[Federal Register: April 4, 2008 (Volume 73, Number 66)]
[Notices]
[Page 18573-18574]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr04ap08-105]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Bureau of Labor Statistics
Proposed Collection; Comment Request
ACTION: Notice.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
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 revision of the ``National Longitudinal Survey of Youth
1997.'' A copy of the proposed information collection request (ICR) can
be obtained by contacting the individual listed in the ADDRESSES
section of this notice.
DATES: Written comments must be submitted to the office listed in the
ADDRESSES section below on or before June 3, 2008.
ADDRESSES: Send comments to Amy A. Hobby, BLS Clearance Officer,
Division of Management Systems, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Room 4080,
2 Massachusetts Avenue, NE., Washington, DC 20212, 202-691-7628. (This
is not a toll free number.)
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Amy A. Hobby, BLS Clearance Officer,
202-691-7628. (See ADDRESSES section.)
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Background
The National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997 (NLSY97) is a
nationally representative sample of persons who were born in the years
1980 to 1984. These respondents were ages 12-17 when the first round of
annual interviews began in 1997; the twelfth round of annual interviews
will be conducted from September 2008 to May 2009. The Bureau of Labor
Statistics (BLS) contracts with the National Opinion Research Center
(NORC) at the University of Chicago to conduct the NLSY97. The primary
objective of the survey is to study the transition from schooling to
the establishment of careers and families. The longitudinal focus of
this survey requires information to be collected from the same
individuals over many years in order to trace their education,
training, work experience, fertility, income, and program
participation.
One of the goals of the Department of Labor (DOL) is to produce and
disseminate timely, accurate, and relevant information about the U.S.
labor force. The BLS contributes to this goal by gathering information
about the labor force and labor market and disseminating it to
policymakers and the public so that participants in those markets can
make more informed, and thus more efficient, choices. Research based on
the NLSY97 contributes to the formation of national policy in the areas
of education, training, employment programs, and school-to-work
transitions. In addition to the reports that the BLS produces based on
data from the NLSY97, members of the academic community publish
articles and reports based on NLSY97 data for the DOL and other funding
agencies. To date, more than 70 articles examining NLSY97 data have
been published in scholarly journals. The survey design provides data
gathered from the same respondents over time to form the only data set
that contains this type of information for this important population
group. Without the collection of these data, an accurate longitudinal
data set could not be provided to researchers and policymakers, thus
adversely affecting the DOL's ability to perform its policy- and
report-making activities.
II. Current Action
The BLS seeks approval to conduct round 12 of annual interviews of
the NLSY97. Respondents to the NLSY97 will undergo an interview of
approximately one hour during which they will answer questions about
schooling and labor market experiences, family relationships, and
community background. During the fielding period for the main round 12
interviews, about 2 percent of respondents will be asked to participate
in a brief validation interview a few weeks after the initial
interview. The purpose of the validation interview is to verify that
the initial interview took place as the interviewer reported and to
assess the data quality of selected questionnaire items.
The BLS proposes to record randomly selected segments of the main
interviews and all validation interviews during round 12. Recording
interviews can help the BLS and NORC to ensure that the interviews
actually took place and that interviewers are reading the questions
exactly as worded and entering the responses properly. Recording also
can help to identify parts of the interview that might be causing
problems or misunderstanding for interviewers or respondents. The BLS
and NORC will not release any variables that are developed from the
recording of the interviews to anyone not associated with the NLS
program at the BLS or its contractors. Each respondent will be informed
that the interview may be recorded for quality control, testing, and
training purposes. If the respondent objects to the recording of the
interview, the interviewer will confirm to the respondent that the
interview will not be recorded and then proceed with the interview.
[[Page 18574]]
During round 12, the BLS proposes to modify the financial and in-
kind incentives offered to respondents to encourage greater cooperation
both in the current round and in future rounds. The changes to the
round 12 incentive structure are based on the results of an incentive
experiment conducted during rounds 10 and 11. Other changes in round 12
include asking the political participation questions that were asked
previously in rounds 8 and 10. The round 12 questionnaire includes an
item in the health section and in the interviewer remarks section
asking the respondent and interviewer, respectively, to code the
respondent's skin color on a scale from 0 to 10. This information is
useful for studying workplace discrimination and for assessing the risk
of certain health conditions.
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: Revision of a currently approved collection.
Agency: Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Title: National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997.
OMB Number: 1220-0157.
Affected Public: Individuals or households.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Average time Estimated
Form Total Frequency Total per response total burden
respondents responses (min.) (hours)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Main Round 12 Interview....... 7,350 Annually........ 7,350 60 7,350
Round 12 Validation Interview. 147 Annually........ 147 4 10
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Totals.................... 7,497 ................ 7,497 .............. 7,360
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The difference between the total number of respondents and the total number of responses reflects the fact that
about 147 respondents will be interviewed twice, once in the main round 12 survey and a second time in the
validation interview.
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 31st day of March, 2008.
Kimberley Hill,
Acting Chief, Division of Management Systems, Bureau of Labor
Statistics.
[FR Doc. E8-6965 Filed 4-3-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510-24-P