Notice2025-19131
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
October 1, 2025
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 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 90 Issue 188 (Wednesday, October 1, 2025)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 188 (Wednesday, October 1, 2025)]
[Notices]
[Pages 47343-47345]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2025-19131]
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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:
[[Page 47344]]
The 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 December 1, 2025.
ADDRESSES: Send comments to Nora Kincaid, BLS Clearance Officer,
Division of Management Systems, Bureau of Labor Statistics, 4600 Silver
Hill Road, Washington, DC 20212-0002. Written comments also may be
transmitted by email to <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#fab8b6a9a5aaa8bba5aa8f98969399ba989689d49d958c"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="d6949a85898684978986a3b4babfb596b4baa5f8b1b9a0">[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 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
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 Interview and the Diary
and to make modifications to both.
In the CE Interview Survey, wording changes have been made to
clarify answer choices and add examples in the Owned Living Quarters,
Appliances, Home Furnishings, Vehicle Operating Expenses,
Subscriptions, Memberships, Books, and Entertainment Expenses,
Miscellaneous Expenses, and Expense Patterns sections. In the last
section of the survey, several questions that assess respondent burden,
survey length, time taken by interviewer, and record use which are only
used for research have been removed.
Additionally, wording and design changes were made to update the
advance letters for the Interview and Diary Surveys to improve
readability and clarity. An addition to the paper version an online
version has been added for the Information Booklet that provides
examples to aid respondent reporting. The Online Information Booklet,
which is available on the Census CE web page will allow respondents to
access the Information Booklet on their own devices.
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 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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CE Interview Survey............. 4,250 4 17,000 67 18,983
CE Interview Survey Reinterview. 2,040 1 2,040 10 340
CE Diary Survey Recordkeeping... 5,700 2 11,400 60 11,400
CE Diary Survey Interview....... 5,700 2 11,400 19 3,610
CE Diary Survey Reinterview..... 1,653 1 1,653 10 276
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Totals...................... 9,950 .............. 43,493 .............. 34,609
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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.
[[Page 47345]]
Signed on September 26, 2025.
Eric Molina,
Chief, Division of Management Systems, Branch of Policy Analysis.
[FR Doc. 2025-19131 Filed 9-30-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510-24-P
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