Current Population Survey (CPS)
US Census Bureau
The Current Population Survey (CPS) is one of the oldest, largest, and most well-recognized surveys in the United States. It is immensely important, providing information on many of the things that define us as individuals and as a society – our work, our earnings, and our education. In addition to being the primary source of monthly labor force statistics, the CPS is used to collect data for a variety of other studies that keep the nation informed of the economic and social well-being of its people. This is done by adding a set of supplemental questions to the monthly basic CPS questions. Supplemental inquiries vary month to month and cover a wide variety of topics such as child support, volunteerism, health insurance coverage, and school enrollment. Supplements are usually conducted annually or biannually, but the frequency and recurrence of a supplement depend completely on what best meets the needs of the supplement’s sponsor. The CPS data collection has been approved by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB Number 0607-0049). Without this number, we could not conduct this survey.
Data Attributes
| Collection Method | The CPS is administered by the Census Bureau using a probability selected sample of about 60,000 occupied households. The fieldwork is conducted during the calendar week that includes the 19th of the month. The questions refer to activities during the prior week; that is, the week that includes the 12th of the month. Households from all 50 states and the District of Columbia are in the survey for 4 consecutive months, out for 8, and then return for another 4 months before leaving the sample permanently. This design ensures a high degree of continuity from one month to the next (as well as over the year). The 4-8-4 sampling scheme has the added benefit of allowing the constant replenishment of the sample without excessive burden to respondents. The CPS questionnaire is a completely computerized document that is administered by Census Bureau field representatives across the country through both personal and telephone interviews. Additional telephone interviewing is conducted from the Census Bureau’s two centralized collection facilities in Jeffersonville, Indiana and Tucson, Arizona. More information can be found at: https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/cps/technical-documentation/methodology.html |
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| Other Info | Related links: Basic Monthly CPS: https://www.census.gov/data/datasets/time-series/demo/cps/cps-basic.html CPS Basic Extraction Files: https://www.census.gov/data/datasets/time-series/demo/cps/cps-basic-extractions.html CPS Certification Items Extract Files: https://www.census.gov/data/datasets/time-series/demo/cps/cps-cert.html CPS Supplement and Replicate Weights: https://www.census.gov/data/datasets/time-series/demo/cps/cps-supp_cps-repwgt.html |