[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 161 (Friday, August 19, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 55485-55487]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-19834]


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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,

[[Page 55486]]

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 revision of the ``National Longitudinal Survey 
of Youth 1997.'' A copy of the proposed information collection request 
(ICR) can be obtained by contacting the individual listed in the 
Addresses section of this notice.

DATES: Written comments must be submitted to the office listed in the 
Addresses section below on or before October 18, 2016.

ADDRESSES: Send comments to Nora Kincaid, 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: Nora Kincaid, BLS Clearance Officer, 
202-691-7628 (this is not a toll free number). (See ADDRESSES section.)

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Background

    The National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997 (NLSY97) is a 
nationally representative sample of persons who were born in the years 
1980 to 1984. These respondents were ages 12-17 when the first round of 
annual interviews began in 1997; starting with round sixteen, the 
NLSY97 is conducted on a biennial basis. Round eighteen interviews will 
occur from September 2017 to May 2018. The Bureau of Labor Statistics 
(BLS) contracts with a vendor to conduct the NLSY97. The primary 
objective of the survey is to study the transition from schooling to 
the establishment of careers and families. The longitudinal focus of 
this survey requires information to be collected from the same 
individuals over many years in order to trace their education, 
training, work experience, fertility, income, and program 
participation.
    One of the goals of the Department of Labor (DOL) is to produce and 
disseminate timely, accurate, and relevant information about the U.S. 
labor force. The BLS contributes to this goal by gathering information 
about the labor force and labor market and disseminating it to 
policymakers and the public so that participants in those markets can 
make more informed, and thus more efficient, choices. Research based on 
the NLSY97 contributes to the formation of national policy in the areas 
of education, training, work experience, fertility, income, and program 
participation. In addition to the reports that the BLS produces based 
on data from the NLSY97, members of the academic community publish 
articles and reports based on NLSY97 data for the DOL and other funding 
agencies. To date, approximately 497 articles examining NLSY97 data 
have been published in scholarly journals. The survey design provides 
data gathered from the same respondents over time to form the only 
dataset that contains this type of information for this important 
population group. Without the collection of these data, an accurate 
longitudinal dataset could not be provided to researchers and 
policymakers, thus adversely affecting the DOL's ability to perform its 
policy- and report-making activities.

II. Current Action

    The BLS seeks approval to conduct round 18 of biennial interviews 
of the NLSY97. Respondents of the NLSY97 will undergo an interview of 
approximately 72 minutes during which they will answer questions about 
schooling and labor market experiences, family relationships, and 
community background.
    During the fielding period for the main round 18 interviews, about 
2 percent of respondents will be asked to participate in a brief 
validation interview a few weeks after the initial interview. The 
purpose of the validation interview is to verify that the initial 
interview took place as the interviewer reported and to assess the data 
quality of selected questionnaire items.
    For round 18, we propose to convert the NLSY97 to a predominantly 
telephone survey. We anticipate that approximately 75 percent of 
interviews will be completed by telephone.
    The round 18 questionnaire will resemble the round 17 questionnaire 
with few modifications. New questions for the round 18 questionnaire 
include questions on job tasks. In addition, extensive minor edits have 
been made to adapt the round 18 instrument for predominantly telephone 
administration, including the removal of references to show cards, 
introductory statements, reduction of self-administered content, and 
shortening of code frames.
    As in prior rounds of the NLSY97, round 18 will include a pretest 
conducted several months before the main fielding to test survey 
procedures and questions and resolve problems before the main fielding 
begins. Because of the transition to phone interviewing, the pretest 
for round 18 precedes main fielding by a longer period of time (an 
additional 2 months) to correct any problems encountered in the 
pretest.

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: Revision of a currently approved collection.
    Agency: Bureau of Labor Statistics.
    Title: National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997.
    OMB Number: 1220-0157.
    Affected Public: Individuals or households.

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                                                                                                                           Average time      Estimated
                     Form                           Total                      Frequency                       Total       per response    total burden
                                                 respondents                                                 responses       (minutes)        (hours)
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NLSY97 Pretest April/May 2017................             150  One-time.................................             150              72             180

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Main NLSY97: September 2017-May 2018.........           6,980  One-time.................................           6,980              72           8,376
Validation interview: October 2017-June 2018.             139  One-time.................................             139               4               9
                                              ----------------                                           ----------------                ---------------
    Totals *.................................           7,130  .........................................           7,269  ..............           8,565
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* The difference between the total number of respondents and the total number of responses reflects the fact that about 6,980 are expected to complete
  the main interview. In addition, about 139 respondents will be interviewed twice, once in the main survey and a second time in the 4-minute validation
  interview.

    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 15th day of August 2016.
Kimberley D. Hill,
Chief, Division of Management Systems, Bureau of Labor Statistics.
[FR Doc. 2016-19834 Filed 8-18-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4510-24-P