Note to Reviewer - File Upload Option (2018)

April 19, 2018

MEMORANDUM FOR: Reviewer of 1220-0032

FROM: DAVID M. TALAN, Chief

Division of Administrative Statistics and Labor Turnover

Bureau of Labor Statistics

SUBJECT: Proposal for File Upload Option for Annual Refiling Survey Respondents

On January 19, 2018, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approved the Annual Refiling Survey (ARS) with clearance expiring on January 31, 2021. The ARS (BLS 3023 – Industry Verification Form) has been used in conjunction with the Unemployment Insurance tax reporting system in each State for the purpose of reviewing private sector employers' North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) codes and geographic codes. As a result, changes in the industrial and geographical compositions of our economy are captured in a timely manner and reflected in the BLS statistical programs.

The use of emails and one-page “web letters” has made it considerably less expensive to conduct the ARS by encouraging respondents to provide information through a secure BLS website, ARSweb. By FY 2016, virtually all NVS responses were submitted via ARSweb – 552,552 web responses out of 557,180 total NVS responses received. Ultimately, BLS conducted the FY 2017 survey exclusively using web letters and emails to respondents. The FY 2018 ARS is being conducted in the same manner.

The ARS also asks employers to identify new locations in each State. If such employers meet Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW) program reporting criteria, then a Multiple Worksite Report (MWR) is provided to them requesting employment and wages for each worksite each quarter. (The MWR is a separate OMB-approved survey under OMB Control Number 1220-0134). NVMweb is an electronic reporting option approved for those employers having multiple locations within a particular State. NVMweb offers respondents the option to provide their ARS information online while simultaneously supplying their quarterly employment and wages data. Essentially, there are no differences in the information BLS obtains via ARSweb and NVMweb. ARSweb is for single-establishment employers; NVMweb is for multi-establishment employers.

A number of large firms that provide the MWR to the BLS Electronic Data (EDI) Collection Center have also requested the capability to report their ARS information using a similar electronic method. These employers have no alternative than to report separately for each State in which they conduct business. Recognizing that this is quite time consuming, the QCEW program proposes to offer an ARS file-upload option to interested respondents that currently report individually for multiple States.

The QCEW program believes that file uploads would be less burdensome for larger businesses as well for BLS. Approximately 285 companies report the MWR via electronic file uploads to the EDI Center. Many of these respondents are also asked to complete the ARS with no formal mechanism existing for them to report via file upload. For example, a Professional Employer Organization (PEO) recently sent a spreadsheet with the ARS information on behalf of all of their clients.

The PEO depicted above and many other companies would benefit greatly if they could choose an ARS file upload option. When a respondent is ready to begin ARS reporting, BLS will provide an account number and password to login to the secure BLS server - https://idcf.bls.gov. The ARS file will be automatically encrypted. Please see Attachment 1 for an example of the email correspondence sent to respondents to enable them to create an ARS file upload account.

If you have any questions about this request, please contact David M. Talan at 202-691- 6467 or e-mail at T[email protected] or Emily Thomas at 202-691-6441 or e-mail at [email protected].

Attachment 1.

BLS Internet Data Collection Facility (IDCF) Account Information

To create an ARS file upload account, BLS sends the respondent two automated emails, one with a Temporary User ID (starts with “106”) and one with a temporary password. Examples of both emails appear below.

Email 1.

From: [email protected]

To: [email protected]

Subject: Annual Refiling Survey – USER ID

Below is the account information created for [email protected].

Temporary User ID: 106000123456
Company Name: BLS test
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 2026915200

Please find the URL below and login with the temporary User ID and temporary password.
https://idcf.bls.gov

For security reasons, your User ID and password will not be presented within the same email. You will receive another email that contains your temporary password. When you login using this password you will be prompted to set a permanent password.

Should you have any questions, please let us know.

Thank you,

U.S. Department of Labor

Bureau of Labor Statistics

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) is committed to the responsible treatment of confidential information and takes rigorous security measures to protect confidential information in its possession. This email contains confidential information. If you believe you are not the intended recipient of this message, please notify the sender and delete this email without disclosing, copying, or further disseminating its contents.

Email 2.

From: [email protected]

To: [email protected]

Subject: Annual Refiling Survey – PASSWORD

Your temporary password for the BLS Internet Data Collection Facility is: Kn342182

Please click on the link to access the IDCF web site

Login Tips: Manually enter your User ID, and copy and paste your temporary password, as it is case sensitive and the numbers and letters can look very similar. You cannot use the temporary password again once you have logged in and set your new password.

Should you have any questions, please let us know.

Thank you,

U.S. Department of Labor

Bureau of Labor Statistics

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) is committed to the responsible treatment of confidential information and takes rigorous security measures to protect confidential information in its possession. This email contains confidential information. If you believe you are not the intended recipient of this message, please notify the sender and delete this email without disclosing, copying, or further disseminating its contents.