[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 72 (Thursday, April 14, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 22235-22236]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-07971]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

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.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

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 extension without change of the 
``American Time Use Survey.'' 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 June 13, 2022.

ADDRESSES: Send comments to Erin Good, 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 email to [email protected].

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

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

    The ATUS is the Nation's first federally administered, continuous 
survey on time use in the United States. It measures, for example, time 
spent with children, working, sleeping, or doing leisure activities. In 
the United States, several existing Federal surveys collect income and 
wage data for individuals and families, and analysts often use such 
measures of material prosperity as proxies for quality of life. Time-
use data substantially augment these quality-of-life measures. The data 
also can be used in conjunction with wage data to evaluate the 
contribution of non-market work to national economies. This enables 
comparisons of production between nations that have different mixes of 
market and non-market activities.
    The ATUS develops nationally representative estimates of how people 
spend their time. Respondents also report who was with them during 
activities, where they were, how long each activity lasted, and if they 
were paid. All of this information has numerous practical applications 
for sociologists, economists, educators, government policymakers, 
businesspersons, health researchers, and others, answering questions 
such as:
     Do the ways people use their time vary across demographic 
and labor force characteristics, such as age, sex, race, ethnicity, 
employment status, earnings, and education?
     How much time do parents spend in the company of their 
children, either actively providing care or being with them while 
socializing, relaxing, or doing other things? How has this changed over 
time?
     How are earnings related to leisure time--do those with 
higher earnings spend more or less time relaxing and socializing?
     How much time do people spend working at their workplaces 
and in their homes?
    The ATUS data are collected on an ongoing basis nearly every day of 
the year, allowing analysts to identify changes in how people spend 
their time.

II. Current Action

    Office of Management and Budget clearance is being sought for the 
American Time Use Survey (ATUS). This survey collects information on 
how individuals in the United States use their time. Collection is done 
on a continuous basis with the sample drawn monthly. The survey sample 
is drawn from households completing their 8th month of interviews for 
the Current Population Survey (CPS). Households

[[Page 22236]]

are selected to ensure a nationally-representative demographic sample, 
and one individual from each household is selected to take part in one 
Computer Assisted Telephone Interview. Interviewers ask respondents to 
report all of their activities for one pre-assigned 24-hour day, the 
day prior to the interview. A short series of summary questions and CPS 
updates follows the core time diary collection. After each full year of 
collection, annual national estimates of time use for an average day, 
weekday, and weekend day are published.
    Because the ATUS sample is a subset of households completing 
interviews for the CPS, the same demographic information collected from 
that survey is available for ATUS respondents. Comparisons of activity 
patterns across characteristics such as sex, race, age, disability 
status, and education of the respondent, as well as the presence of 
children and the number of adults living in the respondent's household, 
are possible.

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: American Time Use Survey.
    OMB Number: 1220-0175.
    Type of Review: Extension.
    Affected Public: Individuals or Households.
    Total Respondents: 9,435.
    Frequency: Annually.
    Total Responses: 9,435.
    Average Time per Response: 21.5 minutes.
    Estimated Total Burden Hours: 3,381 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, on April 7, 2022.
Eric Molina,
Acting Chief, Division of Management Systems.
[FR Doc. 2022-07971 Filed 4-13-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510-24-P