SUPPORTING STATEMENT - SECTION B v3

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SUPPORTING STATEMENT

U.S. Department of Commerce

U.S. Census Bureau

Government Employment Forms

(Forms E-1, E-2, E-3, E-4, E-5, E-6, E-7, E-9)

OMB Control No. 0607-0452

Section B. Collections of Information Employing Statistical Methods

1. Universe and Respondent Selection

2010 and 2011 Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll

Data are collected for all fifty state governments and for a sample of local governments, including general-purpose governments, school districts, and special districts.

The sample for the 2010 annual survey was selected based on the 2007 Census of Governments. Sample counts at the parent government level by type of local governments for the 2010 survey are:

Type of Local Government	Estimate of Sample
Counties	1,456
Municipalities	3,022
Townships	624
School Districts	2,108
Special Districts	3,204
Total	10,414

The table below contains a count of potential responses by type of survey form. The count of potential responses exceeds the count of governments surveyed. We mail multiple E-1, E-2, and E-9 forms to state governments to collect data from each state agency and state university or college. Each general-purpose government will receive an E-4 or E-5 form plus any required supplements (E-3, E-6, E-7, E-9) for collecting data from departments or dependent districts not reported by the primary respondent.

2010 ANNUAL SURVEY OF PUBLIC EMPLOYMENT & PAYROLL
Form Type	Potential Number of Responses	Type of Recipient
E-1	1,949	State Agencies
Central Collection	45	State Government Central
E-2	775	State Colleges/Universities
E-3	5,140	Single Function Agencies/Districts
E-4	4,781	Counties, Municipalities and Townships
E-5	323	Small Municipalities and Townships
E-6	2,719	School Systems
Central Collection	4	School System Central Collection
E-7	1,025	Multifunction Agencies/Districts
E-9	203	Police Protection Agencies/Departments
Total	16,964	Potential Responses

Historically, the unit response rate for the Annual Employment phase was 75-80 percent. For 2008 and 2009, the unit response rate has been estimated to be in the high 80 percent range. The unit response rate for the 2007 Census of Governments – Employment component was 88.5 percent.

2. Sampling Methodology and Estimating Procedures

2010 and 2011 Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll

The sample is designed and selected to include governments that comprise the bulk of employment and payroll activity. Initial criteria for certainty units are as follows: 1) all counties having a population of 100,000 or greater in 2007, 2) all municipalities having a population of 75,000 or greater in 2007, 3) all townships having a population of 50,000 or greater in 2007, 4) all independent school districts having an enrollment of 10,000 or more in 2007, and 5) all special districts having a full-time equivalent of 1,000 or more. Noncertainty units are selected with probability proportional to the size (PPS) of the unit. For this sample and for future births in the annual survey years, we will sample all new general-purpose governments and schools and 1 in 25 of all newly established special district governments. For the 2009 sample, we selected a sample of 1 in 25 of the governmental units that had no activity (no employees or payroll) in 2007. Units in the PPS portion of the sample were sub-sampled below a cutoff for townships and special districts.

The Census Bureau will prepare estimates by state for local government employment and payrolls (full-time employment, full-time payroll, part-time employment, and part-time payrolls) and by government function. For national level totals, the Census Bureau will prepare estimates of total local government employment and payrolls by type of government and by government function. Model-assisted methods will be used to determine state-by-type of governmental totals. Small-area estimation methods will be used to determine functional estimates.

3. Efforts to Maximize Response

The Governments Division consults with various public and professional groups that use the data. These groups endorse survey efforts and encourage participation by their members. Survey publicity appears in state organization publications distributed to member governments. School districts are encouraged by their state departments of education to cooperate when such departments are unable to prepare a response centrally. All opinions of individuals or groups were provided separately and informally, and not for the purposes of reaching a consensus. They were not provided as a part of and did not constitute any Federal Advisory Committee proceedings.

Survey procedures include original request questionnaires supplemented by one reminder letter (Attachment 5) and one follow-up mailing for the 2010 Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. The staff conducts telephone follow up to determine if appropriate individuals have received mail correspondence, to encourage response, and to obtain additional information about reported data.

Central response arrangements with 45 state governments and for school systems in four states ensure 100 percent response rates for units included in those responses.

Alternative ways for reporting data are available for respondents. Data can be reported by paper form, electronic files, over the Internet, or by telephone.

4. Tests of Procedures or Methods

The Census Bureau used these questionnaires successfully in the last Census of Governments, and the employment and pay portion successfully in the Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. The Census Bureau has used the basic definitions and reporting instructions since the 1957 Census of Governments. Ongoing contact with survey respondents indicates that present methods of data collection are effective.

5. Contacts for Statistical Aspects and Data Collection

Statistical procedures:

Carma Hogue

Statistical Research & Methodology Area

Governments Division

Census Bureau

(301) 763-4882

Data collection and analysis:

Kenneth L Long, Jr

Employment & Benefits Statistics Branch

Governments Division

Census Bureau

(301) 763-7295

List of Attachments

1. 2010 Forms E-1 through E-9 (DRAFTS)

2. 2010 Letter and file layout for Central Collection (DRAFT)

3. List of supporters

4. 2009 Letter from the Director

5. 2009 Letter of Reminder

6. 2009 ASA Paper – “Reducing the Public Employment Survey Sample Size”

7. 2009 ASA Paper – “Improving Response Rates for the 2007 Census of Government Employment”

8. 2009 ASA Paper – “An Estimation Procedure for the New Public Employment Survey Design”

9. Letter of Support from BEA

10. Letter of Support from Oregon Employment Department via e-mail