[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 248 (Friday, December 28, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 67360-67361]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-28222]


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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 reinstatement with change of the 
``Quick Business Survey Operations Test.'' 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 February 26, 2019.

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

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Background

    The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) intends to conduct a second 
operations test for a Quick Business Survey (QBS). The BLS will build 
on the results of a prior test to further evaluate QBS survey processes 
and operations in a possible production environment. If successful, a 
QBS would permit BLS to collect information about the U.S. economy more 
efficiently than is currently possible. In addition, it would allow 
data users to be able to understand the impact of specific events on 
the economy in a timely manner that would be relevant to data users.
    As with the first operations test, the BLS will test using the 
Annual Refiling Survey (ARS) as a platform for conducting the QBS. Each 
year, the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW) Program 
conducts the ARS by reaching out to approximately 1.2 million 
establishments requesting verification of their main business activity, 
and their mailing and physical location addresses. The fully web-based 
ARS provides a low-cost platform for conducting the QBS. The QBSs 
accompanying the ARS would have little data collection overhead, 
leveraging the address refinement, printing, and mailing efforts that 
are undertaken as part of the production ARS. Respondents already 
logged into the ARS secure website could be directed to a QBS and asked 
to answer a limited number of additional survey questions after 
completing the ARS.

II. Current Action

    Office of Management and Budget clearance is being sought for a 
reinstatement with change of the Quick Business Survey (QBS) Operations 
Test in order to conduct a second test.
    A QBS would allow BLS to leverage the multitude of information 
already known about the sample units to allow

[[Page 67361]]

for targeted sampling. It also would permit BLS to target only the 
units meeting the specific set of characteristics desired allowing BLS 
to delve into specific areas of economic interest without burdening 
establishments which do not meet the specific targeted features. The 
QBS is designed to encourage a fast response and minimize respondent 
burden. In this manner, BLS can provide information that is needed 
quickly and is not collected elsewhere.
    Through the second operations test, the BLS will continue to 
evaluate the following goals: To develop and evaluate a QBS system, to 
understand the extent to which ARS respondents have access to different 
types of information in order to provide parameters for future QBS, and 
to estimate response rates. In addition, the second test will afford 
further analysis of more refined sampling methodology and efforts to 
improve response rates, and will allow the development of a detailed 
cost model for use in potential future production.

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: Quick Business Survey Operations Test.
    OMB Number: 1220-0192.
    Type of Review: Reinstatement with Change.
    Agency: Bureau of Labor Statistics.
    Affected Public: Businesses or other for-profit institutions, not-
for-profit institutions, and farms.
    Total Respondents: 24,230.
    Frequency: One time.
    Total Responses: 24,230.
    Average Time per Response: Three minutes.
    Estimated Total Burden Hours: 1,212 hours.
    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 20th day of December 2018.
Mark Staniorski,
Division Chief, Division of Management Systems, Bureau of Labor 
Statistics.
[FR Doc. 2018-28222 Filed 12-27-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4510-24-P