Consumer Price Index (CPI) Survey

CPI Selected Users Survey

Thank you for helping the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) collect critical feedback regarding the Consumer Price Index (CPI)
program. The CPI program produces monthly data on changes in the prices paid by urban consumers for a representative basket of
goods and services. Your responses to this survey will be used to get feedback on the CPI program and to make improvements in the
future.
Any feedback you can provide about the CPI program would be appreciated. Your participation in this survey is voluntary. We estimate
that it will take approximately 15 minutes to complete. We are collecting this information under OMB Number 1225-0059. Without this
currently approved number, BLS could not conduct this survey (Expiration date: 1/31/2016).
The survey questions are based on broad user experience and responses will be aggregated for analysis.
If you have any questions about this survey, please e-mail Steve Reed at [email protected], or call (202) 691-5378.
This survey is being administered by SurveyMonkey.com and resides on a server outside of the BLS domain. BLS cannot guarantee
the protection of survey responses and advises against the inclusion of sensitive personal information in any response.
Select Next below to begin the survey.

CPI Selected Users Survey

1. Which category best describes the organization at which you work or study?
Industry or trade association
Federal government
State government
Local government
School/University
Research organization
Financial institution
News media
Nongovernmental organization
Consulting institution
Blog
Private citizen
Other (please specify):

CPI Selected Users Survey

2. For what purposes do you access CPI products?
General Research
Escalate or increase a payment (for example, rent, salary, or contractual amount)
Compute projections or forecasts
Find out about price change for specific items or categories
Deflate or adjust other economic time series
Other (please specify):

CPI Selected Users Survey

3. Please indicate what best expresses your opinions on the following statements about the CPI:
Strongly
agree

Agree

Neither
agree nor
disagree

Disagree

CPI data are of high quality
CPI data are timely enough to meet my needs.
I believe that the CPI methodology measures price change as
accurately as possible.

4. Please share any comments you have about the quality or timeliness of CPI data, or the CPI
methodology.

Strongly
disagree

CPI Selected Users Survey

5. What best describes how frequently you use the following CPI data series?
More than
monthly
Consumer Price Index for All Urban
Consumers (CPI-U)
Consumer Price Index for All Urban
Wage Earners and Clerical Workers
(CPI-W)
Chained Consumer Price Index for All
Urban Consumers (C-CPI-U)
Average Price data

Monthly

Several
times per
year

Once per
year

Less than
once per
year

Never

Not familiar
with this

CPI Selected Users Survey

6. Which type of CPI data do you use more frequently: the CPI seasonally adjusted data or not seasonally
adjusted data? (Select one)
Seasonally adjusted
Not seasonally adjusted
Use both equally
Neither/not sure

CPI Selected Users Survey

7. Which of the following CPI data do you use most frequently? (Select one)
National CPI data (for example, U.S. City average)
Regional or local data (for example, South Urban or Chicago-Gary-Kenosha)
Use both equally
Neither/not sure

CPI Selected Users Survey

8. What regional or local CPI data do you use?

CPI Selected Users Survey

9. Which of the following CPI data do you use most frequently? (Select one)
All items CPI
CPI for specific goods or services (for example, housing or new vehicles)
Use both equally
Neither/not sure

CPI Selected Users Survey

10. What CPI for specific goods or services do you use?

CPI Selected Users Survey

11. When you use CPI data, which of the following do you primarily use?
Index values
12 month percent changes
1 month percent changes
None of these/Not sure

CPI Selected Users Survey

12. If you use average price data, what specific series (such as milk or gasoline) do you use? If you don't
use this, select "I don't use average price data."
I don't use average price data
Please specify what specific series you use:

CPI Selected Users Survey

13. How do you access CPI data? (Select all that apply)
News Release
Detailed Report Tables
CPI Databases
Text files/Flat files
Third party sites
Other (please specify)

CPI Selected Users Survey

14. How satisfied or dissatisfied you are with your access to CPI data online?
Very satisfied
Somewhat satisfied
Neither satisfied not dissatisfied
Somewhat dissatisfied
Very dissatisfied
Have not accessed CPI data online
Please explain your responses (optional)

CPI Selected Users Survey

15. How satisfied or dissatisfied are you with your interactions with CPI staff?
Very satisfied
Somewhat satisfied
Neither satisfied not dissatisfied
Somewhat dissatisfied
Very dissatisfied

CPI Selected Users Survey

16. Please share any comments you have, positive or negative, about your interactions with CPI staff.

CPI Selected Users Survey

17. How satisfied or dissatisfied are you with the variety of formats that CPI data are available in?
Very satisfied
Somewhat satisfied
Neither satisfied not dissatisfied
Somewhat dissatisfied
Very dissatisfied
No opinion

CPI Selected Users Survey

18. Should CPI data be made available in additional formats?
Yes
No

CPI Selected Users Survey

19. What additional formats should be added? (Please describe).

CPI Selected Users Survey

20. Please share any suggestions you have for improving access to CPI data.

CPI Selected Users Survey

21. How satisfied or dissatisfied are you with the procedure in which CPI data are released to users each
month?
Very satisfied
Somewhat satisfied
Neither satisfied not dissatisfied
Somewhat dissatisfied
Very dissatisfied
No opinion

CPI Selected Users Survey

22. Please share any suggestions you have for improving the procedures of the monthly release of CPI
data.

CPI Selected Users Survey

23. How helpful would the following potential changes in the CPI be to you?
Somewhat
Very helpful
helpful

Not at all
helpful

Earlier release of data (for example, July data might be released in early
August rather than mid-August)
Release of preliminary data before release of final data
CPI for specific demographic groups
More detailed CPI categories

24. Please describe any other changes or improvements to the CPI you would like to suggest.

Don't
know/no
opinion

CPI Selected Users Survey

25. What other BLS data do you use? (Select all that apply).
Producer Prices (PPI)
Consumer Expenditure Data (CEX)
International Price Data (IPP)
Employment/Unemployment Data
Compensation Data
Productivity Data
Other (please specify):

CPI Selected Users Survey

26. What other inflation data do you use? (Select all that apply).
Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) Index
Gross Domestic Product (GDP) Implicit Price Deflator
Producer Price Index (PPI)
Import and Export Prices (IPP)
Employment Cost Index (ECI)

CPI Selected Users Survey

27. We are interested in any other comments, positive or negative, that you would like to share about the
CPI. If you don't have any additional comments, select "No additional comments."
No additional comments
Please write your comments here: