CPS UI Non-Filer 1220-NEW Supporting statement B

CPS UI Non-Filer Supplement

1220-NEW

March 2018

SUPPORTING STATEMENT B

B. Collection of Information Employing Statistical Methods

1. Universe and Respondent Burden

The UI Non-Filer Supplement will be conducted in May and September 2018, in conjunction with the CPS, for which the universe is 122 million households. From this universe, we select a sample of approximately 72,000 households each month, of which approximately 60,000 households are eligible for interviews. About 53,000 households are actually interviewed each month. The items in the supplement are asked, as appropriate, for members of the households. Approximately 60,000 people will be asked about in the supplement (30,000 each for May and September). This number is based on the number of respondents who would have been eligible in recent monthly collections of the CPS; the number could change depending on economic conditions and the number of respondents who are unemployed and not in the labor force.

2. Procedures for Collecting Information

This is a supplemental survey associated with the May and September 2018 CPS. The statistical properties of the supplemental questions will fall within those associated with the CPS itself. See Attachment H for information on sample design and selection. For information about estimation procedures, see Chapter 10 of “Current Population Survey Design and Methodology: Technical Paper 66,” available at http://www.census.gov/prod/2006pubs/tp-66.pdf.

3. Methods to Maximize Response

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 information about data accuracy and nonresponse, 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, data processing is described in Chapter 9, and nonresponse is described in Chapters 15 and 16), available at http://www.census.gov/prod/2006pubs/tp-66.pdf.

4. Testing of Procedures

The 2018 UI Non-Filer Supplement questionnaire is based on the questionnaire used for the 2005 supplement, collected under an interagency agreement between the Department of Labor and the United States Census Bureau. (See Attachment A for the 2018 questionnaire.) However, there were a number of minor changes; for example, a number of response options were altered or modernized. In addition, new questions about job search activity and job offers were added. Job search activity questions included the number of jobs applied for over the past 2 months, whether the job would require relocating, whether there were difficulties in finding jobs to apply for, and if so, what those difficulties were. Questions about job offers included the number of offers since the last job, reason for not accepting offers, and whether the person would accept a job similar to their last job but at lower pay. All questions in the UI Non-Filer Supplement underwent cognitive testing and expert review. Attachment I discusses the findings from the cognitive testing.

In addition, the UI Non-Filer Supplement is subject to the same testing procedures as the monthly CPS. This includes instrument testing, output testing, and systems testing.

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:

Dori Allard

Office of Employment and Unemployment Statistics

Bureau of Labor Statistics

(202) 691-6470

Data Collection/Survey Design:

Lisa A. Clement

Survey Director, Current Population Survey

Bureau of the Census

(301) 763-5482

Attachments

A. Supplement Questionnaire

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

C. CPS Factsheet

D. CPS Advance Letter MIS 1

E. CPS Advance Letter MIS 5

F. Confidentiality Brochure

G. Title 13, United States Code

H. Redesign of the Sample for the Current Population Survey

I. Cognitive Testing Report

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