Notice2023-20095
Information Collection Activities; Comment Request
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
September 18, 2023
Issuing agencies
Labor DepartmentLabor Statistics Bureau
Abstract
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. 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 "The Consumer Expenditure Surveys: The Quarterly Interview and the Diary." A copy of the proposed information collection request can be obtained by contacting the individual listed below in the Addresses section of this notice.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 88 Issue 179 (Monday, September 18, 2023)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 179 (Monday, September 18, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 63977-63978]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2023-20095]
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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Bureau of Labor Statistics
Information Collection Activities; Comment Request
AGENCY: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Department of Labor.
ACTION: Notice of information collection, request for comment.
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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. 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 ``The Consumer
Expenditure Surveys: The Quarterly Interview and the Diary.'' A copy of
the proposed information collection request 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 November 17, 2023.
ADDRESSES: Send comments to Nora Kincaid, BLS Clearance Officer,
Division of Management Systems, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Room G225,
2 Massachusetts Avenue NE, Washington, DC 20212. Written comments also
may be transmitted by email to <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#8ccec0dfd3dcdecdd3dcf9eee0e5efcceee0ffa2ebe3fa"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="440608171b1416051b143126282d27042628376a232b32">[email protected]</span></a>.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Nora Kincaid, BLS Clearance Officer,
at 202-691-7628 (this is not a toll-free number). (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 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 four 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. Current Action
Office of Management and Budget clearance is being sought to
continue the Consumer Expenditure Surveys: The Quarterly Interview
(CEQ) and the Diary (CED) and to make modifications to both.
In the CEQ, as part of CE's ongoing effort to streamline the
questionnaire, CE requests clearance to make the following
modifications to the Computer Assisted Personal Interview (CAPI)
instrument: rewording items to make collection easier cognitively,
grouping similar items together, aggregating collection of items
previously collected separately, and eliminating several questions.
Specifically, the changes will include the following:
A new `Household Services' section groups question on the items
that were asked across the interview survey including termite/pest
control, gardening/lawn care, water softening, septic tank cleaning,
housekeeping, home security system fees, moving/storage/freight,
heating or air conditioning contracts, home warranties/maintenance/
service contracts on household appliances, and other home services or
repair jobs.
For the `Owned Properties' section, the list of items included in
payments was simplified, and questions regarding why a payment amount
changed were added, including related questions for additional
principal/interest, and late/other fees. For the `Utilities' section,
the list of phone/cable/internet expenses was consolidated, and
questions about breaking out cable/internet fees from a bundled bill
are no longer asked. The `Medical expenditures' section was also
consolidated, reworded, and reordered.
The CE also requests clearance for minor changes to both the CED
CAPI Instrument and the Diary form. Changes to the CAPI instrument
include consolidating the grocery questions to one question and adding
a question to give respondents the option of reporting online or by
paper diary. Changes to the Diary form include adding instructions to
include delivery fees for `Meals Away from Home' in addition to tax and
tip. We also request approval for adding help videos for respondents
who choose to use the online diary to report their diary expenditures.
III. Desired Focus of Comments
The Bureau of Labor Statistics is particularly interested in
comments that:
<bullet> Evaluate whether the proposed collection of information is
necessary for the proper performance of the
[[Page 63978]]
functions of the agency, including whether the information will have
practical utility.
<bullet> 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.
<bullet> Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the
information to be collected.
<bullet> 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.
Title of Collection: The Consumer Expenditure Surveys: The
Quarterly Interview and the Diary.
OMB Number: 1220-0050.
Type of Review: Revision.
Affected Public: Individuals or Households.
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Total Total Average time Estimated
Form respondents Frequency responses per response total burden
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CEQ--Interview.................. 4,600 4 18,400 63 19,320
CEQ--Reinterview................ 2,208 1 2,208 10 368
CED--Diary Record-keeping....... 6,200 2 12,400 60 12,400
CED--Diary Interview............ 6,200 2 12,400 19 3,927
CED Diary Reinterview........... 1,240 1 1,240 10 207
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Totals...................... 10,800 .............. 46,648 .............. 36,222
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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, on this 12th day of September 2023.
Eric Molina,
Acting Chief, Division of Management Systems.
[FR Doc. 2023-20095 Filed 9-15-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510-24-P
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