Supporting Statement B

SUPPORTING STATEMENT

B.COLLECTION OF INFORMATION EMPLOYING STATISTICAL METHODS

1. Respondent Universe

The annual supplement will be conducted one month each year in conjunction with the CPS, for which the universe is 122 million households. From this universe, the Census Bureau selects a sample of approximately 72,000 households each month, of which approximately 60,000 households are eligible for interviews. The Census Bureau actually interviews about 55,000 households each month. The items in the supplement are asked, as appropriate, of members of the households.

2. Procedures for Collecting Information

This is a supplemental survey associated with the CPS one month each year (August 2013, August 2014, August 2015). The statistical properties of these supplemental items will fall within those associated with the CPS itself. (See Attachment G. Specifically, sample design and selection are detailed in section 1 and estimation procedures are described in section 2.)

3. Methods to Maximize Response

For the August 2011 basic CPS, the household–level nonresponse rate was 9.1 percent. The person-level nonresponse rate for the Veterans supplement was an additional 10.1 percent. Since the basic CPS nonresponse rate is a household-level rate and the Veterans supplement nonresponse rate is a person-level rate, we cannot combine these rates to derive and overall nonresponse rate. Nonresponding households may have fewer persons than interviewed ones, so combining these rates may lead to an overestimate of the true overall nonresponse rate for persons for the Veterans supplement.

Response rates and data accuracy for the CPS are maintained at high levels through internal consistency edits in the computerized instrument, interviewer instructions, training, and close monitoring of these data. For additional information on nonresponse, see Attachments G (section 5) and I. For information about data accuracy, see “Current Population Survey Design and Methodology: Technical Paper 66” (training of interviewers is detailed in Appendix D, design of the instrument is described in Chapter 6, and data processing is described in Chapter 9.), available at http://www.census.gov/prod/2006pubs/tp-66.pdf. Additional information about response rates is available on page 16-3 of Attachment I.

4. Testing of Procedures

Two new questions in the 2010 supplement underwent cognitive testing and expert review. These questions determine if a veteran served in Afghanistan or Iraq. The testing included both self and proxy respondents. Attachment H discusses findings from this cognitive testing of the new Afghanistan and Iraq location of services questions. Attachment I discusses the reliability of the estimates produced from the August 2011 Veterans Supplement.

5. Contact Persons

The following individuals may be consulted concerning the statistical data collection and analysis operation:

Statistical Design:

Yang Cheng

Demographic Statistical Methods Division

Bureau of the Census

(301) 763-3287

Statistical Analysis:

Dorinda Allard

Office of Employment and Unemployment Statistics

Division of Labor Force Statistics

Bureau of Labor Statistics

(202) 691-6470

Data Collection/Survey Design:

Lisa A. Clement

Current Population Survey Branch

Demographic Surveys Division

Bureau of the Census

(301) 763-5482

Attachments

A. Supplement Questionnaire

B. Title 29, United States Code, Sections 1 through 9

C. News release from August 2011 survey

D. CPS Advance letter

E. Confidentiality Brochure

F. Title 13, United States Code

G. Overview of CPS Sample Design and Methodology

H. Summary of Cognitive Interviews of Two New Questions

I. Source and Accuracy Statement for the August 2011 CPS Microdata File on Veterans

J. Veterans Supplement Laws