Labour market · 07/08/2013

Comment Request for Information Collection for Employers Survey of the Short-Time Compensation Program (STC); New Collection

The Department of Labor, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, conducts a pre-clearance consultation program to provide the public and Federal agencies with an opportunity to comment on proposed and/or continuing collections of information in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA) [44 U.S.C. 3505(c)(2)(A)]. PRA helps to ensure that requested data can be provided in the desired format, reporting burden (time and financial resources) is minimized, collection instruments are clearly understood, and the impact of the collection requirements on respondents can be properly assessed. Currently, the Employment and Training Administration (ETA) is soliciting comments concerning the collection of survey data from employers in a sub-set of states that operate a STC Program. The STC Program provides an opportunity for employers to reduce layoffs by temporarily reducing work hours for some employees. STC provides pro- rated unemployment insurance benefits for workers whose hours of work have been temporarily reduced. The proposed information collection is to examine employers' experiences, awareness, and perspectives of the STC Program in