[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 188 (Monday, September 28, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 60836-60837]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-21301]


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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Office of the Secretary


Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission for OMB 
Review; Comment Request; Current Population Survey--Basic Labor Force

ACTION: Notice of availability; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Labor (DOL) is submitting this Bureau of 
Labor Statistics (BLS)-sponsored information collection request (ICR) 
to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval in 
accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA). Public 
comments on the ICR are invited.

DATES: The OMB will consider all written comments that agency receives 
on or before October 28, 2020.

ADDRESSES: Written comments and recommendations for the proposed 
information collection should be sent within 30 days of publication of 
this notice to www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain. Find this particular 
information collection by selecting ``Currently under 30-day Review--
Open for Public Comments'' or by using the search function.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Anthony May by telephone at 202-693-
4129 (this is not a toll-free number) or by email at 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Comments are invited on: (1) Whether the 
collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of 
the functions of the Department, including whether the information will 
have practical utility; (2) if the information will be processed and 
used in a timely manner; (3) the accuracy of the agency's estimates of 
the burden and cost of the collection of information, including the 
validity of the methodology and assumptions used; (4) ways to enhance 
the quality, utility and clarity of the information collection; and (5) 
ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on those 
who are to respond, including the use of automated collection 
techniques or other forms of information technology.
    The CPS has been the principal source of the official Government 
statistics on employment and unemployment for over 75 years. The labor 
force information gathered through the survey is of paramount 
importance in keeping track of the economic health of the Nation. The 
survey is the only source of monthly data on total employment and 
unemployment. The Employment Situation news release contains data from 
this survey and is designated as a Principal Federal Economic Indicator 
(PFEI). Moreover, the survey also yields data on the characteristics of 
persons not in the labor force. The CPS data are used monthly, in 
conjunction with data from other sources, to analyze the extent to 
which, and with what success, the various components of the American 
population are participating in the economic life of the Nation. The 
labor force data gathered through the CPS are provided to users in the 
greatest detail possible, in conjunction with the demographic 
information obtained in the survey. In brief, the labor force data can 
be broken down by sex, age, race, ethnicity, marital status, family 
composition, educational level, certification and licensing status, 
disability status, and other characteristics. Through such breakdowns, 
one can focus on the employment situation of specific population groups 
as well as on general trends in employment and unemployment. 
Information of this type can be obtained only through demographically 
oriented surveys such as the CPS. The basic CPS data also are used as 
an important platform on which to base the data derived from the 
various supplemental questions that are administered in conjunction 
with the survey. By coupling the basic data from the monthly survey 
with the special data from the supplements, one can get valuable 
insights on the behavior of American workers and on the social and 
economic health of their families. There is wide interest in the 
monthly CPS data among Government policymakers, legislators, 
economists, the media, and the general public. While the data from the 
CPS are used in conjunction with data from other surveys in assessing 
the economic health of the Nation, they are unique in various ways. 
Specifically, they are the basis for much of the monthly Employment 
Situation report, a PFEI. They provide a monthly, nationally 
representative measure of total employment, including farm work, self-
employment, and unpaid family work; other surveys are generally 
restricted to the nonagricultural wage and salary sector, or provide 
less timely information. The CPS provides data on all job seekers, and 
on all persons outside the labor force, while payroll-based surveys 
cannot, by definition, cover these sectors of the population. Finally, 
the CPS data on employment, unemployment, and on persons not in the 
labor force can be linked to the demographic characteristics of the 
many groups that make up the Nation's population, while the data from 
other surveys often have limited demographic information. Many groups, 
both in the government and in the private sector, are eager to analyze 
this wealth of demographic and labor force data. For additional 
substantive information about this ICR, see the related notice 
published in the Federal Register on May 18, 2020 (85 FR 29749).
    This information collection is subject to the PRA. A Federal agency 
generally cannot conduct or sponsor a collection of information, and 
the public is generally not required to respond to an information 
collection, unless the OMB approves it and displays a currently valid 
OMB Control Number. In addition, notwithstanding any other provisions 
of law, no person shall generally be subject to penalty for failing to 
comply with a collection of information that does not display a valid 
OMB Control Number. See 5 CFR 1320.5(a) and 1320.6.
    DOL seeks PRA authorization for this information collection for 
three (3) years. OMB authorization for an ICR cannot be for more than 
three (3) years without renewal. The DOL notes that information 
collection requirements submitted to the OMB for existing ICRs receive 
a month-to-month extension while they undergo review.
    Agency: DOL-BLS.
    Title of Collection: Current Population Survey--Basic Labor Force.
    OMB Control Number: 1220-0100.
    Affected Public: Individuals and households.
    Total Estimated Number of Respondents: 49,500 (per month)/549,000 
(per year).
    Total Estimated Number of Responses: 594,000.
    Total Estimated Annual Time Burden: 85,140 hours.
    Total Estimated Annual Other Costs Burden: $0.

    Authority: 44 U.S.C. 3507(a)(1)(D).


[[Page 60837]]


    Dated: September 22, 2020.
Anthony May,
Management and Program Analyst.
[FR Doc. 2020-21301 Filed 9-25-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510-24-P