OMB Supporting Statement Part B (1220-0104)

SUPPORTING STATEMENT

B. Collection of Information Employing Statistical Methods

1. Universe and Respondent Burden

The January 2010 and January 2012 supplements will be conducted in conjunction with the CPS, for which the universe is 111 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 55,000 households are actually interviewed 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 January 2010 and January 2012 CPS. The statistical properties of these supplemental items will fall within those associated with the CPS itself (Attachment G). For additional technical information about the supplement, see Attachment H.

3. Methods to Maximize Response

For the January 2008 basic CPS, the household-level nonresponse rate was

8.4 percent. The person-level nonresponse rate for the displaced workers, employee tenure, and occupational mobility supplement was an additional 4.8 percent. Since the basic CPS nonresponse rate is a household-level rate and the displaced workers, employee tenure, and occupational mobility supplement nonresponse rate is a person-level rate, we cannot combine these rates to derive an 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 displaced workers, employee tenure, and occupational mobility 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, see Attachments G and H and "Current Population Survey Design and Methodology: Technical Paper 66," available at http://www.census.gov/prod/2006pubs/tp-66.pdf.

Due to a programming error in the January 2008 survey instrument, displacement information was not obtained from respondents who were veterans age 65 and over. Missing data for these individuals were imputed using information collected from respondents who were veterans age 65 and over in the January 2006 Displaced Worker Supplement. This imputation had minimal effect on the overall estimates because older veterans make up a relatively small share of the displaced and because of the similar employment characteristics of veterans age 65 and over in January 2006 and January 2008. This programming error will be corrected in the January 2010 survey instrument. (See Attachment H.)

4. Testing of Procedures

Testing of these supplemental items was not required since the same survey was conducted in January 2004, January 2006, and January 2008. Attachment H discusses the reliability of the estimates produced from the January 2008 Displaced Worker, Job Tenure, and Occupational Mobility supplement.

5. Contact Persons

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

Statistical Design:

Samson Adeshiyan

Demographic Statistical Methods Division

Bureau of the Census

(301) 763-5874

Statistical Analysis:

Dorinda Allard

Office of Employment and Unemployment Statistics

Bureau of Labor Statistics

(202) 691-6470

Data Collection/Survey Design:

Lisa Clement

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 January 2008 survey

D. CPS Advance Letter

E. Confidentiality Brochure

F. Title 13, United States Code

G. Overview of CPS Sample Design and Methodology

H. Source and Accuracy Statement from Microdata File for January 2008

Displaced Worker, Job Tenure, and Occupational Mobility Supplement