[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 102 (Friday, May 25, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 31306-31307]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-12698]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE


Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

    The Department of Commerce will submit to the Office of Management 
and Budget (OMB) for clearance the following proposal for collection of 
information under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 
U.S.C. chapter 35).
    Agency: U.S. Census Bureau.
    Title: Service Annual Survey.

[[Page 31307]]

    OMB Control Number: 0607-0422.
    Form Number(s): 154 Unique forms (too many to list here).
    Type of Request: Revision of a currently approved collection.
    Burden Hours: 286,186.
    Number of Respondents: 83,648.
    Average Hours per Response: 3 hours and 25 minutes.
    Needs and Uses: The U.S. Census Bureau requests an extension with 
revision of the current OMB approval of the Service Annual Survey 
(SAS). The Annual Services Report is the instrument to collect data for 
the SAS. Today, over 50 percent of all economic activity is accounted 
for by services that are narrowly defined to exclude retail and 
wholesale trade. The U.S. Census Bureau currently measures the total 
output of most of these service industries annually in its Service 
Annual Survey. This survey currently covers all or some of: Utilities; 
Transportation and Warehousing; Information; Finance and Insurance; 
Real Estate and Rental and Leasing; Professional, Scientific, and 
Technical Services; Administration and Support and Waste Management and 
Remediation Services; Educational Services; Health Care and Social 
Assistance; Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation; and Other Services as 
defined by the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS).
    Estimates from the SAS are essential to a better understanding and 
higher quality estimates of economic growth, real output, prices, and 
productivity for our nation's economy. A broad spectrum of government 
and private stakeholders use these estimates in analyzing business and 
economic sectors; developing statistics on services; forecasting 
economic growth; and compiling data on productivity, prices and gross 
domestic product (GDP). In addition, trade and professional 
organizations use these estimates to analyze industry trends, benchmark 
their own statistical programs and develop forecasts. Private 
businesses use these estimates to measure market share, analyze 
business potential and plan investments. Comprehensive, comparative 
annual data on the services sector are not available from any other 
source.
    Annually, the key variables for the SAS are total revenue, total 
expenses, and general expense detail items. Some sectors also collect 
revenue detail items that are specific to a particular industry. The 
availability of these data greatly improves the quality of the 
intermediate-inputs and value-added estimates in BEA's annual input-
output and GDP by industry accounts.
    In 2011 we selected a new sample for this survey. During the first 
year of the new sample, we will ask for two years of data (2010 and 
2011). Current- and previous-year data are requested only for the first 
year in which a new sample is introduced in order to provide a link 
point with the existing data series. In subsequent years, only current 
year data will be requested. Additionally, as a result of feedback 
given by respondents, we have created separate forms for alpha multi-
unit companies. The new alpha forms exclude Question 2 (EIN 
verification) which is only necessary for EIN respondents.
    The estimates produced in the SAS are critical to the accurate 
measurement of total economic activity.
     The Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA), the primary Federal 
user, use the estimates to develop the national income and product 
accounts, compile benchmark and annual input-output tables, and compute 
GDP by industry.
     The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) use the estimates as 
inputs to its Producer Price Indexes and in developing productivity 
measurements.
     The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) use 
the estimates for program planning and development of the National 
Health Expenditure Accounts.
     The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) use the 
estimates to assess the impact of regulatory policies.
     International agencies use the estimates to compare total 
domestic output to changing international activity.
     Private industry also use the estimates as a tool for 
marketing analysis.
    Affected Public: Business or other for-profit; Not-for-profit 
institutions.
    Frequency: Annually.
    Respondent's Obligation: Mandatory.
    Legal Authority: Title 13, United States Code, Sections 182, 224 
and 225.
    OMB Desk Officer: Brian Harris-Kojetin, (202) 395-7314.
    Copies of the above information collection proposal can be obtained 
by calling or writing Jennifer Jessup, Departmental Paperwork Clearance 
Officer, (202) 482-0336, Department of Commerce, Room 6616, 14th and 
Constitution Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20230 (or via the Internet at 
[email protected]).
    Written comments and recommendations for the proposed information 
collection should be sent within 30 days of publication of this notice 
to Brian Harris-Kojetin, OMB Desk Officer either by fax (202-395-7245) 
or email ([email protected]).

    Dated: May 21, 2012.
Glenna Mickelson,
Management Analyst, Office of the Chief Information Officer.
[FR Doc. 2012-12698 Filed 5-24-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-07-P