[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 251 (Friday, December 30, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Page 82322]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-33557]


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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Office of the Secretary


Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission for OMB 
Review; Comment Request; Mass Layoff Statistics Program

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Labor (DOL) is submitting the Bureau of 
Labor Statistics (BLS) sponsored information collection request (ICR) 
titled, ``Mass Layoff Statistics Program,'' to the Office of Management 
and Budget (OMB) for review and approval for continued use in 
accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 
3501 et seq.).

DATES: Submit comments on or before January 30, 2012.

ADDRESSES: A copy of this ICR with applicable supporting documentation; 
including a description of the likely respondents, proposed frequency 
of response, and estimated total burden may be obtained from the 
RegInfo.gov Web site, http://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain, on the 
day following publication of this notice or by contacting Michel Smyth 
by telephone at (202) 693-4129 (this is not a toll-free number) or 
sending an email to [email protected].
    Submit comments about this request to the Office of Information and 
Regulatory Affairs, Attn: OMB Desk Officer for the Department of Labor, 
Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), Office of Management and Budget, Room 
10235, Washington, DC 20503, Telephone: (202) 395-6929/Fax: (202) 395-
6881 (these are not toll-free numbers), email: [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Michel Smyth by telephone at (202) 
693-4129 (this is not a toll-free number) or by email at [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The information collected and compiled in 
the MLS program is used to satisfy the legislatively required reporting 
mandated by Clause (iii) of Section 309(2)(15)(a)(1)(A) of the 
Workforce Investment Act, which states that the Secretary of Labor 
shall oversee the development, maintenance, and continuous improvements 
of the program to measure the incidence of, industrial and geographical 
location of, and number of workers displaced by, permanent layoffs and 
plant closings. In addition to the BLS uses of MLS data, such data are 
used by Congress, the Executive Branch, the business, labor, and 
academic communities, SWAs, and the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) for 
both macro- and microeconomic analysis, including specific labor market 
studies geared towards manpower assistance and development. Moreover, 
State agencies use the MLS data in various ways, including the 
identification of geographic areas in need of special manpower 
services; the identification of ailing or troubled industries; the 
identification of specific employers needing assistance; the targeting 
of outreach activities for the unemployed; and the determination of 
those workers in need of temporary health care services. Respondents 
consist of entirely private, for-profit and not-for-profit 
establishments.
    This information collection is subject to the PRA. A Federal agency 
generally cannot conduct or sponsor a collection of information, and 
the public is generally not required to respond to an information 
collection, unless it is approved by the OMB under the PRA and displays 
a currently valid OMB Control Number. In addition, notwithstanding any 
other provisions of law, no person shall generally be subject to 
penalty for failing to comply with a collection of information if the 
collection of information does not display a valid OMB Control Number. 
See 5 CFR 1320.5(a) and 1320.6. The DOL obtains OMB approval for this 
information collection under OMB Control Number 1220-0090. The current 
OMB approval is scheduled to expire on February 29, 2012; however, it 
should be noted that existing information collection requirements 
submitted to the OMB receive a month-to-month extension while they 
undergo review. For additional information, see the related notice 
published in the Federal Register on September 30, 2011 (76 FR 60930).
    Interested parties are encouraged to send comments to the OMB, 
Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs at the address shown in 
the ADDRESSES section within 30 days of publication of this notice in 
the Federal Register. In order to help ensure appropriate 
consideration, comments should reference OMB Control Number 1220-0090. 
The OMB 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 submission of responses.
    Agency: Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
    Title of Collection: Mass Layoff Statistics Program.
    OMB Control Number: 1220-0090.
    Affected Public: Private Sector, State, Local, or Tribal 
Governments.
    Total Estimated Number of Respondents: 21,053.
    Total Estimated Number of Responses: 21,848.
    Total Estimated Annual Burden Hours: 75,380.
    Total Estimated Annual Other Costs Burden: $0.

    Dated: December 22, 2011.
Linda Watts Thomas,
Acting Departmental Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 2011-33557 Filed 12-29-11; 8:45 am]
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