[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 184 (Friday, September 21, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 58510-58511]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-23297]


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 Notices
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  Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 184 / Friday, September 21, 2012 / 
Notices  

[[Page 58510]]



DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Census Bureau


Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; Current 
Population Survey (CPS), Annual Social and Economic Supplement (ASEC)

AGENCY: U.S. Census Bureau, Commerce.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Commerce, as part of its continuing effort 
to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general public 
and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on 
proposed and/or continuing information collections, as required by the 
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Public Law 104-13 (44 U.S.C. 
3506(c)(2)(A)).

DATES: To ensure consideration, written comments must be submitted on 
or before November 20, 2012.

ADDRESSES: Direct all written comments to Jennifer Jessup, Departmental 
Paperwork Clearance Officer, Department of Commerce, Room 6616, 14th 
and Constitution Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20230 (or via the Internet 
at [email protected]).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information or 
copies of the information collection instrument(s) and instructions 
should be directed to Lisa Paska, U.S. Census Bureau, DSD/CPS HQ-
7H108B, Washington, DC 20233-8400, (301) 763-3806 (or via the Internet 
at [email protected]).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION

I. Abstract

    The Census Bureau plans to request clearance for the collection of 
data concerning the Annual Social and Economic Supplement (ASEC) to be 
conducted in conjunction with the February, March, and April CPS. The 
Census Bureau has conducted this supplement annually for over 50 years. 
The Census Bureau and the Bureau of Labor Statistics sponsor this 
supplement.
    In the ASEC, we collect information on work experience, personal 
income, noncash benefits, health insurance coverage, and migration. The 
work experience items in the ASEC provide a unique measure of the 
dynamic nature of the labor force as viewed over a one-year period. 
These items produce statistics that show movements in and out of the 
labor force by measuring the number of periods of unemployment 
experienced by people, the number of different employers worked for 
during the year, the principal reasons for unemployment, and part-/
full-time attachment to the labor force. We can make indirect 
measurements of discouraged workers and others with a casual attachment 
to the labor market.
    The income data from the ASEC are used by social planners, 
economists, government officials, and market researchers to gauge the 
economic well-being of the country as a whole and selected population 
groups of interest. Government planners and researchers use these data 
to monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of various assistance 
programs. Market researchers use these data to identify and isolate 
potential customers. Social planners use these data to forecast 
economic conditions and to identify special groups that seem to be 
especially sensitive to economic fluctuations. Economists use ASEC data 
to determine the effects of various economic forces, such as inflation, 
recession, recovery, and so on, and their differential effects on 
various population groups.
    A prime statistic of interest is the classification of people in 
poverty and how this measurement has changed over time for various 
groups. Researchers evaluate ASEC income data not only to determine 
poverty levels but also to determine whether government programs are 
reaching eligible households.
    The ASEC also contains questions related to: (1) Medical 
expenditures; (2) presence and cost of a mortgage on property; (3) 
child support payments; and (4) amount of child care assistance 
received. These questions enable analysts and policymakers to obtain 
better estimates of family and household income, and more precisely 
gauge poverty status.
    The U.S. Census Bureau continues to follow the 1999 mandate from 
Congress regarding passage of the State Children's Health Insurance 
Program (SCHIP), or Title XXI. The mandate increased the sample size 
for the CPS, and specifically the ASEC, to a level achieving estimates 
that are more reliable for the number of individuals participating in 
this program at the state level. Since 2000, the ASEC is conducted in 
February, March, and April, rather than only in March, to achieve the 
increase in sample size.

II. Method of Collection

    The ASEC information will be collected by both personal visit and 
telephone interviews in conjunction with the regular February, March 
and April CPS interviewing. All interviews are conducted using 
computer-assisted interviewing.

III. Data

    OMB Control Number: 0607-0354.
    Form Number: There are no forms. We conduct all interviewing on 
computers.
    Type of Review: Regular submission.
    Affected Public: Individuals or households.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 78,000.
    Estimated Time per Response: 25 minutes.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 32,500.
    Estimated Total Annual Cost: There are no costs to the respondents 
other than their time to answer the CPS questions.
    Respondent's Obligation: Voluntary.

    Legal Authority: Title 13, United States Code, Section 182; and 
Title 29, United States Code, Sections 1-9.

 IV. Request for Comments

    Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed collection of 
information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of 
the agency, including whether the information shall have practical 
utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden 
(including hours and cost) of the proposed collection of information; 
(c) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the 
information to be collected; and (d) ways to minimize the

[[Page 58511]]

burden of the collection of information on respondents, including 
through the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of 
information technology.
    Comments submitted in response to this notice will be summarized 
and/or included in the request for OMB approval of this information 
collection; they also will become a matter of public record.

    Dated: September 18, 2012.
Glenna Mickelson,
Management Analyst, Office of the Chief Information Officer.
[FR Doc. 2012-23297 Filed 9-20-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-07-P