The Census Bureau is strongly encouraged to pursue response improvement strategies. These strategies should include developing various letters to convert refusals, obtaining endorsements from trade associations, and experimenting with different mailing or faxing options. Census shall report to OMB annually the response rates achieved. This report should be provided no later than June 30 of each year for the prior calendar year response rates.
Inventory as of this Action
Requested
Previously Approved
05/31/2011
36 Months From Approved
05/31/2008
54,000
0
48,000
6,300
0
5,600
0
0
0
The Monthly Wholesale Trade Survey provides the only continuous measure of monthly wholesale sales, end-of-month inventories, and inventories/sales ratios in the United States by selected kinds of business for merchant wholesalers, excluding manufacturers' sales branches and offices. The Bureau of Economic Analysis uses this information to improve the inventory valuation adjustments applied to estimates of the Gross Domestic Product. The Bureau of Labor Statistics uses the data as input to their Producer Price Indexes and in developing productivity measurements.
There is an increase in burden of 700 hours due to increasing the size of the sample. The sample size increase occurred to improve the quality of estimates by lowering the maximum sampling weight from 800 to 500 and lowering the target sampling variance constraint on the wholesale total. The change in maximum sampling weight helps avoid smaller companies with large weights from having an unusually large effect on estimates for a particular industry, and minimizes a possible reason for large preliminary to final shifts.
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:
(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;
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.