National Compensation Survey

Forms and Documents

Document Name	Status
Form NCS 12-4P National Compensation Survey (Private Industry Sample) Form	Modified
Form NCS 12-4G National Compensation Survey (State and local government sample) Form	Modified
Note to Reviewer (1220-0164) to address terms of clearance.doc Supplementary Document	2012-02-01
NCS Part A 4-30-2012.docx Supporting Statement A	2012-04-30
Chapter 8 - BLS Handbook of Methods.pdf Supplementary Document	2012-01-31
NCS Part B 4-30-2012.docx Supporting Statement B	2012-04-30
Attachment A - Update on the Evaluation of Sample Design Issues in the NCS.pdf Supplementary Document	2011-12-12
Attachment B - Using OES Data for Federal Pay Comparability - Report for OPM.pdf Supplementary Document	2011-11-22

IC Document Collections

IC ID	Document Title	Status
38672	National Compensation Survey (Private Industry Sample) Form	Modified
181952	National Compensation Survey (State and local government sample) Form	Modified

ICR Details

OMB Control No: 1220-0164	ICR Reference No: 201111-1220-004
Status: Historical Active	Previous ICR Reference No: 201109-1220-001
Agency/Subagency: DOL/BLS	Agency Tracking No:
Title: National Compensation Survey
Type of Information Collection: Revision of a currently approved collection	Common Form ICR:  No
Type of Review Request: Regular
OIRA Conclusion Action: Approved with change	Conclusion Date: 04/30/2012
	Date Received in OIRA: 03/09/2012
Terms of Clearance:

	Inventory as of this Action	Requested	Previously Approved
Expiration Date	04/30/2015	36 Months From Approved	04/30/2014
Responses	38,813	0	46,201
Time Burden (Hours)	36,930	0	37,138
Cost Burden (Dollars)	0	0	0

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Abstract: Under the National Compensation Survey (NCS), the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) conducts ongoing surveys of compensation and job characteristics. Data collected by the NCS is used to produce Employment Cost Trends, including the Employment Cost Index (ECI) and Employer Costs for Employee Compensation (ECEC), employee benefits data, and data used by the President's Pay Agent. Through 2011, the BLS used the Locality Pay Survey (LPS) and the ECI to deliver data required by the President's Pay Agent to comply with the requirements of the Federal Employees Pay Comparability Act of 1990 (FEPCA). The final approved budget for FY2011 called for an alternative to the LPS component of the NCS, and the BLS introduced a new approach that uses data from two current BLS programs – the Occupational Employment Statistics (OES) survey and ECI program. In the new approach, OES data provides wage data by occupation and by area, while ECI data are used to specify grade level effects. The new approach is also being used to extend the estimation of pay gaps to areas that were not included in the LPS sample and this data has been delivered to the Pay Agent.

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Authorizing Statute(s): US Code: 5 USC 5318 Name of Law: The Ethics Reform Act of 1989
   US Code: 29 USC 2b Name of Law: Studies of Productivity and Labor Costs in Industries
   US Code: 5 USC 5304 Name of Law: The Federal Employees Pay Comparability Act of 1990
  

Citations for New Statutory Requirements: None

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Associated Rulemaking Information
RIN:	Stage of Rulemaking:	Federal Register Citation:	Date:
	Not associated with rulemaking

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Federal Register Notices & Comments
60-day Notice:	Federal Register Citation:	Citation Date:
	76 FR 71073	11/16/2011
30-day Notice:	Federal Register Citation:	Citation Date:
	77 FR 14425	03/09/2012
Did the Agency receive public comments on this ICR? Yes

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Number of Information Collection (IC) in this ICR: 2

IC Title	Form No.	Form Name
National Compensation Survey (Private Industry Sample)	NCS 12-1P, NCS 12-2P, NCS 12-3P, NCS 12-5P, NCS 12-9P, SO-1003P, NCS 12-4P, IDCF, e-update Screens	Work Schedule Form ,   Benefits Collection ,   Wage shuttle Private ,   SOB Private ,   Establishment Collection ,   Earnings Form ,   Work Level Form ,   IDCF Screens ,   NCS E-Update Screens
National Compensation Survey (State and local government sample)	NCS 12-2G, NCS 12-1G, NCS 12-4G, NCS 12-3G, NCS 12-5G, NCS 12-9G, SO-1003G, IDCF, E-update screens	Work Schedule ,   Benefits Collection ,   Wage shuttle Government ,   SOB Government ,   Establishment Collection ,   Earnings Form ,   Work Level Form ,   IDCF Screens ,   E-update screens

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ICR Summary of Burden

	Total Approved	Previously Approved	Change Due to New Statute	Change Due to Agency Discretion	Change Due to Adjustment in Estimate	Change Due to Potential Violation of the PRA
Annual Number of Responses	38,813	46,201	0	-7,388	0	0
Annual Time Burden (Hours)	36,930	37,138	0	-208	0	0
Annual Cost Burden (Dollars)	0	0	0	0	0	0

Burden increases because of Program Change due to Agency Discretion: Yes

Burden Increase Due to: Miscellaneous Actions

Burden decreases because of Program Change due to Agency Discretion: Yes

Burden Reduction Due to: Cutting Redundancy

Short Statement: The NCS sample starting in FY 2011 was reduced 64%, to reflect loss of the LPS sample and some cuts to the ECI sample. In 2011, the implementation of the alternative to the LPS resulted in a loss of 20,400 establishments from the sample. The ECI sample lost 4,000 establishments (approximately a 25% sample loss.) In 2011, the BLS published 323 indexes and 278 levels quarterly, using a sample of 11,400 establishments and 50,500 occupations. The NCS sample of 11,400 establishments has collection done for both wage and benefits and is on a quarterly data collection cycle. The private industry sample from FY 2013 forward is going to a 3 year collection cycle from the previous 5 year collection cycle. This makes 1/3 of the private industry sample, initiations schedules every year, adding some respondent burden but for a shorter time period. All current NCS data series are NAICS and SOC based. NCS began the transition to SOC 2010 codes and definitions with the collection of data in May of 2010.

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Annual Cost to Federal Government: $51,000,000

Does this IC contain surveys, censuses, or employ statistical methods? Yes Part B of Supporting Statement

Is the Supporting Statement intended to be a Privacy Impact Assessment required by the E-Government Act of 2002? No

Is this ICR related to the Affordable Care Act [Pub. L. 111-148 & 111-152]? No

Is this ICR related to the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, [Pub. L. 111-203]? No

Is this ICR related to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA)? No

Is this ICR related to the Pandemic Response? Uncollected

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Common Form ICR:  No

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On behalf of this Federal agency, I certify that the collection of information encompassed by this request complies with 5 CFR 1320.9 and the related provisions of 5 CFR 1320.8(b)(3).

The following is a summary of the topics, regarding the proposed collection of information, that the certification covers:

(a) It is necessary for the proper performance of agency functions;

(b) It avoids unnecessary duplication;

(c) It reduces burden on small entities;

(d) It uses plain, coherent, and unambiguous language that is understandable to respondents;

(e) Its implementation will be consistent and compatible with current reporting and recordkeeping practices;

(f) It indicates the retention periods for recordkeeping requirements;

(g) It informs respondents of the information called for under 5 CFR 1320.8 (b)(3) about:

(i) Why the information is being collected;

(ii) Use of information;

(iii) Burden estimate;

(iv) Nature of response (voluntary, required for a benefit, or mandatory);

(v) Nature and extent of confidentiality; and

(vi) Need to display currently valid OMB control number;

(h) It was developed by an office that has planned and allocated resources for the efficient and effective management and use of the information to be collected.

(i) It uses effective and efficient statistical survey methodology (if applicable); and

(j) It makes appropriate use of information technology.

If you are unable to certify compliance with any of these provisions, identify the item by leaving the box unchecked and explain the reason in the Supporting Statement.

Certification Date: 03/09/2012

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