[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 123 (Tuesday, June 26, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 38036-38037]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-15522]


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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: Quarterly Survey of Plant Capacity Utilization.
    OMB Control Number: 0607-0175.
    Form Number(s): MQ-C2.
    Type of Request: Extension of a currently approved collection.
    Burden Hours: 60,000.
    Number of Respondents: 7,500.
    Average Hours per Response: 2 hours.
    Needs and Uses: With support from the Federal Reserve Board (FRB) 
and the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA), the U.S. Census Bureau requests 
an extension of approval for the Quarterly Survey of Plant Capacity 
Utilization (QPC). The quarterly survey provides information on use of 
industrial capacity in manufacturing and publishing plants as defined 
by the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS). It is the 
only source of capacity rates at industry levels. Changes in capacity 
utilization are considered important indicators of investment demand 
and inflationary pressure. For these reasons, the estimates of capacity 
utilization are closely monitored by government policy makers and 
private sector decision makers.
    This survey utilizes a multi-mode data collection process that 
includes internet reporting, fax, telephone and mail. The survey 
collects the value of quarterly production and the value of production 
that could be achieved if operating under ``full production'' 
capability and ``emergency production'' capability. The ratio of the 
actual to the full is the basis of the estimates of full capacity 
utilization rates and similarly, the actual to the emergency for the 
emergency capacity utilization rates.

[[Page 38037]]

The survey also collects information by shift, on work patterns at the 
actual production level.
    The FRB is the primary user of the current QPC data and expressed 
the need for these quarterly data. The FRB publishes measures of 
industrial production (IP) that are either estimated from physical 
product data or estimated from monthly data on inputs to the production 
process, specifically production worker hours and an indicator of 
capital input. For many years, data on electric power use was used as 
the indicator of industry capital input. The deregulation of 
electricity markets led to the deterioration in the coverage and 
quality of the electricity data. As a result, in November 2005, the FRB 
discontinued its use of the industrial electric power data in the 
current estimates of IP. In order to maintain the quality of the IP 
index, the collection of these quarterly utilization data, such as the 
workweek of capital, become critical indicators of capital input use 
and industry output.
    The FRB will use these data in several ways. First, the QPC data is 
the primary source of the benchmark information for utilization rates. 
Second, the capital workweek data is used as an indicator of capital 
use in the estimation of monthly output (IP). Third, the workweek data 
is used to improve the projections of labor productivity that are used 
to align IP with comprehensive benchmark information from the Economic 
Census covering the Manufacturing sector and Annual Survey of 
Manufactures. Finally, utilization rate data will assist in the 
assessment of recent changes in IP, as most of the high-frequency 
movement in utilization rates reflect production changes rather than 
capacity changes.
    The Defense Logistics Agency uses the data to assess readiness to 
meet demand for goods under selected national emergency scenarios.
    Affected Public: Business or other for-profit.
    Frequency: Quarterly.
    Respondent's Obligation: Voluntary.
    Legal Authority: Title 13 U.S.C., Section 182.
    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: June 21, 2012.
Glenna Mickelson,
Management Analyst, Office of the Chief Information Officer.
[FR Doc. 2012-15522 Filed 6-25-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-07-P