Attachment IV - Brochure

BLS

U.S. BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS

www.bls.gov

BLS national and regional offices
Washington, DC

Bureau of Labor Statistics
2 Massachusetts Avenue, NE
Washington, DC 20212
(202) 691-7000   [email protected]

Atlanta

Bureau of Labor Statistics
61 Forsyth Street, SW, Room 7T50
Atlanta, GA 30303
(404) 893-4222   [email protected]

Boston

Bureau of Labor Statistics
JFK Federal Bldg., E-310
Boston, MA 02203
(617) 565-2327   [email protected]

Chicago

Bureau of Labor Statistics
J.C. Kluczynski Federal Office Building
230 South Dearborn Street, Room 960
Chicago, IL 60604
(312) 353-1880   [email protected]

Dallas

Bureau of Labor Statistics
525 South Griffin Street, EA&I, Room 221
Dallas, TX 75202
(972) 850-4800   [email protected]

Kansas City

Bureau of Labor Statistics
Two Pershing Square Building
2300 Main Street, Suite 1190
Kansas City, MO 64108
(816) 285-7000   [email protected]

New York

Bureau of Labor Statistics
New York-New Jersey Information Office
201 Varick Street, Room 808
New York, NY 10014
(646) 264-3600   [email protected]

Philadelphia

Bureau of Labor Statistics
Suite 610 East – The Curtis Center
170 South Independence Mall West
Philadelphia, PA 19106
(215) 597-3282   [email protected]

San Francisco

Bureau of Labor Statistics
90th 7th Street, Suite 14-100
San Francisco, CA 94103
(415) 625-2270   [email protected]

Questions?
If you have any questions or comments regarding
any aspect of the survey, send them to the
Division of Consumer Prices and Price Indexes
(OMB #1220-0163), Bureau of Labor Statistics,
2 Massachusetts Ave., NE, Washington DC 20212,
(202) 691-6991, or e-mail: [email protected].
The U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB)
has approved the questionnaire and has assigned
1220-0163 as the control number. Without OMB
approval and this number, we would not be able to
conduct this survey.

The Consumer Price Index

Housing Survey:
Your Input is Important

We need your help to measure
inflation
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), an
agency of the Department of Labor, is the principal
statistical data gathering organization of the
Federal Government in the areas of labor and
economics. We are asking for your voluntary
participation in the Consumer Price Index (CPI)
Housing Survey. The CPI Housing Survey is used
to measure price changes for what people pay
to live in their rental houses or apartments. Your
cooperation in this important survey will help
provide the “big picture” of the U.S. economy.

What is the CPI?
The CPI is the nation’s chief measure of inflation
at the retail level. It measures changes over time
in the cost of buying a fixed market basket of
goods and services needed for day-to-day living.
Calculated and published by BLS, the CPI is used
by business, labor, and government for making
informed economic decisions. It is widely used
to adjust payments under collective bargaining
agreements and other contracts. The Federal
Government uses the CPI to adjust Social Security
payments, personal income taxes, and other
program payments for the effects of inflation.

Housing accounts for more than
40 percent of the CPI
The Housing portion of the CPI has three
components: Shelter; Fuel and Other Utilities; and
Household Furnishings and Operations. Together,
they account for more than 40 percent of the CPI.
Shelter is the largest of these components and
accounts for approximately 30 percent of the CPI. BLS
measures the changes in shelter costs primarily from
information collected in the CPI Housing Survey, in
which you have been asked to participate.

Your home was chosen at random
The CPI is continuously updated to maintain its
accuracy and relevance in today’s economy. One sixth
of the addresses in the Housing Survey are replaced
annually, using a random sampling procedure. Your
home was selected to represent a large number of
similar housing units in the CPI. This address was
chosen—neither you nor your household as individuals
were selected. If you move, we will interview the new
resident at this address in the future.

All information is confidential
All the information you give to the BLS data collector
for this survey is confidential. BLS staff are sworn to
maintain the confidentiality of all responses. No one
else has access to your responses. All information is
presented only in the form of statistical summaries.
You will not be personally identified.

We ask for just a little of your time
BLS collects information on the changes in
housing costs by visiting selected homes on a
predetermined schedule. We will contact you either
by telephone or by personal visit just twice a year.
On rare occasions, other BLS employees may reinterview you as part of our Data Quality Assurance
Program. Such an interview should take an average
of 5 to 12 minutes.

The CPI is released monthly
The CPI is available on the BLS-CPI homepage at:
www.bls.gov/cpi shortly after release of the data
around the 15th of each month. In addition, CPI
information is available in the BLS periodical: CPI
Detailed Report at: www.bls.gov/cpi/cpi_dr.htm.

Thank you!
By participating in the CPI Housing Survey, you help
make the CPI possible.

Confidentiality and burden concerns
Confidentiality statement:
The Bureau of Labor Statistics, its employees,
agents, and partner statistical agencies will use the
information you provide for statistical purposes
only and will hold the information in confidence
to the full extent required by law. In accordance
with the Confidential Information Protection and
Statistical Efficiency Act of 2002 (Title 5 of Public
Law 107-347) and other applicable Federal laws,
your responses will not be disclosed in identifiable
form without your informed consent.

Voluntary nature:
This survey is authorized by law 29 U.S.C.2. Your
voluntary cooperation is needed to make the results
of the survey comprehensive, accurate, and timely.

Public burden statement:
The survey interview can be completed in an
estimated 7 – 12 minutes.
• To determine address eligibility – 7 minutes
• If eligible, to complete the interview – 5 minutes
• Follow-up just twice per year – 7 minutes