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Chapter 1.
Labor Force Data Derived from the Current Population
Survey
Changes Introduced in 2003
Several important changes were introduced into the survey
in 2003. (For detailed information about these and other changes,
see Bowler and others, 2003.)
New industrial and occupational classification systems
Information on the industry and occupation of the employed and
unemployed is produced regularly from the CPS. The systems used
to classify both industry and occupation were changed beginning
with data published for January 2003. The 1990 Census Industrial
Classification System was replaced by one based on the North
American Industry Classification System (NAICS). Occupational
data are being collected using new classifications derived from
the Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) in lieu of the
1990 Census Occupational Classification System.
Population controls based on the 2000 census
New population controls based on the 2000 decennial census were
introduced in the CPS beginning with data for January 2003.
The new controls were prepared by projecting forward the civilian
noninstitutional population as enumerated on April 1, 2000,
and are used for the age-sex-race-ethnicity groups in the
second-stage estimation procedure, as discussed in the
section on estimation below.
New race and ethnicity categories
As a result of a directive issued by the U.S. Office of
Management and Budget (OMB), all government statistics on
race and ethnicity, including those from the CPS, are undergoing
changes. Probably the most notable change is that survey
respondents are given the opportunity to report themselves
in more than one racial category. The racial categories are:
White; black or African American, Asian, American Indian or
Alaska Native; and Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander.
The questions used to obtain race and ethnicity in the CPS were
modified to reflect the new directive, and publication tables
were revised as well. Due to the limitations of the sample size,
as well as the lack of population controls for the smaller race
groups, data will be displayed for whites (no other race),
blacks or African Americans (no other race), and Asians
(no other race) only. In addition, the survey will continue to
collect data on persons of Hispanic or Latino ethnicity. A
direct question now is asked prior to the race questions to
identify individuals as Spanish, Hispanic, or Latino; prior
to 2003, the ethnicity of these persons was inferred from their
country of origin. Under the OMB directive, Hispanic is still
considered an ethnic, rather than a racial, category.
Redesigned CPS weighting
Modifications to basic and composite weighting procedures for
the CPS also were implemented in January 2003. These changes
were made based on a number of factors, including: BLS plans
for publishing revised race categories at the State and national
levels; making control-cell definitions more consistent across
the second-stage weighting steps (State, ethnicity, and race),
and between second-stage and composite weighting; precollapsing
small cells to eliminate the “on-the-fly” collapsing algorithm
that produces inconsistent results over time; and providing more
stable monthly estimates for population subgroups of interest to
users, including demographic population controls within each
State.
Next: Sampling
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Bureau of Labor Statistics
