[Federal Register: April 30, 2004 (Volume 69, Number 84)]
[Notices]
[Page 23820-23821]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr30ap04-108]
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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.
Currently, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) is soliciting comments
concerning the proposed revision of ``The Consumer Expenditure Surveys:
The Quarterly Interview and the Diary.'' 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 below on or before June 29, 2004.
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, telephone number
202-691-7628. (This is not a toll free number.)
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Amy A. Hobby, BLS Clearance Officer,
telephone number 202-691-7628. (See ADDRESSES section.)
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I.Background
The Consumer Expenditure (CE) Surveys collect data on consumer
expenditures, demographic information, and related data needed by the
Consumer Price Index (CPI) and other public and private data users. The
continuing surveys provide a constant measurement of changes in
consumer expenditure patterns for economic analysis and to obtain data
for future CPI revisions. The CE Surveys have been ongoing since 1979.
The data from the CE Surveys are used (1) For CPI revisions, (2) to
provide a continuous flow of data on income and expenditure patterns
for use in economic analysis and policy formulation, and (3) to provide
a flexible consumer survey vehicle that is available for use by other
Federal Government agencies. Public and private users of price
statistics, including Congress and the economic policymaking agencies
of the Executive branch, rely on data collected in the CPI in their
day-to-day activities. Hence, data users and policymakers widely accept
the need to improve the process used for revising the CPI. If the CE
Surveys were not conducted on a continuing basis, current information
necessary for more timely, as well as more accurate, updating of the
CPI would not be available. In addition, data would not be available to
respond to the
[[Page 23821]]
continuing demand from the public and private sectors for current
information on consumer spending.
In the Quarterly Interview Survey, each consumer unit (CU) in the
sample is interviewed every three months over five calendar quarters.
The sample for each quarter is divided into three panels, with CUs
being interviewed every three months in the same panel of every
quarter. The Quarterly Interview Survey is designed to collect data on
the types of expenditures that respondents can be expected to recall
for a period of three months or longer. In general the expenses
reported in the Interview Survey are either relatively large, such as
property, automobiles, or major appliances, or are expenses which occur
on a fairly regular basis, such as rent, utility bills, or insurance
premiums.
The Diary (or recordkeeping) Survey is completed at home by the
respondent family for two consecutive one-week periods. The primary
objective of the Diary Survey is to obtain expenditure data on small,
frequently purchased items which normally are difficult to recall over
longer periods of time.
II. 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; and
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.
III. Current Action
The BLS and the Census Bureau have completed a sample redesign
based on the 2000 Census to be implemented for the Quarterly Interview
in November, 2004 and for the Diary in January, 2005. While the new
sample is introduced for the Quarterly Interview, there will be some
overlap of old and new samples in some primary sampling units (PSUs) or
areas in which CE data are collected.
The BLS also is introducing a new Diary in which respondents report
their daily expenditures. The BLS has reduced the number of ``parts''
of the Diary from five to four, eliminating ``Food and Drinks as
Gifts'' as a separate part. In the remaining parts, the subgroups have
either decreased or been eliminated, making it easier for the
respondent to record their purchases. In the ``Food and Drinks Away
From Home'' part, there are check boxes that help the respondent report
the type of information the BLS needs. There also are fold-outs that
have helpful tips for reporting information and a pocket for receipts
to aid in remembering expenditures. These changes will facilitate the
task of filling out the Diary for the respondent.
Because of the implementation of Computer Assisted Personal
Interview (CAPI) for the Quarterly Interview, the estimate of the time
it takes to complete an interview has changed. Based on timing data
maintained within the instrument, the BLS has determined the average
interview time to be 70 minutes, down from an estimated 90 minutes. The
BLS only recently implemented CAPI for the Diary Household
Characteristics Survey and is unable to calculate the average at this
time. The BLS is expecting a decrease in the average time for Diary
interviews for the next clearance.
Type of Review: Revision of a currently approved collection.
Agency: Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Title: The Consumer Expenditure Surveys: The Quarterly Interview
and the Diary.
OMB Number: 1220-0050.
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Estimated
Form Total Frequency Total Average time total burden
respondents responses per response (in hours)
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CE Quarterly Interview CAPI 11,024 4 44,096 70 51,445
Instrument.....................
Quarterly Interview Reinterview 3,528 1 3,528 15 882
CPI instrument.................
CE Diary: Household 7,676 3 23,028 25 9,595
Questionnaire CAPI instrument..
CE Diary: CE-801, Record of Your 7,676 2 15,352 105 26,866
Daily Expenses.................
CE Diary Reinterview CAPI 921 1 921 15 230
instrument.....................
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Totals...................... 18,700 .............. 86,925 .............. 89,018
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Please note: Reinterview respondents are a subset of the original number of respondents for each survey.
Therefore, they are not counted again in the totals. Also, for the Diary, the ``Record of Your Daily
Expenses'' respondents are the same as the ``Household Questionnaire'' respondents.
Affected Public: Individuals or households.
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 21st day of April, 2004.
Cathy Kazanowski,
Chief, Division of Management Systems, Bureau of Labor Statistics.
[FR Doc. 04-9807 Filed 4-29-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510-24-P