[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 213 (Wednesday, November 4, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 68292-68293]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-28031]


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 Notices
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 This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains documents other than rules 
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  Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 213 / Wednesday, November 4, 2015 / 
Notices  

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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: Business and Professional Classification Report.
    OMB Control Number: 0607-0189.
    Form Number(s): SQ-CLASS.
    Type of Request: Revision of a currently approved collection.
    Number of Respondents: 52,000.
    Average Hours per Response: 13 minutes.
    Burden Hours: 11,267.
    Needs and Uses: The SQ-CLASS report covers employer firms with 
establishments located in the United States. These firms can be 
classified in all sectors covered by the Economic Census as defined by 
the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS). The SQ-CLASS 
report requests firms to designate their type of business activity, two 
months of sales or receipts, principle lines of merchandise, whether 
the firm is owned or owns another establishment, not-for-profit status, 
wholesale type of operation, inventories, and method of selling for 
retail and wholesale firms.
    The data collected by the SQ-CLASS report are used to update the 
current business surveys to reflect newly opened establishments. 
Additionally, establishments sampled during the Economic Census will 
receive a data collection instrument specifically tailored to their 
industry based on the classification information obtained by the SQ-
CLASS report.
    To keep current with rapid changes in the marketplace caused by 
business births, deaths, and changes in company organization the Census 
Bureau samples newly assigned Employer Identification Numbers (EINs) 
obtained from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Each EIN can only be 
selected once for the SQ-CLASS report. Based on information collected 
on the SQ-CLASS report, EINs meeting the criteria for inclusion in the 
Census Bureau's current business surveys are eligible for a second 
phase of sampling. The EINs selected in this second phase of sampling 
are asked to report annually on the annual retail, wholesale, and 
service surveys. A subsample of the retail and wholesale EINs are also 
asked to report on the monthly retail and wholesale surveys. Similarly, 
a subsample of the service EINs are asked to report on the Quarterly 
Services Survey.
    The Economic Census and current business surveys represent the 
primary source of facts about the structure and function of the U.S. 
economy, providing essential information to government and the business 
community in making sound decisions. This information helps build the 
foundation for the calculation of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and 
other economic indicators. Crucial to its success are the accuracy and 
reliability of the Business Register (BR) data, which provides the 
Economic Census and current business surveys with their establishment 
lists. The BR is used to identify the set of statistical units that 
represents an economic data collection's target population, which is 
defined by a specific reference period and scope. Critical to the 
quality of information housed in the BR is that each of the statistical 
units has an accurate industry classification, measure of size, 
activity status, and physical address assigned to it. The vital 
information obtained from the SQ-CLASS report is fed back to the BR to 
represent changes in industries and confirm coverage between the years 
of the Economic Census.
    We are proposing one major change to the collection. The change 
will be the way the respondent reports their type of business activity. 
Currently respondents choose the economic sector of their business and 
then provide a brief description of their business activity. Instead of 
providing this description, respondents will select their type of 
business from a list of business activities based on their response to 
the question about their economic sector. If the respondent does not 
see their business activity listed, then they will provide a brief 
description of their business activity. This is the same methodology 
that the Census Bureau uses in the Economic Census to assign industry 
classification.
    The SQ-CLASS Survey is used to supplement the other economic 
surveys at the Census Bureau with business births. At the end of each 
SQ-CLASS processing quarter, a sample of business births is added to 
the other economic surveys. The Census Bureau needs to obtain the 
proper industry classification and a measure of size to be able to 
properly supplement these other surveys with these births. By incuding 
these businesses in the SQ-CLASS survey, we are attempting to assign 
the proper classification to these establishments to ensure that the 
correct Economic Census questionnaire is mailed to the business. 
Certain Economic Census questions are tailored by the industry 
classification. Data are also used for the Census Bureau's County 
Business Patterns program, which is conducted on an annual basis.
    Although no statistical tables are prepared or published, the 
outputs of the SQ-CLASS report directly and critically affect the 
quality of the estimates published for the following surveys:

 Advance Monthly Retail Trade and Food Services Survey (OMB No. 
0607-0104)
 Monthly Wholesale Trade Survey (OMB No. 0607-0190)
 Services Annual Survey (OMB No. 0607-0422)
 Annual Retail Trade Survey (OMB No. 0607-0013)
 Annual Wholesale Trade Survey (OMB No. 0607-0195)
 Quarterly Service Survey (OMB No. 0607-0907)

    The SQ-CLASS report keeps the sample universe current for the 
above-mentioned surveys by a process known as second phase sampling. 
The retail and wholesale EIN units selected in this second sampling are 
placed on a panel to report on monthly surveys. Additional selected 
units are included on a panel to report on annual surveys. The other 
selected EIN units report on an annual and/or quarterly basis in the 
survey for which they are selected. Timely coverage of business births 
by the SQ-CLASS report increases the

[[Page 68293]]

reliability and relevance of the data for these surveys.
    Affected Public: Business or other for-profit, Not-for-profit 
institutions.
    Frequency: One time.
    Respondent's Obligation: Mandatory.
    Legal Authority: Title 13 U.S.C., Sections 131, 182 and 193.
    This information collection request may be viewed at 
www.reginfo.gov. Follow the instructions to view Department of Commerce 
collections currently under review by OMB.
    Written comments and recommendations for the proposed information 
collection should be sent within 30 days of publication of this notice 
to [email protected] or fax to (202) 395-5806.

    Dated: October 29, 2015.
Glenna Mickelson,
Management Analyst, Office of the Chief Information Officer.
[FR Doc. 2015-28031 Filed 11-3-15; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-07-P