[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 238 (Monday, December 12, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 77260-77263]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-31812]


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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR


Proposed Information Collection Request (ICR) for the Evaluation 
of the Unemployment Compensation Provisions of the American Recovery 
and Reinvestment Act of 2009; Comment Request

AGENCY: Office of the Assistant Secretary for Administration and 
Management, Labor.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Labor (DOL or the Department), 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 with an opportunity to comment on proposed 
and/or continuing collections of information in accordance with the 
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA) [44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)]. This 
program helps to ensure that required 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 Department notes that a Federal agency cannot conduct or 
sponsor a collection of information unless it is approved by the Office 
of Management and Budget (OMB) under the PRA and the related materials 
display a currently valid OMB control number. Also, notwithstanding any 
other provisions of law, no person shall be subject to penalty for 
failing to comply with a collection of information if the related 
materials do not display a currently valid OMB control number. See 5 
CFR 1320.5(a) and 1320.6.
    A copy of the proposed ICR can be obtained by contacting the office 
listed

[[Page 77261]]

below in the addressee section of this notice or by accessing http://www.doleta.gov/OMBCN/OMBControlNumber.cfm.

DATES: Written comments must be submitted to the office listed in the 
addressee section below on or before February 10, 2012.

ADDRESSES: Send comments to Jonathan Simonetta, U.S. Department of 
Labor, Office of the Chief Evaluation Officer, 200 Constitution Avenue 
NW., Frances Perkins Bldg., Room S2316, Washington, DC 20210, telephone 
number (202) 693-5959 (this is not a toll-free number). His email 
address is [email protected] and fax number is (202) 693-6061.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

    The recession that began in late 2007 posed major challenges for 
the U.S. system of unemployment compensation (UC). For example, sharply 
increasing lengths of unemployment spells prompted Federal legislation 
that extended the potential duration of UC benefits to unprecedented 
levels and led to the adoption of changes to the ways those benefits 
are financed.
    To determine the effectiveness of the most significant UC policy 
initiatives undertaken in response to these challenges--those included 
in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) and 
related extended UC provisions included in the Emergency Unemployment 
Compensation Act of 2008 (EUC08)--the Department is undertaking the 
Evaluation of the Unemployment Compensation Provisions of the American 
Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. The evaluation includes 
examinations of the UC-related components of ARRA associated with (1) 
The provision of extended UC benefits through the Extended Benefits 
(EB) and EUC08 programs, (2) the incentives designed to encourage 
states to modernize certain aspects of their UC systems, and (3) 
additional assistance provided to unemployed workers and states to help 
them weather the effects of the recession. This latter assistance 
includes the Federal Additional Compensation program and an exemption 
of the taxation of some UC benefits--approaches to help unemployed 
workers--and suspension of interest payment provisions to help states. 
DOL has contracted with Mathematica Policy Research and its 
subcontractor, Urban Institute, to conduct this evaluation.
    The evaluation will address the following research questions:
    1. What factors are related to states' decisions on whether to 
adopt ARRA modernization provisions and the Total Unemployment Rate 
trigger for EB? What are the economic and political factors related to 
states' decisions? What do states' experiences imply for future roll-
outs of modifications to the UC system?
    2. What are states' experiences implementing each of the UC-related 
ARRA provisions? What factors shape states' implementation experiences? 
What are the effects of enacting provisions? What are the costs of 
implementation? How have states used the incentive payments?
    3. What are the demographic and economic characteristics of UC 
recipients? What are their post-UC labor market outcomes?
    4. What are the impacts of UC ARRA provisions on recipients' 
outcomes, such as their unemployment durations and reemployment rates?
    5. How well did EUC08 and related programs help to stabilize the 
economy? To what extent were extended benefits timed to mitigate the 
effects of the economic downturn? How effective were EB and EUC08 
triggers in targeting benefits to states with the most severe 
unemployment?

In addition to using published and administrative data, the analysis 
will rely on high-quality data collected from three major sources.

    1. UI Recipient Survey. From 20 states that were randomly selected 
to represent the nation as a whole, 3,000 recipients will be sampled 
and asked to complete the UI recipient survey. This sample is expected 
to lead to 2,400 completed surveys based on an expected response rate 
of 80 percent. The survey will collect information such as the 
recipients' demographic and economic characteristics; pre-unemployment 
earnings, occupation, and industry; length of unemployment and time to 
reemployment; UI benefits accessed; other government support (such as 
Temporary Assistance for Needy Families and food stamps); household 
income and assets; the effects of reduced income; training received and 
completed; coverage by health insurance; reemployment earnings; and 
other characteristics of post-UI jobs, such as fringe benefits, 
industry, and occupation.
    2. Survey of UI Administrators. A survey of administrators from the 
50 states and the District of Columbia will ask about three main study 
topics, including (1) The decision to adopt UI modernization 
provisions, (2) general implementation issues, and (3) use of ARRA 
incentive funds.
    3. Site Visits. On-site visits conducted in 20 purposively selected 
states facilitate the collection of detailed information about why 
states decided whether to implement certain modernization and EB 
provisions, as well as states' successes and challenges in implementing 
the modernization provisions, EUC08, EB, and the Federal Additional 
Compensation program; an exemption of the taxation of UC benefits; and/
or interest payment provisions allowed under ARRA. On-site visits will 
be supplemented by a Data Systems Survey provided to state-level staff 
in advance of the in-person visits but discussed during the visits.

II. Desired Focus of Comments

    Currently, the Department is soliciting comments concerning the 
above data collection for the Evaluation of the Unemployment 
Compensation Provisions of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act 
of 2009. Comments are requested to:
     Evaluate whether the proposed ICR 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 ICR, including the validity of the methodology 
and assumptions used
     Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the ICR
     Minimize the burden of the ICR on those who are to 
respond, including the use of appropriate automated, electronic, 
mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or other forms 
of information technology, for example, permitting electronic 
submissions of responses.

III. Current Actions

    At this time, DOL is requesting clearance for the UI Recipient 
Survey, the Survey of UI Administrators, and the site visit data 
collection materials (which include the protocol and the Data Systems 
Survey).
    Type of Review: New ICR.
    OMB Number: XXXX-XXXX.
    Affected Public: UI recipients, state UI administrators and other 
UI program staff, state legislators, lobbyists, and One-Stop Career 
Center staff.

For the UI Recipient Survey

    Frequency: Once.
    Total Responses: 2,400.
    Average Time per Response: 30 minutes for the survey of UI 
recipients.
    Estimated Total Burden Hours: 1,200.
    Total Burden Cost: $17,280.

[[Page 77262]]

For the Survey of UI Administrators

    Frequency: Once.
    Total Responses: 77.\1\
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    \1\ The number of respondents and average time per response for 
the survey of UI administrators are based on an assumption that (1) 
26 UI jurisdictions will take 45 minutes to respond (involving 1 
respondent for 30 minutes and 1 respondent for 15) and (2) 25 UI 
jurisdictions will take 15 minutes to respond (1 respondent for 15 
minutes).
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    Average Time per Response:
     51 State Administrators at 15 minutes each.
     26 state Administrators at 30 minutes each.
    Estimated Total Burden Hours: 26.
    Total Burden Cost: $1,318.

For the Site Visit Data Collection

    Frequency: Once.
    Total Responses:
     State UI office staff time to plan for the site visits.

--80 responses (= 4 staff per state, for 20 states).
--Average time per response = 30 minutes per staff.
--Estimated total burden hours = 40 hours.

     State UI office staff for in-person interviews.

--180 responses (= 9 staff per state, for 20 states).
-- Average time per response = 90 minutes per staff.
--Estimated total burden hours = 270 hours.

     Call center administrators for in-person interviews.

--30 responses (= 1.5 staff per state, for 20 states).
--Average time per response = 90 minutes per staff.
-- Estimated total burden hours = 45 hours.

     Local One-Stop Career Center administrator for in-person 
interviews.
--20 responses (= 1 staff per state, for 20 states).
--Average time per response = 90 minutes per staff.
--Estimated total burden hours = 30 hours.

     Other stakeholders for in-person interviews.

--120 responses (= 6 staff per state, for 20 states).
--Average time per response = 90 minutes per staff.
--Estimated total burden hours = 180 hours.

     State staff for the Data Systems Survey.

--20 responses (= 1 staff per state, for 20 states).
--Average time per response = 30 minutes per staff.
--Estimated total burden hours = 10 hours.

    Total burden cost for the site visit data collection: $29,147.

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                                                                   Average time
          Respondents                Total        Frequency of     per response       Burden        Burden cost
                                  respondents      collection        (minutes)        (hours)
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UI Recipients Survey..........           2,400  Once............              30           1,200         $17,280
Survey of UI Administrators...           \2\77  Once............              30              26           1,318
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                                           Site Visit Data Collection
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Planning for the Site Visits..              80  Once............              30              40           2,028
On-Site Interviews--State UI               180  Once............              90             270          13,686
 Office Staff.
Call Center Administrator.....              30  Once............              90              45           2,281
Local One-Stop Career Center                20  Once............              90              30           1,521
 Administrator.
Other Stakeholders............             120  Once............              90             180           9,124
Data Systems Survey--State                  20  Once............              30              10             507
 Staff.
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    Total for Site Visit Data              450  ................  ..............             575          29,147
     Collection.
    Total for Surveys and Site           2,927  ................  ..............           1,801          47,745
     Visits.
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    The total burden cost for the UI Recipient Survey represents 30 
minutes, on average, for participant respondents to complete the 
questionnaire multiplied by the number of expected respondents (2,400) 
and by an estimated average hourly wage of $14.40 per hour.\3\
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    \2\ The number of respondents and average time per response for 
the survey of UI administrators are based on an assumption that (1) 
26 UI jurisdictions will take 45 minutes to respond (involving 1 
respondent for 30 minutes and 1 respondent for 15) and (2) 25 UI 
jurisdictions will take 15 minutes to respond (1 respondent for 15 
minutes).
    \3\ This hourly wage estimate is the midpoint of wages reported 
by participants in another DOL study, the initial Individual 
Training Account Evaluation. In that study, hourly wages for the 
Individual Training Account study participants ranged between $13.60 
and $15.20. McConnell, et al. 2006, ``Managing Customers' Training 
Choices: Findings from the Individual Training Account Experiment.'' 
Washington, DC: Mathematica Policy Research, Inc., December 2006.
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    The burden cost for the Survey of UI Administrators represents 30 
minutes, on average, for respondents to complete the questionnaire 
multiplied by the number of respondents and by an estimated average 
hourly wage of $50.69, the average hourly rate for a management 
position. Thus, the total participant burden for the completion of the 
enrollment forms is $17,280 (= 2,400 x 30/60 x $14.40).\4\
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    \4\ This average hourly wage rate is from the ``May 2010 
National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates: United 
States,'' available from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_nat.htm#11-0000, accessed May 17, 2011.
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    The burden cost for site visit data collection is estimated to be 
575 hours. For each of 20 states that will be part of this data 
collection effort, an average of two hours of previsit planning and 
coordination with the evaluation team is expected. The on-site 
interviews are expected to include interviews averaging 90 minutes each 
of (1) 9 state UI office staff; (2) 1.5 call center administrators; (3) 
1 administrator in half of the states and 2 administrators in half of 
the states; (4) 1 local One-Stop Career Center administrator; and (5) 6 
other stakeholders, such as lobbyists, legislators, and individuals on 
the UI Advisory Council. Each state that is part of the site visit data 
collection effort also will be asked to have a staff person complete 
the Data Systems Survey in advance of the visit; the time to complete 
this survey is expected to be 30 minutes. Assuming a wage of $50.69 per 
hour, the total burden on participants for the site visits is estimated 
to be 575 hours with a total cost of $29,146 (= $50.69 x 575). Thus the 
total administrator burden for the completion of the survey is $1,318 
(=$50.69 x 26).
    The total burden for this ICR is estimated to be 1,801 hours 
($47,745 in

[[Page 77263]]

burden cost), which is the sum of the burdens (and burden costs) for 
the surveys and site visit data collection effort.
    Comments submitted in response to this request will be summarized 
and/or included in the request for OMB approval; they will also become 
a matter of public record.

    Signed: at Washington, DC, this 7th day of December, 2011.
William E. Spriggs,
Assistant Secretary, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Policy.
[FR Doc. 2011-31812 Filed 12-9-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510-22-P