[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 148 (Friday, July 31, 2020)] [Notices] [Pages 46187-46189] From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] [FR Doc No: 2020-16653] ----------------------------------------------------------------------- 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. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- 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 ``National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997.'' A copy of the proposed information collection request (ICR) 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 September 29, 2020. [[Page 46188]] ADDRESSES: Send comments to Carol Rowan, BLS Clearance Officer, Division of Management Systems, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Room 4080, 2 Massachusetts Avenue NE, Washington, DC 20212. Written comments also may be transmitted by email to [email protected]. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Carol Rowan, BLS Clearance Officer, 202-691-7268 (this is not a toll free number). (See Addresses section.) SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: I. Background The National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997 (NLSY97) is a nationally representative sample of persons who were born in the years 1980 to 1984. These respondents were ages 12-17 when the first round of annual interviews began in 1997; starting with round sixteen, the NLSY97 is conducted on a biennial basis. Interim supplemental interviews will occur from February 2021 to April 2021. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) contracts with a vendor to conduct the NLSY97. The primary objective of the interim supplement is to collect information about labor market and health disruptions due to the novel coronavirus pandemic and its effects on the establishment and development of careers and families. The longitudinal focus of this survey requires information to be collected from the same individuals over many years in order to trace their education, training, work experience, fertility, income, and program participation. One of the goals of the Department of Labor (DOL) is to produce and disseminate timely, accurate, and relevant information about the U.S. labor force. The BLS contributes to this goal by gathering information about the labor force and labor market and disseminating it to policymakers and the public so that participants in those markets can make more informed, and thus more efficient, choices. Research based on the NLSY97 contributes to the formation of national policy in the areas of education, training, work experience, fertility, income, and program participation. In addition to the reports that the BLS produces based on data from the NLSY97, members of the academic community publish articles and reports based on NLSY97 data for the DOL and other funding agencies. To date, approximately 750 articles examining NLSY97 data have been published in scholarly journals. The survey design provides data gathered from the same respondents over time to form the only dataset that contains this type of information for this important population group. Without the collection of these data, an accurate longitudinal dataset could not be provided to researchers and policymakers, thus adversely affecting the DOL's ability to perform its policy- and report-making activities. II. Current Action The BLS seeks Office of Management and Budget approval to conduct interim supplement interviews between rounds 19 and 20 of the NLSY97. Respondents of the NLSY97 will undergo an interview of approximately 12 minutes on average, during which they will answer questions about labor market experiences, health, and income. The interim supplemental survey will be a conducted by internet and by telephone. We anticipate that approximately one-third of interviews will be self-administered by internet, with the remaining interviews being interviewer-administered by telephone. The BLS plans to record randomly selected segments of the interviews collected by telephone. Recording interviews helps the BLS and its contractors to ensure that the interviews actually took place and interviewers are reading the questions exactly as worded and entering the responses properly. Recording also helps to identify parts of the interview that might be causing problems or misunderstanding for interviewers or respondents. Each respondent will be informed that the interview may be recorded for quality control, testing, and training purposes. If the respondent objects to the recording of the interview, the interviewer will confirm to the respondent that the interview will not be recorded and then proceed with the interview. The interim supplemental survey will consist of approximately 35 questions. Similar questions have appeared in previous rounds of the NLSY97, the Current Population Survey, or the Census Household Pulse survey. The content covers household composition, current employment for the respondent and spouse/partner, changes in employment/earnings during the past 12 months due to the coronavirus pandemic, time spent teaching children under age 18, health, health insurance, having contracted the coronavirus, medical care deferred due to the coronavirus pandemic, mental health, income, and earnings. During the fielding period for the interim supplemental interviews, no more than 2 percent of respondents will be asked to participate in a brief validation interview a few weeks after the initial interview. The purpose of the validation interview is to verify that the initial interview took place as the interviewer reported and to assess the data quality of selected questionnaire items. III. Desired Focus of Comments The Bureau of Labor Statistics 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. 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: National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997. OMB Number: 1220-0157. Type of Review: Revision of a currently approved collection. Affected Public: Individuals or households. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Average time Estimated Form Total Frequency Total per response total burden respondents responses (minutes) (hours) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Main NLSY97: September 2017- 5,220 One-time........ 5,220 12 1,044 May 2018. Validation interview: October 105 One-time........ 105 2 3.5 2017-June 2018. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [[Page 46189]] Totals *.................. 5,220 ................ 5,325 .............. 1047.5 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * The difference between the total number of respondents and the total number of responses reflects the fact that about 5,220 are expected to complete the main interview. In addition, about 105 respondents may be interviewed twice, once in the interim supplemental survey and a second time in the 2-minute validation interview. 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. Signed at Washington, DC, this 28th day of July 2020. Mark Staniorski, Chief, Division of Management Systems. [FR Doc. 2020-16653 Filed 7-30-20; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4510-24-P