Current Population Survey-Basic Labor Force

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DC
U.S. Census Bureau
Washington, DC 20233-0001
OFFICE OF THE DIRECTOR

A Message from the Director, U.S. Census Bureau:

Dear Resident,
Your address has been selected to participate in the Current Population Survey. This
monthly survey is the source of the Nation’s unemployment rate that you may hear about in
the news. The U.S. Census Bureau conducts this survey in partnership with the U.S. Bureau
of Labor Statistics.
The Current Population Survey collects information on employment and earnings of people
living in the United States. The results help determine federal funding for veteran’s programs,
youth activities, food assistance and more. The survey results are also used by the Federal
Reserve to set interest rates.
The success of this survey depends on your participation. We cannot substitute
another address for yours. Your address is part of a scientifically selected sample of
addresses chosen throughout the country. Your answers represent hundreds of other U.S.
households.
Answers to frequently asked questions are on the back of this letter. If you have other
questions, please visit census.gov/cps, or call your Census Bureau Regional Office at
1–800–424–6974, #53939.
You do not need to take any action at this time. A Census Bureau representative will contact
you soon to ask your household to complete the survey.
Thank you in advance for participating in this important survey.

CPS-263(MIS-1)(L) ATLANTA
(2-2026)
census.gov

What is the Current Population Survey?
The Current Population Survey is the primary source of monthly labor force statistics. It is used
to measure how the economy and labor force are doing across the country and in your
community. It asks questions about employment, and in certain months, includes questions
about education, health, family income, housing, and other important subjects. Personally
identifiable information collected includes name, address, telephone/cell phone number, date of
birth, or age.
How was I selected?
The U.S. Census Bureau chose your address, not you personally, to participate in this survey.
We select about 60,000 addresses across the United States to interview each month. This
ensures that the survey represents all kinds of households across the country. This is why your
participation is so important. Your address and your household represent thousands of other
addresses and people.
How long will this take?
On average, this survey takes 10 to 15 minutes. You will be contacted for four consecutive
months this year. You will be contacted again during the same four months next year. This
type of interview schedule ensures high-quality statistics while reducing the burden on
participants. We will work with you to schedule interviews at the best times for you. Interviews
can be over the phone or in person at the location of your choosing. Send comments
regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including
suggestions for reducing this burden, to: [email protected]; use "Demo Survey Comments
0607-0049" as the subject.
Will information I provide be confidential?
Disclosure of the information provided to us is permitted under the Privacy Act of 1974 (5 United
States Code § 552a) and may be shared with other Census Bureau staff for work-related
purposes. Disclosure of this information is also subject to all the published routine uses as
identified in the Privacy Act System of Records Notice COMMERCE/Census-COMMERCE/
Census-3, Demographic Survey Collection (Census Bureau Sampling Frame).
Federal law requires that your answers are kept confidential (Title 13, U.S. Code, Section 9) and
protects your privacy under the Privacy Act (Title 5 U.S. Code, Section 552a). Per the Federal
Cybersecurity Enhancement Act of 2015, your data are protected from cybersecurity risks through
screening of the systems that transmit your data. Authority for the collection of this information for
the Current Population Survey is provided under Title 13 U.S.C., Sections 141 and 182, and Title
29 U. S. C., Section 2 and Section 8(b) if applicable to a reimbursable supplement.
Census Bureau staff have received training on privacy and confidentiality policies and practices.
Access to personally identifiable information (PII) is restricted to authorized personnel only.
Access to PII is being monitored, tracked, or recorded on Census Bureau IT systems.
Furnishing this information is voluntary. There are no consequences for not providing the
requested information. However, your cooperation in obtaining this much needed information is
extremely important to ensure complete and accurate results.
In some months, the survey may contain questions authorized under laws other than those
cited; further information concerning the authority for any particular portion of the survey can be
obtained from the representative who contacts your household. Your voluntary participation in
this survey is important. This collection has been approved by the Office of Management and
Budget (OMB Number: 0607-0049). Without this number, we could not conduct this survey.
CPS-263(MIS-1)(L) (2-2026)

DC
U.S. Census Bureau
Washington, DC 20233-0001
OFFICE OF THE DIRECTOR

A Message from the Director, U.S. Census Bureau:

Dear Resident,
Last year, your address was selected for the Current Population Survey (CPS). This monthly
survey is the source of the Nation’s unemployment rate that you may hear about in the news.
The U.S. Census Bureau conducts this survey in partnership with the U.S. Bureau of Labor
Statistics.
It is important that we contact your address again to find out what changes have occurred in
employment, family size, and other important subjects since last year. Your participation
is important, even if nothing has changed.
The success of this survey depends on your participation. Your responses are needed since
they:
Ⴠ determine funding to help veterans and the unemployed get better job training.
Ⴠ are used by the Federal Reserve to set the interest rates in our country (which affects
your savings and borrowing rates).
Ⴠ determine which local areas qualify for federal grants to help build new businesses.
Answers to frequently asked questions are on the back of this letter. If you have other
questions, please visit census.gov/cps, or call your Census Bureau Regional Office
at 1–800–424–6974, #53939.
You do not need to take any action at this time. A Census Bureau representative will contact
you soon to ask your household to complete the survey.
Thank you in advance for participating in this important survey.

CPS-264(MIS-5)(L) ATLANTA
(2-2026)
census.gov

What is the Current Population Survey?
The Current Population Survey is the primary source of monthly labor force statistics, and it is
used to measure how the economy and labor force are doing across the country and in your
community. It asks questions about employment, and in certain months, includes questions
about education, health, family income, housing, and other important subjects. Personally
identifiable information collected includes name, address, telephone/cell phone number, date of
birth, or age.
I did this last year. Why are you asking me to do this again?
The U.S. Census Bureau chose your address, not you personally, to participate in this survey.
Interviewing the same address over time is the most accurate way to measure any changes in
the U.S. labor force. For this reason, it is important for us to contact this address again. Your
participation is important even if nothing has changed.
How long will this take?
On average, this survey takes 10 to 15 minutes. We will contact you to do an interview once a
month over the next 4 months. We will work with you to schedule interviews at the best times
for you. Each interview can be over the phone or in person at the location of your choosing.
Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of
information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to: [email protected]; use "Demo
Survey Comments 0607-0049" as the subject.
Will information I provide be confidential?
Disclosure of the information provided to us is permitted under the Privacy Act of 1974 (5 United
States Code § 552a) and may be shared with other Census Bureau staff for work-related
purposes. Disclosure of this information is also subject to all the published routine uses as
identified in the Privacy Act System of Records Notice COMMERCE/Census-COMMERCE/
Census-3, Demographic Survey Collection (Census Bureau Sampling Frame).
Federal law requires that your answers are kept confidential (Title 13, U.S. Code, Section 9) and
protects your privacy under the Privacy Act (Title 5 U.S. Code, Section 552a). Per the Federal
Cybersecurity Enhancement Act of 2015, your data are protected from cybersecurity risks through
screening of the systems that transmit your data. Authority for the collection of this information for
the Current Population Survey is provided under Title 13 U.S.C., Sections 141 and 182, and Title
29 U. S. C., Section 2 and Section 8(b) if applicable to a reimbursable supplement.
Census Bureau staff have received training on privacy and confidentiality policies and practices.
Access to personally identifiable information (PII) is restricted to authorized personnel only.
Access to PII is being monitored, tracked, or recorded on Census Bureau IT systems.
Furnishing this information is voluntary. There are no consequences for not providing the
requested information. However, your cooperation in obtaining this much needed information is
extremely important to ensure complete and accurate results.
In some months, the survey may contain questions authorized under laws other than those cited;
further information concerning the authority for any particular portion of the survey can be
obtained from the representative who contacts your household. Your voluntary participation in this
survey is important. This collection has been approved by the Office of Management and Budget
(OMB Number: 0607-0049). Without this number, we could not conduct this survey.

CPS-264(MIS-5)(L) (2-2026)