Prevailing Rate Systems; Survey Order Month Change for Jefferson, New York, Nonappropriated Fund Wage Area

OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT

5 CFR Part 532

RIN 3206-AI01

Prevailing Rate Systems; Survey Order Month Change for Jefferson,

New York, Nonappropriated Fund Wage Area

AGENCY: Office of Personnel Management.

ACTION: Final rule.

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SUMMARY: The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is issuing a final

rule to change the survey order month for the Jefferson, NY,

nonappropriated fund (NAF) Federal Wage System (FWS) wage area from

March to April beginning with the next full-scale wage survey for the

Jefferson wage area in 1998. This change is expected to improve the

survey data yield for the Jefferson wage area and to allow the

Department of Defense to better balance its wage survey workload.

EFFECTIVE DATE: March 30, 1998.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mark Allen at (202) 606-2848, or send

an e-mail message to [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On September 2, 1997, OPM published a

proposed rule to change the survey order month for the Jefferson, NY,

NAF FWS wage area (62 FR 46221). The proposed rule provided a 30-day

period for public comment, during which OPM received no comments.

The Department of Defense, the lead agency for the Jefferson wage

area, requested that the survey order month for the Jefferson wage area

be changed from March to April beginning with the 1998 full-scale wage

survey in the Jefferson wage area. Changing the wage survey order month

for the Jefferson wage area will allow the local wage survey committee

to avoid conducting local wage surveys during inclement March weather

and will thereby improve wage survey participation and data yield. In

addition, the new survey month will allow the Department of Defense to

better balance its wage survey workload by moving wage surveys in the

Jefferson wage area from a heavy workload month to a light workload

month. The April survey order month will delay the Jefferson wage

schedule effective date by only 1 month.

The Federal Prevailing Rate Advisory Committee reviewed this

recommendation and by consensus recommended approval.

Pursuant to section 553(d)(3) of title 5, United States Code, I

find that good cause exists to make this regulation effective in less

than 30 days. The regulation is being made effective immediately

because of the need to conduct a full scale wage survey in the

Jefferson wage area in April rather than in March 1998.

Regulatory Flexibility Act

I certify that these regulations will not have a significant

economic impact on a substantial number of small entities because they

affect only Federal agencies and employees.

List of Subjects in 5 CFR Part 532

Administrative practice and procedure, Freedom of information,

Government employees, Reporting and recordkeeping requirements, Wages.

Office of Personnel Management.

Janice R. Lachance,

Director.

Accordingly, OPM is amending 5 CFR part 532 as follows:

PART 532--PREVAILING RATE SYSTEMS

1. The authority citation for part 532 continues to read as

follows:

Authority: 5 U.S.C. 5343, 5346; Sec. 532.707 also issued under 5

U.S.C. 552.

Appendix B to Subpart B of Part 532--[Amended]

2. Appendix B to subpart B is amended under the State of New York

by revising the beginning month of survey listing for the Jefferson

wage area from March to April.

[FR Doc. 98-8204 Filed 3-27-98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6325-01-P