New Data Collections Using Touchtone Data Entry

• Activity Number: 402
• Type: Contributed
• Date/Time: Thursday, August 15, 2002 : 10:30 AM to 12:20 PM
• Sponsor: Section on Government Statistics*
• Author(s): Sudarshan Jakhu*+ and E. Sauer
• Affiliation(s): U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• Keywords: TDE ; Touchtone Data Entry ; Annual Refiling Survey

Abstract

Two programs at the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) are introducing Touchtone Data Entry (TDE) into their data collection processes. Developed at BLS in the mid-1980s, TDE is used in large-scale collection of approximately 240,000 units monthly by the establishment payroll survey.

This article describes the touchtone methodology and its application in two very different survey environments. The Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS), a monthly establishment survey similar to the BLS payroll survey, uses TDE in combination with CATI to collect data. The other new implementation of TDE is by the Annual Refiling Survey (ARS) component of the ES-202 Covered Employment and Wages program. In the ARS, the universe of businesses is contacted on a three-year cycle to update information. Until now, the refiling was solely via a mailed form.

In both programs, the use of TDE is intended to reduce collection costs and maintain response rates for selected units. TDE is proving to be a cost-effective alternative to mail and CATI-based methods. Rising labor and postal rates, and declining telephone and technology costs offer incentives to redesign collection processes.