At A Glance
Noteworthy Characteristics
- Provides data on mediating variables (e.g., employment status) that may be useful in studying childhood obesity.
- From time to time, the CPS has included additional questions on health, education, income, and other issues. The Tobacco Use Supplement, sponsored by the National Cancer Institute, is an example of these additional questions.
- Sample is large enough to provide national, state and some substate-specific estimates
- Collects information on the occupations, employment activities, and economic status of household members.
Website
Purpose
To provide data on the labor force characteristics of the United States (US) population.
Target Population
Civilian noninstitutionalized population in the US, ages 16 years and older.
Conducted
Began in 1940. Conducted monthly.
Sponsor
Bureau of Labor Statistics (US Department of Labor), in cooperation with the Census Bureau (US Department of Commerce)
Special Note(s)
The Annual Social Economic Supplement (ASEC; formerly known as the Annual Demographic Survey) is an annual supplement to the CPS containing data on basic demographic and labor force data, in addition to data on work experience, income, noncash benefits (such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and the Women Infants and Children Nutrition Program (WIC) benefits. Learn more.
Sampling
Sample Design
Cross-sectional survey.
Households are drawn into the sample using a multistage stratified sampling scheme. Each household is interviewed once a month on 4 consecutive months, and again a year later on 4 consecutive months.
Sample Size
Approximately 50,000 households per month
Special Note(s)
Learn more about the design and methodology of the Current Population Survey.
Key Variables
Demographic
| Name | Methods of Assessment |
|---|---|
| Age | Interview/questionnaire |
| Disability (ADL/IADL*; cognitive; hearing; movement/physical; vision; work-related) | Interview/questionnaire |
| Earnings | Interview/questionnaire |
| Educational attainment | Interview/questionnaire |
| Employment | Interview/questionnaire |
| Hispanic origin | Interview/questionnaire |
| Hours of work | Interview/questionnaire |
| Marital status | Interview/questionnaire |
| Occupation, industry, class of worker | Interview/questionnaire |
| Race | Interview/questionnaire |
| Sex | Interview/questionnaire |
| Unemployment | Interview/questionnaire |
Special Note(s)
The Annual Social Economic Supplement (ASEC; formerly known as the Annual Demographic Survey) is an annual supplement to the CPS containing data on basic demographic and labor force data, in addition to data on work experience, income, noncash benefits (such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and the Women Infants and Children Nutrition Program (WIC) benefits. Learn more.
*ADL: Activities of Daily Living / IADL: Instrumental Activities of Daily Living
Data Access and Cost
Data Availability
Download data.
Cost
Data are available free of charge.
Special Note(s)
The Annual Social Economic Supplement (ASEC; formerly known as the Annual Demographic Survey) is an annual supplement to the CPS containing data on basic demographic and labor force data, in addition to data on work experience, income, noncash benefits (such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and the Women Infants and Children Nutrition Program (WIC) benefits. Data are available
Geocode/Linkage
Geocode Variable(s)
Allowing for confidentiality restrictions, indicators are provided for 278 selected metropolitan areas, 281 counties and 76 central cities.
Existing Linkages
The American Time Use Survey (ATUS) and Annual Social Economic Survey (ASEC)
Selected Publications
General
Denavas-Walt C., Proctor B., Smith J. Income, Poverty, and Health Insurance in the United States: 2010. Washington (DC): US Department of Commerce, US Census Bureau, 2011.
Mellor JM, J Milyo. Income inequality and health status in the United States: Evidence from the Current Population Survey. The Journal of Human Resources 2002;37(3):510-539.
Singh GK, Siahpush M, Kogan MD. Disparities in children's exposure to environmental tobacco smoke in the United States, 2007. Pediatrics 2010;126(1):4-13.
Resources
Data Query System
Documentation/Codebook(s)
Obtain technical documentation for the Current Population Surveyhis site, including technical papers on the design and methodology, the interviewing manual, and details about various supplements.
