Annual Survey of Manufactures

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Bureau of the Census

Annual Survey of Manufactures

ACTION: Proposed Collection; Comment Request.

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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, Public Law 104-13 (44 U.S.C.

3506(c)(2)(A)).

DATES: Written comments must be submitted on or before April 26, 1999.

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(s) and instructions

should be directed to Allen Foreman, Acting Chief of Manufactured

Nondurables Branch, (301) 457-4810, Bureau of the Census, Room 2212,

Building 4, Washington, DC 20233; and Kenneth Hansen, Chief of

Manufactured Durables Branch, (301) 457-4755, Bureau of the Census,

Room 2207, Building 4, Washington, DC 20233.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Abstract

The Census Bureau has conducted the Annual Survey of Manufactures

(ASM) since 1949 to provide key measures of manufacturing activity

during intercensal periods. In census years ending in ``2'' AND ``7'',

we mail and collect the ASM as part of the census of manufactures. This

survey is an integral part of the Government's statistical program. The

ASM furnishes up-to-date estimates of employment and payrolls, hours

and wages of production workers, value added by manufacture, cost of

materials, value of shipments by product class, inventories, and

expenditures for both plant and equipment and structures. The survey

provides data for most of these items for each of the 474 industries as

defined in the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS).

It also provides geographic data by state at a more aggregated industry

level.

The survey also provides valuable information to private companies,

research organizations, and trade associations. Industry makes

extensive use of the annual figures on product class shipments at the

U.S. level in its market analysis, product planning, and investment

planning. The ASM data are used to benchmark and reconcile monthly and

quarterly data on manufacturing production and inventories.

This ASM clearance request will be for the years--1999 to 2001.

There will be no changes to the information requested from respondents.

II. Method of Collection

The ASM statistics are based on a survey which includes two

components, mail and nonmail. The mail portion of the survey is a

probability sample of about 55,000 manufacturing establishments

selected from a total of about 225,000 establishments. These 225,000

establishments represent all manufacturing establishments of multiunit

companies (companies that operate at more than one physical location)

and all single-establishment manufacturing companies that were mailed

forms in the 1997 Census of Manufactures.

The nonmail portion of the survey is defined as all single-

establishment manufacturing companies that we tabulated as

administrative records in the 1997 Census of Manufactures.

Although this portion includes approximately 155,000

establishments, it accounted for less than 2 percent of the estimate

for total value of shipments at the total manufacturing level for 1997.

This administrative information, which includes payroll, total

employment, industry classification, and physical location, is obtained

under conditions which safeguard the confidentiality of both tax and

census records.

III. Data

OMB Number: 0607-0449.

Form Number: MA-1000(L), MA-1000(S).

Type of Review: Regular Review.

Affected Public: Businesses or Other for Profit, Non-profit

Institutions, Small Businesses or Organizations, and State or Local

Governments.

Estimated Number of Respondents: 55,000.

Estimated Time Per Response: 3.4 hours.

Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 187,000.

Estimated Total Annual Cost: The estimated cost to the respondents

is $5,048,090.

Respondent's Obligation: Mandatory.

Legal Authority: Title 13, United States Code, Sections 182, 224,

and 225.

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.

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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: February 18, 1999.

Linda Engelmeier,

Departmental Forms Clearance Officer, Office of the Chief Information

Officer.

[FR Doc. 99-4586 Filed 2-23-99; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510-07-P