CPS Emergerncy Clearance Memo

U.S. Department of Labor

Bureau of Labor Statistics
2 Massachusetts Ave. N.E.
Washington, D.C. 20212

Dominic Mancini
Deputy Director
Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs
Office of Management and Budget
Washington, DC
Subject: Request for Emergency Review and Clearance
Dear Mr. Mancini:
Pursuant to Office of Management and Budget (OMB) procedures established at 5 CFR Part 1320,
Controlling Paperwork Burdens on the Public, I request that the proposed information collection
project, “Addition of Questions to the Current Population Survey – Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV)
(1220-xxxx)” be processed as an Emergency Clearance Request in accordance with section 1320.13,
Emergency Processing.
I have determined that this information must be collected prior to the time periods established under
Part 1320 of the PRA and that this information is essential to the mission of the Bureau of Labor
Statistics (BLS) to assess the impact of the outbreak of a novel coronavirus on the U.S. Economy.
BLS cannot reasonably comply with the normal clearance procedures under the PRA as an
unanticipated event has occurred and BLS has an urgent necessity to collect this information from the
American public to assess the damage to the U.S. economy resulting from this pandemic.
Therefore, BLS requests a 180-day emergency clearance to add additional questions to the Current
Population Survey (CPS) to capture the impact of the virus and economic actions that are being taken
to help the U.S. economy.
Please provide an approval/disapproval determination of this request to collect information under an
emergency clearance by close of business on April 30, 2020.
Respectfully,

WILLIAM
BEACH

Digitally signed by
WILLIAM BEACH
Date: 2020.04.15
13:16:19 -04'00'

William W. Beach
Commissioner, Bureau of Labor Statistics