75 FR 214 pgs. 68380-68381 - Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request; American Time Use Survey

Type: NOTICEVolume: 75Number: 214Pages: 68380 - 68381
FR document: [FR Doc. 2010-27965 Filed 11-4-10; 8:45 am]
Agency: Labor Department
Sub Agency: Office of the Secretary
Official PDF Version:  PDF Version

DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Office of the Secretary

Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request; American Time Use Survey

ACTION:

Notice.

SUMMARY:

The Department of Labor (DOL) hereby announces the submission of the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) sponsored information collection request (ICR), "American Time Use Survey," to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval for continued use in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 104-13, 44 U.S.C. chapter 35).

DATES:

Submit comments on or before December 6, 2010.

ADDRESSES:

A copy of this ICR, with applicable supporting documentation; including a description of the likely respondents, proposed frequency of response, and estimated total burden may be obtained from the RegInfo.gov Web site, http://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain or by contacting Michel Smyth by telephone at 202-693-4129 (this is not a toll-free number) or sending an e-mail to dol_pra_public@dol.gov.

Submit comments about this request to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Attn: OMB Desk Officer for the Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Office of Management and Budget, Room 10235, Washington, DC 20503, Telephone: 202-395-7314/ Fax: 202-395-7245 (these are not toll-free numbers), e-mail: oira_submission@omb.eop.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Michel Smyth by telephone at 202-693-4129 (this is not a toll-free number) or by e-mail at dol_pra_public@dol.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

The DOL is seeking OMB approval for a revision to the American Time Use Survey (ATUS). The ATUS is the Nation's first federally administered, continuous survey on time use in the United States. It measures, for example, time spent with children, working, sleeping, or doing leisure activities. In the United States, several existing Federal surveys collect income and wage data for individuals and families, and analysts often use such measures of material prosperity as proxies for quality of life. Time-use data substantially augment these quality-of-life measures. The data also can be used in conjunction with wage data to evaluate the contribution of non-market work to national economies. This enables comparisons of production between nations that have different mixes of market and non-market activities. The ATUS develops nationally representative estimates of how people spend their time. Respondents also report who was with them during activities, where they were, how long each activity lasted, and if they were paid. All of this information has numerous practical applications for sociologists, economists, educators, government policymakers, businesspersons, health researchers, and others.

The ATUS data are collected on an ongoing, monthly basis, allowing analysts to identify changes in how people spend their time. The survey sample is drawn from households completing their final month of interviews for the Current Population Survey (CPS). Households are selected to ensure a representative demographic sample, and one individual from each household is selected to take part in one Computer Assisted Telephone Interview. The interview asks respondents to report all of their activities for one pre-assigned 24-hour day, the day prior to the interview. A short series of summary questions and CPS updates follows the core time diary collection.

The ATUS is an information collection subject to the PRA. A Federal agency generally cannot conduct or sponsor a collection of information, and the public is generally not required to respond to an information collection, unless it is currently approved by the OMB under the PRA and displays a currently valid OMB Control Number. In addition, notwithstanding any other provision of law, no person shall generally be subject to penalty for failing to comply with a collection of information if the collection of information does not display a currently valid OMB Control Number. See 5 CFR 1320.5(a) and 1320.6. The DOL obtains OMB approval for this information collection under OMB Control Number 1220-0175. The current OMB approval is scheduled to expire on August 31, 2012. For additional information, see the related notice published in the Federal Register on June 30, 2010 (75 FR 37838).

Interested parties are encouraged to send comments to the OMB, Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs at the address shown in the ADDRESSES section within 30 days of publication of this notice in the Federal Register . In order to ensure the appropriate consideration, comments should reference OMB Control Number 1220-0175. The OMB 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 submission of responses.

Agency: Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Type of Review: Revision of a currently approved collection.

Title of Collection: American Time Use Survey.

Form Numbers: None.

OMB Control Number: 1220-0175.

Affected Public: Individuals or Households.

Total Estimated Number of Respondents: 13,200.

Total Estimated Number of Responses: 13,200.

Total Estimated Annual Burden Hours: 4,345.

Total Estimated Annual Costs Burden: $0.

Dated: October 27, 2010.

Michel Smyth,

Departmental Clearance Officer.

[FR Doc. 2010-27965 Filed 11-4-10; 8:45 am]

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