[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 139 (Friday, July 19, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 43227-43228]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-17351]


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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Bureau of Labor Statistics


Proposed Collection, Comment Request

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Labor, as part of its continuing effort to 
reduce paperwork and respondent burden, conducts a pre-clearance 
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 (PRA95) [44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)]. This program helps to 
ensure that requested 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 
Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) is soliciting comments concerning the 
proposed extension of the ``American Time Use Survey.'' A copy of the 
proposed information collection request (ICR) can be obtained by 
contacting the individual listed below in the ADDRESSES section of this 
notice.

DATES: Written comments must be submitted to the office listed in the 
Addresses section of this notice on or before September 17, 2013.

ADDRESSES: Send comments to Amelia Vogel, BLS Clearance Officer, 
Division of Management Systems, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Room 4080, 
2 Massachusetts Avenue NE., Washington, DC 20212. Written comments also 
may be transmitted by fax to 202-691-5111 (this is not a toll free 
number).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Amelia Vogel, BLS Clearance Officer, 
at 202-691-7628 (this is not a toll free number). (See Addresses 
section.)

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

    The ATUS is the Nation's first federally administered, continuous 
survey on time use in the United States. It measures, for example, time 
spent with children, working, sleeping, or doing leisure activities. In 
the United States, several existing Federal surveys collect income and 
wage data for individuals and families, and analysts often use such 
measures of material prosperity as proxies for quality of life. Time-
use data substantially augment these quality-of-life measures. The data 
also can be used in conjunction with wage data to evaluate the 
contribution of non-market work to national economies. This enables 
comparisons of production between nations that have different mixes of 
market and non-market activities.
    The ATUS develops nationally representative estimates of how people 
spend their time. Respondents also report who was with them during 
activities, where they were, how long each activity lasted, and if they 
were paid. All of this information has numerous practical applications 
for sociologists, economists, educators,

[[Page 43228]]

government policymakers, businesspersons, health researchers, and 
others, potentially answering the following questions:
     Do the ways people use their time vary across demographic 
and labor force characteristics, such as age, sex, race, ethnicity, 
employment status, earnings, and education?
     How much time do parents spend in the company of their 
children, either actively providing care or being with them while 
socializing, relaxing, or doing other things?
     How are earnings related to leisure time--do those with 
higher earnings spend more or less time relaxing and socializing?
     Where do people work--at a workplace, in their homes, or 
someplace else?
    The ATUS data are collected on an ongoing, monthly basis, allowing 
analysts to identify changes in how people spend their time.

II. Current Action

    Office of Management and Budget clearance is being sought for the 
American Time Use Survey.
    This survey collects information on how individuals in the United 
States use their time. Collection is done on a continuous basis with 
the sample drawn monthly. The survey sample is drawn from households 
completing their 8th month of interviews for the Current Population 
Survey (CPS). Households are selected to ensure a nationally-
representative demographic sample, and one individual from each 
household is selected to take part in one Computer Assisted Telephone 
Interview. Interviewers ask respondents to report all of their 
activities for one pre-assigned 24-hour day, the day prior to the 
interview. A short series of summary questions and CPS updates follows 
the core time diary collection. After each full year of collection, 
annual national estimates of time use for an average day, weekday, and 
weekend day are available.
    Because the ATUS sample is a subset of households completing 
interviews for the CPS, the same demographic information collected from 
that survey is available for ATUS respondents. Comparisons of activity 
patterns across characteristics such as sex, race, age, disability 
status, and education of the respondent, as well as the presence of 
children and the number of adults living in the respondent's household, 
are possible.

III. Desired Focus of Comments

    The Bureau of Labor Statistics 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.
     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 submissions of responses.
    Type of Review: Extension without change of a currently approved 
collection.
    Agency: Bureau of Labor Statistics.
    Title: American Time Use Survey.
    OMB Number: 1220-0175.
    Affected Public: Individuals or households.
    Total Respondents: 13,200.
    Frequency: Once.
    Total Responses: 13,200.
    Average Time per Response: 16 minutes.
    Estimated Total Burden Hours: 3,520 hours.
    Total Burden Cost (capital/startup): $0.
    Total Burden Cost (operating/maintenance): $0.
    Comments submitted in response to this notice will be summarized 
and/or included in the request for Office of Management and Budget 
approval of the information collection request; they also will become a 
matter of public record.

    Signed at Washington, DC, this 12th day of July 2013.
Kimberley D. Hill,
Chief, Division of Management Systems, Bureau of Labor Statistics.
[FR Doc. 2013-17351 Filed 7-18-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510-24-P