Information Collection Activities; Comment Request, 26716-26718 [2020-09532]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
• Bureau of Labor Statistics

[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 87 (Tuesday, May 5, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 26716-26718]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-09532]


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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.

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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

[[Page 26717]]

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 reinstatement of the 
``Well-being Supplement to the American Time Use Survey.'' A copy of 
the proposed information collection request 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 July 6, 2020.

ADDRESSES: Send comments to Erin Good, BLS Clearance Officer, Division 
of Management Systems, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Room 4080, 2 
Massachusetts Avenue NE, Washington, DC 20212.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Erin Good, BLS Clearance Officer, at 
202-691-7763 (this is not a toll free number). (See ADDRESSES section.)

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Background

    The American Time Use Survey (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 is used to develop nationally representative estimates of 
how people spend their time. This is done by collecting a time diary 
about the activities survey respondents did over a 24-hour period 
``yesterday,'' from 4 a.m. on the day before the interview until 4 a.m. 
on the day of the interview. In the one-time interview, respondents 
also report who was with them during the 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 Well-being Module, a supplement to the ATUS, provides an 
additional dimension to data on time use by providing information about 
how Americans experience their time. Specifically, the Module collects 
information about how happy, tired, sad, and stressed individuals were 
yesterday, and the degree to which they felt pain, for three activities 
randomly selected from the time diary. The Well-being Module also 
collects data on whether people were interacting with anyone while 
doing the selected activities and how meaningful the activities were to 
them. Some general health questions, a question about overall life 
satisfaction, and a question about respondents' overall affective 
experience yesterday also are asked.
    Information collected in the Well-being Module will be published as 
a public data set to facilitate research on numerous topics, such as: 
How people experience time spent in different activities, times of 
social interaction, and pain; the relationship between health and time 
use; and the relationship between evaluative and experienced well-
being. The Well-being Module supports the mission of the Bureau of 
Labor Statistics to provide relevant information on economic and social 
issues by providing a richer understanding of Americans' use of time 
and workers' affective experiences. For example, the data facilitate 
research on how workers experience pain on and off the job and whether 
this experience varies by occupation.

II. Current Action

    Office of Management and Budget clearance is being sought to 
reinstate the collection of the ATUS Well-being Module, a supplement to 
the ATUS. The proposed reinstatement of the Well-being Module will 
collect information about how people experience their time, 
specifically how happy, tired, sad, stressed, and in pain they felt 
yesterday. Respondents will be asked these questions about three 
randomly selected activities from the activities reported in the ATUS 
time diary. The time diary refers to the core part of the ATUS, in 
which respondents report the activities they did from 4 a.m. on the day 
before the interview to 4 a.m. on the day of the interview. A few 
activities, such as sleeping and private activities, will never be 
selected. The module also will collect data on whether people were 
interacting with anyone while doing the selected activities and how 
meaningful the activities were to them. Some general health questions, 
a question about overall life satisfaction, and a question about 
respondents' overall emotional experience yesterday also will be asked.
    The data from the proposed Well-being Module will support the BLS 
mission of providing relevant information on economic and social 
issues. The data will provide a richer description of work; 
specifically, it will measure how workers feel (tired, stressed, in 
pain) during work episodes compared to non-work episodes, and how often 
workers interact on the job. It can also measure whether the amount of 
pain workers experience varies by occupation and disability status.
    The collection of Well-being data in late 2020 and 2021 is of 
particular interest in light of current world events. On March 11, 
2020, the World Health Organization declared the COVID-19 outbreak a 
pandemic. Researchers are interested in measuring the impact of the 
COVID-19 pandemic on workers' well-being.
    The proposed Well-being Module is identical to a module that was 
collected in 2012 and 2013. The proposed 2021 Well-being Module will be 
included in the ATUS from October 2020 through December 2021.

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: Well-being Supplement to the American Time Use 
Survey.
    OMB Number: 1220-0185.
    Type of Review: Reinstatement without change of a previously 
approved collection.
    Agency: Bureau of Labor Statistics.

[[Page 26718]]

    Affected Public: Individuals or Households.
    Total Respondents: 12,000.
    Frequency: One time.
    Total Responses: 12,000.
    Average Time per Response: 5.6 minutes.
    Estimated Total Burden Hours: 1,120 hours.
    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, on April 29, 2020.
Mark Staniorski,
Chief, Division of Management Systems.
[FR Doc. 2020-09532 Filed 5-4-20; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4510-24-P