[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 151 (Tuesday, August 8, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 37115-37117]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-16692]


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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Bureau of Labor Statistics


Information Collection Activities, Comment Request

AGENCY: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Department of Labor.

ACTION: Notice of information collection, request for comment.

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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. 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 ``The Consumer 
Expenditure Surveys: The Quarterly Interview and the Diary.'' A copy of 
the proposed information collection request 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 October 10, 2017.

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

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fax to 202-691-5111 (this is not a toll free number).

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

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Background

    The Consumer Expenditure (CE) Surveys collect data on consumer 
expenditures, demographic information, and related data needed by the 
Consumer Price Index (CPI) and other public and private data users. The 
continuing surveys provide a constant measurement of changes in 
consumer expenditure patterns for economic analysis and to obtain data 
for future CPI revisions. The CE Surveys have been ongoing since 1979.
    The data from the CE Surveys are used (1) for CPI revisions, (2) to 
provide a continuous flow of data on income and expenditure patterns 
for use in economic analysis and policy formulation, and (3) to provide 
a flexible consumer survey vehicle that is available for use by other 
Federal government agencies. Public and private users of price 
statistics, including Congress and the economic policymaking agencies 
of the Executive branch, rely on data collected in the CPI in their 
day-to-day activities. Hence, data users and policymakers widely accept 
the need to improve the process used for revising the CPI. If the CE 
Surveys were not conducted on a continuing basis, current information 
necessary for more timely, as well as more accurate, updating of the 
CPI would not be available. In addition, data would not be available to 
respond to the continuing demand from the public and private sectors 
for current information on consumer spending.
    In the Quarterly Interview Survey, each consumer unit (CU) in the 
sample is interviewed every three months over four calendar quarters. 
The sample for each quarter is divided into three panels, with CUs 
being interviewed every three months in the same panel of every 
quarter. The Quarterly Interview Survey is designed to collect data on 
the types of expenditures that respondents can be expected to recall 
for a period of three months or longer. In general the expenses 
reported in the Interview Survey are either relatively large, such as 
property, automobiles, or major appliances, or are expenses which occur 
on a fairly regular basis, such as rent, utility bills, or insurance 
premiums.
    The Diary (or recordkeeping) Survey is completed at home by the 
respondent family for two consecutive one-week periods. The primary 
objective of the Diary Survey is to obtain expenditure data on small, 
frequently purchased items which normally are difficult to recall over 
longer periods of time.

II. Current Action

    Office of Management and Budget clearance is being sought for the 
proposed revision of the Consumer Expenditure Surveys: The Quarterly 
Interview and the Diary.
    As part of an ongoing effort to improve data quality, maintain or 
increase response rates, and reduce data collection costs, CE is making 
the below changes.
    Several changes will be implemented in the Quarterly Interview 
Survey including the addition of a veterans question, point of purchase 
or outlet questions, and two studies.
    One question will be added asking whether members of the consumer 
unit aged 16 and over have ever served on active duty in the armed 
forces. The addition of this question will enable CE to publish 
estimates on expenditures by veteran status.
    CE will continue to test the addition of outlet questions, adding 
in the remaining sections of the Quarterly Interview Survey instrument. 
These questions will be added beginning July 2018.
    CE will test the effect of providing respondents with a Spending 
Summary Report (SSR) on respondent cooperation and survey experience. 
The test will be fielded from July through September 2018 and April 
through May 2019. The test is designed to address response rates, which 
have been trending downward over the past twenty years. At the end of 
the 1st Interview, respondents will be offered the option to receive a 
SSR. Results of the field test will be used to inform the final design 
of the CE Gemini Redesign's use of a similar Spending Summary Report.
    CE will also test the addition of a Quarterly Interview Survey 
Worksheet to be fielded April through May 2019 and October through 
December 2019. CE will evaluate both the feasibility of using this 
worksheet based on debriefing questions and the effect of using the 
worksheet on the data.
    No changes will be made in Diary.
    A full list of the proposed changes to the Quarterly Interview 
Survey are available upon request.

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.
    Title of Collection: The Consumer Expenditure Surveys: The 
Quarterly Interview and the Diary.
    OMB Number: 1220-0050.
    Type of Review: Revision, of a currently approved collection.
    Affected Public: Individuals or Households.

                       Total Response Burden for the Quarterly Interview and Diary Surveys
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                                                                                   Average  time
                                       Total         Frequency         Total       per response      Estimated
                                    respondents                      responses       (minutes)     total burden
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Quarterly Interview Survey......            6075          4.5959          27,920         59.3897          27,636
Diary Survey....................           5,680          4.2007          23,860         59.9925          23,857
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    Totals......................          11,755  ..............          51,780  ..............          51,493
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    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 2nd day of August 2017.
Kimberley Hill,
Chief, Division of Management Systems.
[FR Doc. 2017-16692 Filed 8-7-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4510-24-P