Management Analyst, Office of the Chief Information Officer.
 [FR Doc. E8-14241 Filed 6-23-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-07-P