[Federal Register: July 16, 2004 (Volume 69, Number 136)]
[Notices]
[Page 42651-42652]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr16jy04-29]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
Census Bureau
2004-2006 Company Organization Survey
ACTION: Proposed information 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 September 14,
2004.
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, U.S. Census Bureau, Room 2747,
Federal Building 3, Washington, DC 20233-6100; telephone (301) 763-
4058.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Abstract
The Census Bureau conducts the annual Company Organization Survey
(COS) in order to update and maintain a central, multipurpose Business
Register (BR). In particular, the COS supplies critical information on
the composition, organizational structure, and operating
characteristics of multi-location 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 2004-2006 COS in a similar
manner as the 2003 COS. These collections will direct inquiries to
approximately 55,000 multi-establishment companies, which operate over
1.2 million establishments. This panel will be drawn from the BR
universe of nearly 200,000 multi-establishment companies, which operate
1.6 million establishments. Additionally, the panel will include
approximately 10,000 large single-establishment companies that may have
added locations during the year.
The mailing list for the 2004-2006 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. The mailing list also
will include entities that are most likely to have added establishments
at other locations.
For 2004-2006, 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
[[Page 42652]]
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
2004-2006 COS in order to enhance content. We will include questions on
leased employees working in the company and questions on research and
development activities performed by the company.
III. Data
OMB Number: 0607-0444.
Form Number: NC-99001 and NC-99007 (for single-location companies).
Type of Review: Regular submission.
Affected Public: Businesses and not-for-profit institutions.
Estimated Number of Respondents: 65,000 enterprises.
Estimated Time per Response: 2.09 hours.
Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 135,917.
Estimated Total Annual Cost: Included in the total annual cost of
the BR, which is estimated to be $10.9 million for fiscal year 2004.
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) 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: July 12, 2004.
Madeleine Clayton,
Office of the Chief Information Officer.
[FR Doc. 04-16134 Filed 7-15-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-07-P