Census Bureau Notice for Current Population Survey 2026 Field Test

Content

ACTION:

Notice of information collection, request for comment.

SUMMARY:

The Department of Commerce, in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995, invites the general public and other
Federal agencies to comment on proposed, and continuing information collections, which helps us assess the impact of our information
collection requirements and minimize the public's reporting burden. The purpose of this notice is to allow for 60 days of
public comment on the proposed reinstatement with change of a previously approved collection for which approval has expired,
Current Population Survey (CPS) 2026 Field Test, prior to the submission of the information collection request (ICR) to OMB
for approval.

DATES:

To ensure consideration, comments regarding this proposed information collection must be received on or before May 4, 2026.

ADDRESSES:

Interested persons are invited to submit written comments by email to Kyra Linse, Survey Director, Current Population Surveys
via the internet at dsd.cps@census.gov. Please reference Current Population Survey (CPS) 2026 Field Test in the subject line of your comments. You may also submit
comments, identified by Docket Number USBC-2026-0067, to the Federal e-Rulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. All comments received are part of the public record. No comments will be posted to http://www.regulations.gov for public viewing until after the comment period has closed. Comments will generally be posted without change. All Personally
Identifiable Information (for example, name and address) voluntarily submitted by the commenter may be publicly accessible.
Do not submit Confidential Business Information or otherwise sensitive or protected information. You may submit attachments
to electronic comments in Microsoft Word, Excel, or Adobe PDF file formats.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Requests for additional information or specific questions related to collection activities should be directed to Kyra Linse,
Survey Director, Current Population Surveys via the internet at dsd.cps@census.gov, or by phone at 301-763-9280.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Abstract

The Census Bureau plans to request clearance from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for the collection of information
related to a field test of the Current Population Survey (CPS) in calendar year 2026.

The CPS has been the source of official government statistics on employment and unemployment since 1942. The Bureau of Labor
Statistics (BLS) and the Census Bureau jointly sponsor the basic monthly survey. The Census Bureau also prepares and conducts
all the field work. The CPS collects labor force information for the civilian noninstitutional population including employment
status, number of hours worked, job search activities, earnings, duration of unemployment, and the industry and occupation
classification of the job held the previous week. Data for the CPS are currently collected by Census field

  interviewers via in-person interviews or by telephone.

The 2026 Field Test's goal is to test the use of an internet self-response method to measure its success as a possible method
of contact and interviewing with the goal of review accuracy, reporting, and representativeness. In addition, should it prove
as a viable response method, the goal is to experiment with timing and contacts in order to refine procedures that best fit
the needs of CPS. This is the second of two major field tests with the first completed in 2025, and an ultimate goal to phase
in changes to the survey in 2027 through 2028.

This 60-day Notice is to reinstate the OMB Control No. 0607-1032 for the 2026 CPS Field Test, that was previously used for
the 2025 CPS Field Test, after proper submission of a discontinue request to OMB given the expiration date of April 2026.

II. Method of Collection

The 2026 field test is planned for July 2026 until October 2026. The goal is to replicate the expected mode interaction of
adding a self-response mode as close as possible to a production environment. The first interview will be conducted via computer-assisted
person interview (CAPI) mode, and most cases will be followed up for three months with a mix of internet Self Response and
CAPI follow-up based on the previous month's interview results and data reported. All cases will be in sample for up to four
months. In addition, some cases were interviewed in the 2025 cases and will be contacted again to replicate the longitudinal
nature of the current CPS. In addition, we will conduct experiments such as question wording, contact methods, and mode interaction
measure the best method to encourage response by internet mode and the best quality data for both modes.

III. Data

OMB Control Number: 0607-1032.

Form Number(s): None.

Type of Review: Regular submission, Reinstatement with Change of a Previously Approved Collection for Which Approval has Expired.

Affected Public: Households.

Estimated Number of Respondents: 50,000.

Estimated Time per Response: 10 minutes.

Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 33,333 hours.

Estimated Total Annual Cost to Public: $0.

Respondent's Obligation: Voluntary.

Legal Authority: Title 13 U.S.C. 8(b), 141, and 182; Title 29, United States Code, Section 2.

IV. Request for Comments

We are soliciting public comments to permit the Department/Bureau to: (a) Evaluate whether the proposed information collection
is necessary for the proper functions of the Department, including whether the information will have practical utility; (b)
Evaluate the accuracy of our estimate of the time and cost burden for this proposed collection, including the validity of
the methodology and assumptions used; (c) Evaluate ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to
be collected; and (d) Minimize the reporting burden on those who are to respond, including the use of automated collection
techniques or other forms of information technology.

Comments that you submit in response to this notice are a matter of public record. We will include, or summarize, each comment
in our request to OMB to approve this ICR. Before including your address, phone number, email address, or other personal identifying
information in your comment, you should be aware that your entire comment—including your personal identifying information—may
be made publicly available at any time. While you may ask us in your comment to withhold your personal identifying information
from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so.

Sheleen Dumas, Departmental PRA Compliance Officer, Office of the Under Secretary for Economic Affairs, Commerce Department. [FR Doc. 2026-04382 Filed 3-4-26; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3510-07-P

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