[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 217 (Wednesday, November 10, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 69128-69129]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-28364]
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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Bureau of Labor Statistics
Proposed Collection, Comment Request
ACTION: Notice.
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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 (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. The
Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) is soliciting comments concerning the
proposed new collection of the ``Quarterly Census of Employment and
Wages Green Goods and Services Survey.'' 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.
DATES: Written comments must be submitted to the office listed in the
Addresses section of this notice on or before January 10, 2011.
ADDRESSES: Send comments to Carol Rowan, 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 fax to 202-691-5111 (this is not a toll free
number).
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Carol Rowan, BLS Clearance Officer, at
202-691-7628 (this is not a toll free number). (See ADDRESSES section.)
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
[[Page 69129]]
I. Background
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) is seeking clearance for the
collection of data on employment related to the production of green
goods and services. The new Green Goods and Services (GGS) survey will
collect data on employment, fiscal year, and the share of revenue or
employment associated with production of green goods or services at the
establishment. Additionally, BLS will expand the existing Occupational
Employment Statistics (OES) survey to collect data on occupational
employment and wages in establishments included in the GGS survey. The
expansion of the existing OES survey will be handled through a separate
nonsubstantive change request.
As the chief source of government data on employment, BLS will
produce data on green goods and services businesses' employment as
tasked by the 2010 Congressional Appropriation. This initiative will
produce regular tabulations of aggregate employment for businesses
whose primary activities fall into green goods and services as defined
by BLS. This series will be key to analyzing workforce trends in this
area. In addition, data will be published on occupational employment
and wages related to these establishments through the OES expansion.
II. Current Action
Office of Management and Budget clearance is being sought for the
Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages Green Goods and Services
Survey.
From the GGS survey, BLS intends to publish a quarterly count of
employment associated with the output of green goods and services at
U.S. business establishments to meet the requirement outlined in the
2010 Congressional Appropriation. BLS plans to publish detailed
industry data for the U.S. and limited data for States.
This survey will use the business register, Quarterly Census of
Employment and Wages (QCEW), maintained by BLS as its sampling frame.
The register contains employment information on establishments in the
U.S. subject to unemployment insurance taxes. This register covers 98
percent of U.S. jobs, available at the county, Metropolitan Statistical
Area (MSA), State, and national levels by industry. The sampling frame
for the GGS survey will be restricted to those establishments
classified in NAICS codes that are determined to be in scope in the BLS
definition of green goods and services.
BLS undertook extensive research to develop data collection forms
and methodology and to understand the collection environment related to
green goods and services. This research was outlined in a prior Federal
Register Notice (75 FR 3926). The research was completed in September
2010; the forms put forth for clearance in this package were field-
tested and incorporate the research and lessons learned from field
testing of earlier versions of the survey form. The survey will collect
data on employment, fiscal year, and revenue or employment share
related to green goods and services at each establishment surveyed. The
share of revenue will be used to estimate employment when employment
share is not reported. BLS determined from prior research and from the
recent forms development research that businesses have difficulty
providing employment associated with the production of green goods and
services while revenue is readily available and less burdensome for the
respondent to report.
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.
Type of Review: New Collection.
Agency: Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Title: Green Goods and Services Survey.
OMB Number: 1220-NEW.
Affected Public: Private sector businesses or other for-profits,
not-for-profit institutions, farms; Federal Government; State and local
governments.
Total Respondents: 120,000.
Frequency: Annual.
Total Responses: 120,000.
Average Time per Response: 15 minutes.
Estimated Total Burden Hours: 30,000.
Total Burden Cost (capital/startup): 482,400.
Total Burden Cost (operating/maintenance): 482,400.
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 5th day of November 2010.
Kimberley Hill,
Chief, Division of Management Systems, Bureau of Labor Statistics.
[FR Doc. 2010-28364 Filed 11-9-10; 8:45 am]
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