[Federal Register: March 31, 2003 (Volume 68, Number 61)]
[Notices]
[Page 15430-15431]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr31mr03-52]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
Census Bureau
2003 Company Organization Survey
ACTION: Proposed collection; comment request.
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SUMMARY: The Department of Commerce, as part of its continuing efforts
to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general public
and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on
proposed and/or continuing information collections, as required by the
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Public Law 104-13 (44 U.S.C.
3506(c)(2)(A)).
DATES: Written comments must be submitted on or before May 30, 2003.
ADDRESSES: Direct all written comments to Diana Hynek, Departmental
Paperwork Clearance Officer, Department of Commerce, Room 6625, 14th
and Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20230 (or via the Internet
at dhynek@doc.gov).
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information or
copies of the information collection instrument(s) and instructions
should be directed to Paul Hanczaryk, Bureau of the Census, Room 2747,
Federal Building 3, Washington, DC 20233-6100; telephone (301) 763-
4058.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Abstract
The Census Bureau conducts the annual Company Organization Survey
(COS) in order to update and maintain a central, multipurpose Business
Register (BR), formerly known as the Standard Statistical Establishment
List (SSEL). In particular, the COS supplies critical information on
the composition, organizational structure, and operating
characteristics of multi-establishment companies.
The BR serves two fundamental purposes:
First and most important, it provides sampling populations and
enumeration lists for the Census Bureau's economic surveys and
censuses, and it serves as an integral part of the statistical
foundation underlying those programs. Essential for this purpose is the
BR's ability to identify all known United States business
establishments and their parent companies. Further, the BR must
accurately record basic business attributes needed to control sampling
and enumeration. These attributes include industrial and geographic
classifications, and contact information (for example, name and
address).
Second, it provides establishment data that serve as the basis for
the annual County Business Patterns (CBP) statistical series. The CBP
reports present data on number of establishments, first quarter
payroll, annual payroll, and mid-March employment summarized by
industry and employment size class for the United States, the District
of Columbia, Puerto Rico, counties, and county-equivalents. No other
annual or more frequent series of industry statistics provides
comparable detail, particularly for small geographic areas.
II. Method of Collection
The Census Bureau will conduct the 2003 COS in the same manner as
the 2001 COS. (In 2002 the COS was conducted in conjunction with the
2002 Economic Census to minimize response burden). These collections
will direct inquiries to approximately 80,000 multi-establishment
companies, which operate over 1.1 million establishments. This panel
will be drawn from the BR universe of nearly 200,000 multi-
establishment companies, which operate 1.6 million establishments.
The mailing list for the 2003 COS will include a certainty
component, consisting of all multi-establishment companies with 50 or
more employees, and those multi-establishment companies with
administrative record values that indicate organizational changes. A
non-certainty component will be drawn from the remaining multi-
establishment companies based on employment size.
For 2003, electronic reporting will be available to all COS
respondents. Companies will receive and return responses by secure
Internet transmission. Companies that cannot use the Internet will
receive a CD-ROM containing their electronic data. All respondents will
be allowed to mail the data via diskette or CD-ROM or submit their
response data via the Internet.
The instrument will include inquiries on ownership or control by a
domestic parent, ownership or control by a foreign parent, and
ownership of foreign affiliates. Further, the instrument will list an
inventory of establishments belonging to the company and its
subsidiaries, and will request updates to these inventories, including
additions, deletions, and changes to information on EIN, name and
address, industrial classification, payroll, end-of-year operating
status, mid-March employment, first quarter payroll, and annual
payroll.
Additionally, the Census Bureau will ask certain questions in the
2003 COS in order to enhance content. We will include questions on the
number of leased employees working in the establishments of the company
and questions on research and development activities performed by the
company.
III. Data
OMB Number: 0607-0444.
Form Number: NC-99001.
Type of Review: Regular submission.
Affected Public: Businesses or other for-profit, not-for-profit
institutions.
Estimated Number of Respondents: 80,000 enterprises.
Estimated Time Per Response: 1.76 hours.
Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 141,000.
Estimated Total Annual Cost: Included in the total annual cost of
the BR, which is estimated to be $10.3 million for fiscal year 2003.
Respondent's Obligation: Mandatory.
Legal Authority: Title 13 of United States Code, Sections 182, 195,
224, and 225.
IV. Request for Comments
Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed collection of
information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of
the agency, including whether the information shall have practical
utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden
(including hours and cost) of the proposed collection of information;
(c)
[[Page 15431]]
ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to
be collected; and (d) ways to minimize the burden of the collection of
information on respondents, including through the use of automated
collection techniques or other forms of information technology.
Comments submitted in response to this notice will be summarized
and/or included in the request for OMB approval of this information
collection; they also will become a matter of public record.
Dated: March 25, 2003.
Madeleine Clayton,
Management Analyst, Office of the Chief Information Officer.
[FR Doc. 03-7540 Filed 3-28-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-07-P