Current Population Survey Correlations Across and Within the 1990/2000 Phase-In/Phase-Out Period

• Activity Number: 614
• Type: Topic Contributed
• Date/Time: Thursday, August 5, 2010 : 8:30 AM to 10:20 AM
• Sponsor: Section on Survey Research Methods
• Author(s): Antoinette Lubich*+ and Reid Rottach
• Companies: U.S. Census Bureau and U.S. Census Bureau
• Keywords: sample redesign ; sampling correlation ; year-to-year correlation ; between-month correlation ; transition period ; modeling

Abstract

The Current Population Survey is a monthly sample survey of housing units that produces reliable estimates of labor force statistics for the working-age population of the United States. In order to maintain the efficiency of the survey's design, the sampling frame has historically been updated every decade with the most recent census data. A new CPS sample design is transitioned in from the old over a 16-month phase-in/phase-out period. We will measure correlations of estimates for key labor force characteristics for months both inside and outside the transition period.