81 FR 43571 - Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; 2017 Economic Census

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
Census Bureau

Federal Register Volume 81, Issue 128 (July 5, 2016)

The Department of Commerce, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on proposed and/or continuing information collections, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.

[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 128 (Tuesday, July 5, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 43571-43573]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2016-15787]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

 Census Bureau


Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; 2017 Economic 
Census

AGENCY: U.S. Census Bureau, Commerce.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Commerce, as part of its continuing effort 
to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general public 
and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on 
proposed and/or continuing information collections, as required by the 
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.

DATES: To ensure consideration, written comments must be submitted on 
or before September 6, 2016.

ADDRESSES: Direct all written comments to Jennifer Jessup, Departmental 
Paperwork Clearance Officer, Department of Commerce, Room 6616, 14th 
and Constitution Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20230 (or via the Internet 
at [email protected]).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information or 
copies of the information collection instrument(s) and instructions 
should be directed to Kevin Deardorff, U.S. Census Bureau, Economy Wide 
Statistics Division, Room 8K154, 4600 Silver Hill Road, Washington, DC 
20233, telephone (301) 763-6033, or via the Internet at 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Abstract

    The Census Bureau is the preeminent collector and provider of 
timely, relevant, and quality data about the people and economy of the 
United States. Economic data are the Census Bureau's primary program 
commitment during nondecennial census years. The Economic Census, 
conducted under authority of Title 13 United States Code,

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is the U.S. Government's official five-year measure of American 
business and the economy. It features the primary source of facts about 
the structure and functioning of the Nation's economy and features 
unique industry and geographic detail. Economic census statistics serve 
as part of the framework for the national accounts and provide 
essential information for government, business, and the public.
    The 2017 Economic Census covering the Mining; Utilities; 
Construction; Manufacturing; Wholesale Trade; Retail Trade; 
Transportation and Warehousing; Information; Finance and Insurance; 
Real Estate and Rental and Leasing; Professional, Scientific and 
Technical Services; Management of Companies and Enterprises; 
Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation; 
Educational Services; Health Care and Social Assistance; Arts, 
Entertainment, and Recreation; Accommodation and Food Services; Other 
Services (except Public Administration) Sectors (as defined by the 
North American Industry Classification System (NAICS)) will measure the 
economic activity of more than 7 million employer establishments. The 
information collected from establishments in these sectors of the 
economic census will produce basic statistics by industry for number of 
establishments, value of shipments/receipts/revenue/sales, payroll, and 
employment. It also will yield a variety of industry-specific 
statistics, including materials consumed, detailed supplies and fuels 
consumed, electric energy consumed, depreciable assets, selected 
purchased services, inventories, and capital expenditures, value of 
shipments/receipts/revenue/sales by product line as defined by the 
North American Product Classification System (NAPCS), type of 
operation, size of establishments, and other industry-specific 
measures.
    Respondent burden will be reduced by using a response driven 
electronic reporting instrument that includes skip patterns and will 
display survey paths specific to the establishment's kind of business.

II. Method of Collection

    Establishments in the Economic Census will be selected from the 
Census Bureau's Business Register. The Census Bureau's Business 
Register provides a current and comprehensive database of U.S. business 
establishments and companies for statistical program use. To be 
eligible for selection, an establishment will be required to satisfy 
the following conditions: (i) It must be classified in one of the 
sectors listed above; (ii) it must be an active operating establishment 
of a multi-establishment firm (i.e., a firm that operates at more than 
one physical location), or it must be a single-establishment firm with 
payroll (i.e., a firm operating at only one physical location); and 
(iii) it must be located in one of the 50 states, offshore areas, or 
the District of Columbia. Initial contact with respondents will be a 
mailed letter directing them to report online. No form will be mailed. 
The sampling procedure will distinguish the following groups of 
establishments for collection:

1. Establishments of Multi-Establishment Firms

    Selection procedures will assign all active establishments of 
multi-establishment firms to the mail component of the universe, except 
for those in industries classified as consolidated reporters. In these 
selected industries, where activities are not easily attributable to 
individual locations or establishments, firms will be asked to report 
their basic data for several establishments at a nation-wide level on 
an electronic consolidated report path(s).

2. Single-Establishment Firms With Payroll

    All single-establishment firms having 2017 payroll (from Federal 
administrative records) will be included in the sampling frame. We will 
use a NAICS-by-state stratified sample design for selecting a sample of 
single-establishment firms. The largest single-establishment firms 
(based on 2017 payroll) will be selected with certainty. Using a NAICS-
by-state stratified sample should produce reliable estimates for 
various characteristics at detailed NAICS-by-state levels.
    The remaining single-establishment firms with payroll that are not 
selected into the sample will be represented in the Economic Census by 
data from Federal administrative records, or by weighting the responses 
of the sampled establishments. Additionally, some of these single-
establishment firms not selected into the sample may be requested to 
respond to a short questionnaire to verify or confirm that the 
establishments are classified in the correct NAICS industry.

III. Data

    OMB Control Number: 0607-XXXX.
    Electronic ID Path(s): The paths in the electronic instrument used 
to collect information are tailored to specific industries or groups of 
industries. The Electronic Path ID's are too numerous to list 
individually in this notice.
    Type of Review: Regular submission.
    Affected Public: State or local governments, businesses, or other 
for profit or non-profit institutions or organizations.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 4,423,783--see Table 1 for detail.
    Estimated Time per Response: See Table 1 for detail.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 6,832,591--see Table 1 for 
detail.
    Estimated Total Annual Cost: $0.
    Respondent's Obligation: Mandatory.
    Legal Authority: Title 13 U.S.C. Section 131.

IV. Request for Comments

    Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed collection of 
information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of 
the agency, including whether the information shall have practical 
utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden 
(including hours and cost) of the proposed collection of information; 
(c) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the 
information to be collected; and (d) ways to minimize the burden of the 
collection of information on respondents, including through the use of 
automated collection techniques or other forms of information 
technology.
    Comments submitted in response to this notice will be summarized 
and/or included in the request for OMB approval of this information 
collection; they also will become a matter of public record.

    Dated: June 29, 2016.
Glenna Mickelson,
Management Analyst, Office of the Chief Information Officer.

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[FR Doc. 2016-15787 Filed 7-1-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-07-P