Federal Register: March 12, 2007 (Volume 72, Number 47)
DOCID: fr12mr07-135 FR Doc E7-4330
DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Labor Statistics Bureau
NOTICE: NOTICES
DOCID: fr12mr07-135
DOCUMENT ACTION: Notice.
SUBJECT CATEGORY:
Proposed Collection; Comment Request
DATES: Written comments must be submitted to the office listed in the ADDRESSES section below on or before May 11, 2007.
DOCUMENT SUMMARY:
The Department of Labor, as part of its continuing effort to
reduce paperwork and respondent burden, conducts a preclearance
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
[[Page 11059]]
(PRA95) [44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)]. 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. Currently, the Bureau of Labor
Statistics (BLS) is soliciting comments concerning the proposed
extension of the ``Current Population Survey (CPS).'' 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.
SUMMARY:
Agency information collection activities; proposals, submissions, and approvals,
SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION
I. Background
The CPS has been the principal source of the official Government statistics on employment and unemployment for over 60 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 data on total employment and unemployment, with the monthly unemployment rate obtained through this survey being regarded as one of the most important economic indicators. Moreover, the survey also yields data on the basic status and 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 the various components of the American population are participating in the economic life of the Nation and with what success.
The labor force data gathered through the CPS are provided to users in the greatest detail possible, consistent with the demographic information obtained in the survey. In brief, the labor force data can be broken down by sex, age, race and ethnic origin, marital status, family composition, educational level, and other characteristics. Through such breakdowns, one can focus on the employment situation of specific population groups as well as on the 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. They provide a measurement of total employment, including farm work, selfemployment and unpaid family work, while the other surveys are generally restricted to the nonagricultural wage and salary sector. The CPS provides data on all jobseekers, 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 are usually devoid of demographic information.
II. Desired Focus of Comments
The Bureau of Labor Statistics is particularly interested in comments that:
III. Current Action
Office of Management and Budget clearance is being sought for the Current Population Survey (CPS).
Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved collection.
Agency: Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Title: Current Population Survey (CPS).
OMB Number: 12200100.
Affected Public: Households.
Total Respondents: 55,000 per month.
Frequency: Monthly.
Total Responses: 660,000.
Average Time Per Response: 7 minutes.
Estimated Total Burden Hours: 77,000 hours.
Total Burden Cost (capital/startup): $0.
Total Burden Cost (operating/maintenance): $0.
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 7th day of March 2007. Mark Staniorski,
Acting Chief, Division of Management Systems, Bureau of Labor Statistics.
[FR Doc. E74330 Filed 3907; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 451024P
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT
Amy A. Hobby, BLS Clearance Officer, 2026917628. (See ADDRESSES section.)