The information for all three indicators was gathered in the Census Bureau’s monthly Current Population Survey (CPS), which dates from 1942, making it the longest-running household survey in the country.

“The CPS is the primary source of information for governments and businesses about the country’s labor force,” said James Holmes, director of the Census Bureau’s Atlanta regional office. “Even though this survey is conducted throughout the year, the greatest diversity of data are collected in the Annual Social and Economic Supplement (ASEC) over the three-month period of February, March and April.”

Every month, Census Bureau field representatives ask the households about the characteristics of the country’s labor force, including employment status, hours of work, earnings, age, sex, race, marital status, educational attainment, occupation and industry. From their answers come estimates of the monthly unemployment rate, which the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) releases. In addition, in the ASEC, the CPS collects statistics on topics such as income and poverty, health insurance coverage, demographic characteristics of households and families, living arrangements and geographical mobility.

By law, all information that could identify survey respondents or their households is confidential. Local households selected in the nationwide sample receive a letter from Census Bureau Director Louis Kincannon. Some are interviewed by telephone and others in person. The field representatives carry official identification cards.

Sponsored by the BLS and the Census Bureau, the ASEC supplement to the CPS will be conducted this year during the weeks of Feb. 15, March 14 and April 18, 2004, when nearly 2,000 Census Bureau field representatives will interview about 78,000 households.

CPS – February-April 2004

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