Mq-c2

QPC-CL
(08-14-2015)

DC

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
Economics and Statistics Administration

U.S. Census Bureau
Washington, DC 20233-0001
OFFICE OF THE DIRECTOR

A message from the Director, U.S. Census Bureau
The U.S. Census Bureau is conducting the 2015 Quarterly Survey of Plant Capacity
Utilization (Form MQ-C2) on behalf of the Federal Reserve Board (FRB) and the Defense
Logistic Agency (DLA). We have selected your plant(s) for the quarterly survey and have
enclosed the materials you need to participate. This survey measures changes in the use
of production facilities. Government analysts use the estimates to develop monetary and
fiscal policies and investment demands. In particular, the FRB will use these data to
estimate monthly industrial production and assess change in industrial production and
capacity and the DLA will use these data to assess readiness to meet demand for goods
under selected national emergency scenarios.
The Census Bureau conducts the survey and requests your voluntary assistance under
the authority of Title 13 U.S.C., Section 8(b); Title 50 U.S.C., Section 98, et. seq; and Title
12 U.S.C., Section 244. We estimate this survey to take 2 hours and 5 minutes to
complete. On the back of this letter you will find disclosure descriptions regarding Office
of Management and Budget number; authority and confidentiality; and burden estimate
statement. Please read the instructions, complete the form, and return it by the
due date printed on the form. You can complete your form online by following
the instructions provided.
Title 13 U.S.C., Section 9 also requires that we keep your answers strictly confidential.
The information you provide may be seen only by persons sworn to uphold the
confidentiality of Census Bureau information and may be used only for statistical
purposes. Further, copies retained in your files are immune from legal process.
Please utilize your business expertise and judgment in completing the survey. If actual
data are not available, carefully prepared estimates are acceptable. Due to the nature of
the questions asked, you may need to enlist the assistance of your plant manager. Use
the ‘Remarks’ section to provide any needed explanations.
Thank you in advance for your cooperation. If you have additional questions, please call
my staff on 1-800-201-4647 and choose option 5 or visit our help site at
https://econhelp.census.gov/pcu .
Sincerely,

John H. Thompson
Director
Enclosures

census.gov

OMB Number
You are not required to respond to this collection of information if it does not display
a valid approval number from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). The
eight-digit OMB number is 0607-0175 and appears in the upper right corner of the
report form/login screen.
Authority and Confidentiality
Title 13 U.S.C., Section 8(b); Title 50 U.S.C., Section 98, et seq; and Title 12 U.S.C.,
Section 244 authorizes the Census Bureau to conduct this collection and to request your
voluntary assistance. By Section 9 of the same law, your report is confidential. It may be
seen only by persons sworn to uphold the confidentiality of Census Bureau information,
and may be used only for statistical purposes. The law also provides that copies of your
report retained in your files are immune from legal process.
Burden Estimate Statement
Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 2 hours
and 5 minutes per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching
existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and
reviewing the collection of information. Send comments regarding this burden estimate
or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing
this burden to: ECON Survey Comments 0607-0175, U.S. Census Bureau, 4600 Silver Hill
Road, Room EMD-8K122, Washington, DC 20233. You may e-mail comments to
[email protected]. Be sure to use ECON Survey Comments
0607-0175 as the subject.

QPC-CL