the Producer Price Index Programs--two of the largest and most sensitive statistical programs conducted by the Federal Government--BLS itself directs and conducts the actual survey activities. In terms of major functions across the Bureau's budget activities, BLS staff are allocated as follows: Question: Why is it really necessary, for instance, to have 343 people working on Labor Force Statistics and 729 people on Prices and Cost of Living? Answer: Staffing in a given BLS budget activity reflects the person years required to carry out the program or survey functions which are funded in that area. The programs and staffing for each of the major programs in the Labor Force and Prices and Living Conditions areas are as follows: In each of these programs, staffing requirements are very carefully reviewed in light of actual workload associated with the production of each major survey. As a broad example, part of the major difference in staffing levels between these two Activities reflects the fact that two of the major surveys which support the labor force program are conducted by the Bureau of the Census and State Employment Security Agencies. While the Bureau of the Census also collects the Consumer Expenditure and Point of Purchase data in the Price area, monthly collection for the Producer and Consumer Price Indexes is planned, directed, and carried out by BLS staff. In view of the importance and the cost of these major programs, each has been subjected to extremely close scrutiny in the budget review process. We would be glad to provide additional supporting detail for staffing in each of these major areas if it is 80 desired. by Question: Isn't most of the data collection actually done other agencies and BLS staff primarily analyze and publish statistics? Answer: No, this is not correct. As noted earlier, BLS does contract with State Employment Security agencies for collection of the industry employment data and other series and with the Bureau of the Census for the Current Population, Consumer Expenditure, and the Point of Purchase surveys. While these are major survey efforts, BLS itself collects all the remaining data in the Employment, Wage and Price areas. As noted earlier, this includes survey work on the Consumer and Producer Price Index programs, which are two of the largest and most important surveys conducted by the Federal Government. In addition, it should also be noted that although data collection is a labor intensive activity, it is not the only activity: survey design, data processing, tabulation, data review and analysis and publication are all additional activities that must be carried out by BLS staff, even in those programs for which BLS contracts with other agencies for the data collection. Question: Why isn't there any explanation in your budget justification material of why it takes a specified staffing level to produce certain statistics? Answer: We are extremely anxious to provide supporting materials at whatever level of detail is necessary to support and explain staffing levels for BLS programs. Since staffing levels for BLS programs have already been developed and carefully scrutinized at all budget review levels of the executive branch, such justifications could be presented. They have not been included in the budget because BLS staffing levels are based on widely varying individual survey and program requirements. Aggregations of these data to budget activity levels would not be useful as justification materials to justify staffing for each detailed BLS program. For example, the Consumer Price Index program is actually comprised of a series of different surveys to collect such varied information as rents, property taxes, food prices and prices of other commodities and services. Each of these surveys has specific sample sizes which generate separate workload estimates for data collectors, processing clerks, programmers and systems analysts, economists, and statisticians. These estimates for the CPI program would be completely different than the estimates required to produce area or industry wage surveys, even though the same basic functions (sample design, data collection, data processing, data review and analysis, publications) are involved. In view of the potential volume of material involved, inclusion of such materials in the Congressional Budget submission an overwhelming mass of detail far in excess of the detail plied by agencies in the formal budget documents. W BLS staff, however, would be very pleased to present the additional supporting documents to the Committee at any time. CUTBACK IN EXECUTIVE DIRECTION STAFF Question: In 1980, BLS has 277 staff for "Executive Direction and Staff Services." Even after all the recent budget cuts, you still have 254 administrative "overhead" staff. Can't you make a bigger reduction in Executive Direction staff? Also Answer: The Executive Direction budget activity currently comprises 13 percent of the total BLS staff. Of the total number of 254 positions, approximately 100 positions are involved in what could be referred to as "overhead" functions such as personnel, budget, accounting, administrative support (mail, procurement, telephone and equipment services, building and work space management, etc.); and management information and support. included in this total is the Commissioner and her very small immediate office staff. The remaining Executive Direction sitions are in the Offices of: (1) Field Operations, (2) Publications, (3) Statistical Operations, and (4) Research and valuation. These offices also carry out functions in direct support of the Bureau's major program areas (Prices, Wages, ployment, etc.) on a Bureau-wide basis, thus their location for budget presentation purposes in the Executive Direction budget activity. Staffing in these various offices has been reduced in recent years and now is barely consistent with workload and operational requirements. Further reductions would place in serious jeopardy the Bureau's ability to meet the legal and administrative requirements to operate the agency as well as those imposed by such agencies as OMB, DOL, GAO, GSA, OPM as well as the Congress. BLS REGIONAL OFFICES Question: How many staff are assigned to the 8 BLS regional offices? Answer: Currently, there are 468 full-time authorized S&E positions in the 8 BLS regional offices. This includes positions funded by individual survey programs as well as Executive Direction resources responsible for overall administrative, inquiries and correspondence, etc. Question: What work is carried out by the regional offices? Answer: Regional offices are responsible for the collection and processing when appropriate) for all primary data required for national and local programs. These include the following: e. Occupational Wage Survey Program (including (1) the setting Federal white collar pay, (2) surveys of wages in 70 metropolitan areas and (3) surveys of In addition, the Regional Offices provide program direction to cooperating State agencies in a broad range of BLS Federal/State statistical programs which provide National, State and local data on industry employment, hours and earnings, occupational employment statistics, insured employment and wages, and occupational safety and health. In this connection the Regional Offices: Provide technical assistance to cooperating State agencies Provide training to staff of cooperating State agencies when Monitor statistical operations in cooperative State agencies Review and certify the quality of data produced. Finally, the Regional Offices through the Regional Commissioners and their staffs provide advice and counsel to the business community, commerce and trade associatons, local governments, labor organizations the academic community, and the general public on the uses of BLS data. These services are of particular importance to business firms who are respondents or potential respondents in BLS surveys, and are vital to eliciting their cooperation which, except for the safety and health statistics program where cooperation is mandated by legislation, is given on a totally voluntary basis. Question: streamlined? Can Regional Office operations be further Answer: It is important to remember that the Regional Offices are the production center of the Bureau. The Bureau's statistical series that are establishment-based start first with the data collected in the field. Efforts are continuously underway to streamline methods of operation in the field to make them more cost-effective. Even though field operations have been reduced in the last two budget cycles as a result of cuts in both program operations and administrative overhead--by 11 S&E full-time positions in FY 1981 and another 46 in 1982--activities to improve the effectiveness of field operations have been, and will continue to be, underway as follows: (a) Emphasizing on the cross-training of regional (b) Scheduling work to maximize staff utilization (c) Modifying organizational structure to bring about a (d) Monitoring and controlling grade levels and non-labor costs to minimize expenditures wherever possible, (e) Reviewing and modifying where possible collection and processing methodology to take advantage of the most cost efficient technology. reduced BLS CUTS IN THE 12 PERCENT REDUCTION Question: What Bureau of Labor Statistics programs will be or eliminated at the 12 percent reduction level? provide a detailed list for the record, indicating associated with each cutback. Please savings Answer: Bureau programs that have been eliminated as a result of the 12 percent reduction are shown below together with an estimate of the savings associated with each cutback. Programs 1. Labor Turnover. Savings (in $000's) 646.0 2. Current Population Survey: Sample reduction 5,149.0 3. Local Area Unemployment Statistics: Research 701.6 447.5 1,000.0 9. Work Stoppage Statistics: Reduction in coverage 468.4 10. Occupational Wage Surveys: Reduction of about 1,113.2 11. Collective Bargaining Agreements: Analysis of 480.1 12. Construction Labor and Materials Requirements 783.1 13. 14. Reductions in Occupational Outlook Handbook and |