Notice2026-04382
Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for Review and Approval; Comment Request; Current Population Survey (CPS) 2026 Field Test
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
March 5, 2026
Issuing agencies
Commerce DepartmentCensus Bureau
Abstract
The Department of Commerce, in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995, invites the general public and other Federal agencies to comment on proposed, and continuing information collections, which helps us assess the impact of our information collection requirements and minimize the public's reporting burden. The purpose of this notice is to allow for 60 days of public comment on the proposed reinstatement with change of a previously approved collection for which approval has expired, Current Population Survey (CPS) 2026 Field Test, prior to the submission of the information collection request (ICR) to OMB for approval.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 43 (Thursday, March 5, 2026)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 43 (Thursday, March 5, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Pages 10794-10795]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-04382]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
Census Bureau
Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for Review and Approval; Comment
Request; Current Population Survey (CPS) 2026 Field Test
AGENCY: Census Bureau, Department of Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of information collection, request for comment.
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SUMMARY: The Department of Commerce, in accordance with the Paperwork
Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995, invites the general public and other
Federal agencies to comment on proposed, and continuing information
collections, which helps us assess the impact of our information
collection requirements and minimize the public's reporting burden. The
purpose of this notice is to allow for 60 days of public comment on the
proposed reinstatement with change of a previously approved collection
for which approval has expired, Current Population Survey (CPS) 2026
Field Test, prior to the submission of the information collection
request (ICR) to OMB for approval.
DATES: To ensure consideration, comments regarding this proposed
information collection must be received on or before May 4, 2026.
ADDRESSES: Interested persons are invited to submit written comments by
email to Kyra Linse, Survey Director, Current Population Surveys via
the internet at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#543027307a3724271437313a2721277a333b22"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="036770672d6073704360666d7076702d646c75">[email protected]</span></a>. Please reference Current Population
Survey (CPS) 2026 Field Test in the subject line of your comments. You
may also submit comments, identified by Docket Number USBC-2026-0067,
to the Federal e-Rulemaking Portal: <a href="http://www.regulations.gov">http://www.regulations.gov</a>. All
comments received are part of the public record. No comments will be
posted to <a href="http://www.regulations.gov">http://www.regulations.gov</a> for public viewing until after the
comment period has closed. Comments will generally be posted without
change. All Personally Identifiable Information (for example, name and
address) voluntarily submitted by the commenter may be publicly
accessible. Do not submit Confidential Business Information or
otherwise sensitive or protected information. You may submit
attachments to electronic comments in Microsoft Word, Excel, or Adobe
PDF file formats.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information or
specific questions related to collection activities should be directed
to Kyra Linse, Survey Director, Current Population Surveys via the
internet at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#afcbdccb81ccdfdcefcccac1dcdadc81c8c0d9"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="dbbfa8bff5b8aba89bb8beb5a8aea8f5bcb4ad">[email protected]</span></a>, or by phone at 301-763-9280.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Abstract
The Census Bureau plans to request clearance from the Office of
Management and Budget (OMB) for the collection of information related
to a field test of the Current Population Survey (CPS) in calendar year
2026.
The CPS has been the source of official government statistics on
employment and unemployment since 1942. The Bureau of Labor Statistics
(BLS) and the Census Bureau jointly sponsor the basic monthly survey.
The Census Bureau also prepares and conducts all the field work. The
CPS collects labor force information for the civilian noninstitutional
population including employment status, number of hours worked, job
search activities, earnings, duration of unemployment, and the industry
and occupation classification of the job held the previous week. Data
for the CPS are currently collected by Census field
[[Page 10795]]
interviewers via in-person interviews or by telephone.
The 2026 Field Test's goal is to test the use of an internet self-
response method to measure its success as a possible method of contact
and interviewing with the goal of review accuracy, reporting, and
representativeness. In addition, should it prove as a viable response
method, the goal is to experiment with timing and contacts in order to
refine procedures that best fit the needs of CPS. This is the second of
two major field tests with the first completed in 2025, and an ultimate
goal to phase in changes to the survey in 2027 through 2028.
This 60-day Notice is to reinstate the OMB Control No. 0607-1032
for the 2026 CPS Field Test, that was previously used for the 2025 CPS
Field Test, after proper submission of a discontinue request to OMB
given the expiration date of April 2026.
II. Method of Collection
The 2026 field test is planned for July 2026 until October 2026.
The goal is to replicate the expected mode interaction of adding a
self-response mode as close as possible to a production environment.
The first interview will be conducted via computer-assisted person
interview (CAPI) mode, and most cases will be followed up for three
months with a mix of internet Self Response and CAPI follow-up based on
the previous month's interview results and data reported. All cases
will be in sample for up to four months. In addition, some cases were
interviewed in the 2025 cases and will be contacted again to replicate
the longitudinal nature of the current CPS. In addition, we will
conduct experiments such as question wording, contact methods, and mode
interaction measure the best method to encourage response by internet
mode and the best quality data for both modes.
III. Data
OMB Control Number: 0607-1032.
Form Number(s): None.
Type of Review: Regular submission, Reinstatement with Change of a
Previously Approved Collection for Which Approval has Expired.
Affected Public: Households.
Estimated Number of Respondents: 50,000.
Estimated Time per Response: 10 minutes.
Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 33,333 hours.
Estimated Total Annual Cost to Public: $0.
Respondent's Obligation: Voluntary.
Legal Authority: Title 13 U.S.C. 8(b), 141, and 182; Title 29,
United States Code, Section 2.
IV. Request for Comments
We are soliciting public comments to permit the Department/Bureau
to: (a) Evaluate whether the proposed information collection is
necessary for the proper functions of the Department, including whether
the information will have practical utility; (b) Evaluate the accuracy
of our estimate of the time and cost burden for this proposed
collection, including the validity of the methodology and assumptions
used; (c) Evaluate ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of
the information to be collected; and (d) Minimize the reporting burden
on those who are to respond, including the use of automated collection
techniques or other forms of information technology.
Comments that you submit in response to this notice are a matter of
public record. We will include, or summarize, each comment in our
request to OMB to approve this ICR. Before including your address,
phone number, email address, or other personal identifying information
in your comment, you should be aware that your entire comment--
including your personal identifying information--may be made publicly
available at any time. While you may ask us in your comment to withhold
your personal identifying information from public review, we cannot
guarantee that we will be able to do so.
Sheleen Dumas,
Departmental PRA Compliance Officer, Office of the Under Secretary for
Economic Affairs, Commerce Department.
[FR Doc. 2026-04382 Filed 3-4-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-07-P
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