[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 152 (Wednesday, August 7, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 48199-48200]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-19063]


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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Employment and Training Administration


Comment Request for Information Collection for Employers Survey 
of the Short-Time Compensation Program (STC); New Collection

AGENCY: Employment and Training Administration, Labor.

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 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 
(PRA) [44 U.S.C. 3505(c)(2)(A)]. PRA 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 the collection requirements on 
respondents can be properly assessed.
    Currently, the Employment and Training Administration (ETA) is 
soliciting comments concerning the collection of survey data from 
employers in a sub-set of states that operate a STC Program. The STC 
Program provides an opportunity for employers to reduce layoffs by 
temporarily reducing work hours for some employees. STC provides pro-
rated unemployment insurance benefits for workers whose hours of work 
have been temporarily reduced. The proposed information collection is 
to examine employers' experiences, awareness, and perspectives of the 
STC Program in Kansas, Minnesota, Rhode Island, and Washington, through 
surveying the employers in these four States who have used the STC 
program, as well as employers who have not used the program. The 
objective of the study is to understand employers' awareness and 
perceptions of the STC program, including how various elements of the 
program affect their interest and participation.

DATES: Written comments must be submitted to the office listed in the 
addresses section below on or before October 7, 2013.

ADDRESSES: Submit written comments to Gloribel Nieves-Cartagena, Office 
of Policy Development and Research, Room N5641, Employment and Training 
Administration, U.S. Department of Labor, 200 Constitution Avenue NW., 
Washington, DC 20210. Telephone number: 202-693-2771 (this is not a 
toll-free number). Individuals with hearing or speech impairments may 
access the telephone number above via TTY by calling the toll-free 
Federal Information Relay Service at 1-877-889-5627 (TTY/TDD). Fax: 
202-693-2766. Email: [email protected]. A copy of the 
proposed information collection request (ICR) with applicable 
supporting documentation; including a description of likely 
respondents, proposed frequency of responses, and estimated total 
burden can be obtained free of charge by contacting the office listed 
above.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

    In February 2012, the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act 
of 2012, was signed into law. Section 2164 requires the Secretary of 
Labor to survey employers in all States to determine their level of 
interest in participating in the STC Program. The proposed information 
collection is a preliminary step in support of complying with the 50-
state survey requirement of Section 2164, and ETA is seeking approval 
to collect survey data from employers in four States with active STC.
    The STC Program, also known as ``work sharing'' or ``shared work'', 
provides an opportunity for employers to reduce layoffs by temporarily 
reducing work hours of some employees. STC provides pro-rated 
unemployment insurance (UI) benefits for workers whose hours of work 
have been temporarily reduced. The U.S. program was first initiated in 
California in 1978 and a temporary national STC Program was adopted in 
1982 under the Tax Equity and Fiscal Responsibility Act (Pub. L. 97-
248). The STC Program became permanent in Federal law in 1992, when 
States were permitted to adopt their own STC programs as part of State 
UI laws. Under Section 303(a)(5) of the Social Security Act and Section 
3304(a)(4) of the Federal Unemployment Tax Act, STC benefits may be 
paid from monies available in the Unemployment Trust Fund. Each State 
has an account within the Fund from which it pays benefits. Currently, 
25 States and the District of Columbia have STC provisions in their UI 
laws.
    The proposed study will examine employers' experiences, awareness, 
and perspectives of the STC Program in Kansas, Minnesota, Rhode Island, 
and Washington. Each of these four States has an active STC program. 
Employers in these four States who have used the STC Program, as well 
as employers in these four States who have not used the program, will 
be surveyed. The study will focus on the following four research areas:
    (1) Characteristics of employers participating in the STC Program.
    (2) Extent of employer participation in the STC Program.
    (3) Employers' awareness, experiences, and views of the STC 
Program.
    (4) Employers' opinion about workers view of STC.
    Addressing these research areas will involve analyses of survey 
data as well as analyses of relevant UI administrative data and 
employer survey data. UI administrative data and employer survey data 
will be used to gain knowledge about the employer's awareness and 
experience with the STC Program and to examine the factors related to 
the employer's decision to apply. The results of the analyses will help 
to assess whether there are significant differences in the likelihood 
of participation across employer characteristics.

II. Review Focus

    The Department is particularly interested in comments which:
     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

[[Page 48200]]

other forms of information technology, e.g., permitting electronic 
submissions of responses.

III. Current Actions

    Type of Review: New Collection.
    Title: Employers Survey of Short-Time Compensation Program.
    OMB Number: 1205-0NEW.
    Affected Public: Private Sector, Employers.

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                                                Total
         Data Collection Activity            respondents              Frequency           Total responses   Average time per respondent   Burden (hours)
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Employer Survey of Short-Time                       3,200   Once........................           3,200   27 minutes..................           1,440
 Compensation.
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    Total Annual other Burden Cost for Respondents: $0.
    Comments submitted in response to this comment request will be 
summarized and included in the request for Office of Management and 
Budget approval of the ICR; they will also become a matter of public 
record.

    Dated: July 31, 2013.
Eric M. Seleznow,
Acting Assistant Secretary for Employment and Training, Labor.
[FR Doc. 2013-19063 Filed 8-6-13; 8:45 am]
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