[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 191 (Thursday, October 1, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 61995-61996]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-21663]


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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Office of the Secretary


Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission for OMB 
Review; Comment Request; Consumer Expenditure Surveys: Quarterly 
Interview and Diary

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 November 2, 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 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

[[Page 61996]]

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 and 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. For additional substantive information about 
this ICR, see the related notice published in the Federal Register on 
June 11, 2020 (85 FR 35665).
    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: Consumer Expenditure Surveys: Quarterly 
Interview and Diary.
    OMB Control Number: 1220-0050.
    Affected Public: Individuals and households.
    Total Estimated Number of Respondents: 7,535.
    Total Estimated Number of Responses: 60,856.
    Total Estimated Annual Time Burden: 50,669 hours.
    Total Estimated Annual Other Costs Burden: $0.

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

    Dated: September 23, 2020.
Anthony May,
Management and Program Analyst.
[FR Doc. 2020-21663 Filed 9-30-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510-24-P