[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 15 (Monday, January 25, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 3926-3927]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-1301]


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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Bureau of Labor Statistics


Submission for OMB Emergency Review: Comment Request

January 20, 2010.
    The Department of Labor has submitted the following (see below) 
information collection request (ICR), utilizing emergency review 
procedures, to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and 
clearance in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 
(PRA95) (Pub. L. 104-13, 44 U.S.C. Chapter 35) and 5 CFR 1320.13. OMB 
approval has been requested by March 31, 2010. A copy of this ICR, with 
applicable supporting documentation; including among other things a 
description of the likely respondents, proposed frequency of response, 
and estimated total burden may be obtained from the RegInfo.gov Web 
site at http://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain or by contacting 
Darrin King on 202-693-4129 (this is not a toll-free number)/e-mail: 
[email protected]. Interested parties are encouraged to send 
comments to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Attn: OMB 
Desk Officer for the Department of Labor--ETA, Office of Management and 
Budget, Room 10235, Washington, DC 20503, Telephone: 202-395-7316/Fax: 
202-395-6974 (these are not toll-free

[[Page 3927]]

numbers), E-mail: [email protected]. Comments and questions 
about the ICR listed below should be received on or before February 24, 
2010.
    The OMB 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 appropriate 
automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection 
techniques or other forms of information technology, e.g., permitting 
electronic submissions of responses.
    Agency: Bureau of Labor Statistics.
    Type of Review: New collection.
    Title of Collection: Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages Green 
Goods and Services Sector Pre-testing.
    OMB Control Number: 1220-NEW.
    Affected Public: Private sector businesses or other for-profits; 
not-for-profit institutions; farms; small businesses or organizations.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                   Average time      Estimated
             Form                    Total          Frequency          Total       per response    total burden
                                  respondents                        responses       (minutes)        (hours)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Forms panel testing...........           2,500  One time........           2,500              30           1,250
Follow-up interviews..........             750  One time........             750              30             375
                               ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Totals....................           2,500  ................           3,250  ..............           1,625
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The difference between the total number of respondents and the total number of responses reflects the fact that
  the respondents contacted for the follow-up interviews are a subset of the respondents contacted during the
  forms panel testing. About 750 of the respondents will be contacted twice, once during the panel testing and a
  second time for the follow-up interview.

    Total Burden Cost: (capital/startup): $0.
    Total Burden Cost: (operating/maintenance): $0.
    Description: As the chief source of government data on employment, 
the 2010 Congressional appropriation tasks the Bureau of Labor 
Statistics (BLS) Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW) 
program with producing employment data on industry sectors that produce 
green goods and services. This initiative will produce regular 
tabulations of aggregate employment and wages for businesses whose 
primary activities fall in the green goods and services sector as 
defined by BLS. These series will be key to analyzing workforce trends 
in this sector.
    The purpose of this request for clearance is for the QCEW program 
to initiate a research project to understand the collection environment 
and learn what information establishments have available that would 
help BLS collect employment data on industry sectors that produce green 
goods and services. This information will be used to improve the 
eventual data collection instrument, increase response rates, and 
ensure high quality data are collected.
    The primary purpose of this research is neither to finalize a 
definition of green goods and services sector nor to determine what 
defines the green sector. Rather, the focus is on learning what 
collectable information firms have available about their products, 
services, and other items that might be used to collect data on this 
sector. The BLS definition of the green goods and services sector 
industry will be addressed separately.
    Why are we requesting Emergency Processing? Emergency clearance is 
being sought for the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages Green 
Goods and Services Sector Industry Pre-testing. The purpose of this 
request for clearance by the BLS QCEW program is to initiate a research 
project to understand the collection environment and learn what 
information establishments have available that would help BLS collect 
employment data on industry sectors that produce green goods and 
services. This information will be used to develop the eventual data 
collection instrument and ensure high quality data are collected. Data 
collection is scheduled to begin in November 2010. In order for BLS to 
understand how to collect and produce high quality green goods and 
services business employment by this date, BLS must begin the forms 
panel testing as soon as possible. Therefore, BLS is requesting an 
emergency clearance to allow for the necessary research to be 
undertaken and completed within this timeframe. A second opportunity to 
comment on the proposed collection of data on green goods and services 
sector business employment will be afforded when the package is 
submitted to OMB under the standard clearance process in accordance 
with the PRA95 (44 U.S.C. 3506).

Darrin A. King,
Departmental Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 2010-1301 Filed 1-22-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510-24-P