Agency information collection activities: Proposed collection; comment request,

[Federal Register: April 21, 1998 (Volume 63, Number 76)]

[Notices]

[Page 19705-19706]

From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

[DOCID:fr21ap98-43]

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Bureau of the Census

1998 Company Organization Survey

ACTION: Proposed Collection; comment request.

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, Public Law 104-13 (44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)).

DATES: Written comments must be submitted on or before June 22, 1998.

ADDRESSES: Direct all written comments to Linda Engelmeier, Departmental Forms Clearance Officer, Department of Commerce, Room 5327, 14th and Constitution Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20230.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information or copies of the information collection instrument and instructions should be

[[Page 19706]]

directed to Paul Hanczaryk, Bureau of the Census, Room 2761, Federal Building 3, Washington, DC 20233-6100; telephone (301) 457-2580.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

1. Abstract

   The Census Bureau conducts the annual Company Organization Survey (COS) in order to update and maintain a central, multipurpose business register, known as the Standard Statistical Establishment List (SSEL). In particular, the COS supplies critical information to the SSEL concerning the establishment composition, organizational structure, and operating characteristics of multi establishment enterprises.

   The SSEL serves two fundamental purposes:

   ‹bullet› First and most important, it provides sampling populations and enumeration lists for the Census Bureau's economic surveys and censuses, and it serves as an integral part of the statistical foundation underlying those programs. Essential for this purpose is the SSEL's ability to identify all known United States business establishments and their parent enterprises. Further, the SSEL must accurately record basic business attributes needed to control sampling and enumeration. These attributes include industrial and geographic classifications, measures of size and economic activity, ownership characteristics, and contact information (for example, name and address).

   Second, it provides establishment data that serve as the basis for the annual County Business Patterns (CBP) statistical series. CBP reports present data on number of establishments, first quarter payroll, annual payroll, and mid-March employment summarized by industry and employment size class for the United States, states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, counties, and county-equivalents. No other annual or more frequent series of industry statistics provides comparable detail, particularly for small geographic areas.

2. Method of Collection

   The Census Bureau will conduct the 1998 COS similar to the 1996 COS. In 1997 the COS was conducted in conjunction with the 1997 Economic Census to minimize response burden.

   The 1998 COS will direct inquiries to approximately 85,000 multi establishment enterprises, which operate 1.1 million establishments. This panel will be drawn from the SSEL universe of nearly 200,000 multi establishment enterprises, which operate 1.5 million establishments. Additionally, the panel will include approximately 1,000 new entities that have become active during 1998. The procedure for constructing the COS panel selectively targets enterprises that are most likely to report changes in organization and/or operating characteristics, and it also targets new entities that are most likely to report affiliation with multi establishment enterprises. In general, the selection of these units is based on enterprise size/complexity and administrative records indications. Additionally, the panel will include a small probability sample of the multi establishment enterprises not selected by the targeting procedure.

   The survey is conducted by mail canvass. More than 300 larger enterprises (accounting for approximately 22 percent of covered establishments) return their COS reports by automated/electronic means. All other survey respondents return a paper questionnaire. Data content is identical for all reporting modes. The instrument includes inquiries on ownership or control by a domestic parent, ownership or control by a foreign parent, and ownership of foreign affiliates. Further, the instrument lists an inventory of establishments belonging to the enterprise and its subsidiaries, and it requests updates to the inventory, including additions, deletions, and changes to information on Federal employer identification number, name and address, industrial payroll, end-of-year operating status, mid-March employment, first quarter payroll, and annual payroll.

3. Data

   OMB Number: 0607-0444.

   Form Number: NC-9901.

   Type of Review: Regular submission.

   Affected Public: Businesses or other for-profit, not-for-profit institutions.

   Estimated Number of Respondents: 85,000 enterprises.

   Estimated Time per Response: 1.7 hours.

   Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 144,500.

   Estimated Total Annual Cost: $2,023,000 @ $14/hr.

   Respondent's Obligation: Mandatory.

   Legal Authority: Title 13 of U.S.C. Sections 131 and 182.

4. 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: April 16, 1998. Linda Engelmeier, Departmental Forms Clearance Officer, Office of Management and Organization.

   [FR Doc. 98-10489Filed4-20-98; 8:45 am]

   BILLING CODE 3510-07-P