Attachment G - CPS Fact Sheet

Unemployment Rate for Persons
25 Years and Older, by Education

Percentage of Persons Employed
(Annual averages)

(Annual averages for 2010)

Men, age 16+
Women, age 16+

76.2
72.0

71.7

72.0

70.9

71.9

70.8

Less than
high school

69.6
63.7

57.5

55.6

54.3

56.2

47.7
40.8

14.9

High school
graduate

53.6

50.4

10.3

42.0

Some college,
no degree

9.2

Associate’s
degree

7.0

Bachelor's
degree or more
1970

Fact Sheet for the
Current Population Survey

1975

1980

1985

1990

1995

2000

2005

4.7

2010

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Unemployment Rate for 2001 to 2010
Annual averages
12.0
9.6

9.3
9.0
5.8
6.0

6.0

4.7

5.5

5.8
5.1

4.6

4.6

3.0

0

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Issued August 2015
BC-1433

U.S. Department of Commerce

Economics and Statistics Administration
U.S. CENSUS BUREAU

census.gov

People who have jobs......those who want jobs......and those not in the job market.
What this survey is about
This survey is the Current Population Survey.
Its main purpose is to collect up-to-date
figures on people who have jobs, those
who want jobs, and those who are not
in the market for jobs. The U.S. Census
Bureau collects the information and the U.S.
Department of Labor publishes the results.
The survey results include a number of
high-profile economic statistics, including
the Nation’s unemployment rate that you
read or hear about monthly in the news.

Why we need the Current
Population Survey
In a nation as large as ours and one that
is changing so rapidly, we need up-to-date
facts in order to plan effective programs
for the future. In addition to a complete
census, taken every 10 years, and the
American Community Survey, taken
annually, it is essential that we obtain
some items of information much more
frequently. We collect information on the
number of persons working, the kind of
work they do, and the number of persons
looking for work (the unemployed) on a
monthly basis in the Current Population
Survey so that we can keep abreast of
changes.

Legal authorization
Congress authorized the collection of
most of the information requested
in this survey under Title 13, United
States Code, Section 182; and Title 29,
United States Code, Sections 1 through
9. In some months, the survey may
contain questions authorized

under laws other than those cited. You can
obtain further information concerning the
authority for any particular portion of the
survey from the Field Representative who
visits your household.

Why your answers are important
People in government and private
organizations need the statistics that we
obtain from this survey to develop and
evaluate economic policies that are consistent
with the current needs of the nation. For this
reason, it is extremely important that these
statistics be as reliable as possible. The only
way we can achieve this needed reliability is
through the cooperation of sample households
such as yours in providing complete and
accurate information. Your answers represent
your household and approximately 2,000
other households similar to yours. In all,
we select about 59,000 households to be
interviewed each month.

Additional questions
In addition to questions about jobs, from
time to time we ask questions about other

important areas concerning the economic
and social health of our nation. We may
ask how much schooling people in your
household have had, how many of them are
attending school now, what kinds of work
different members have done, whether or
not you have moved in the past year, and
other questions of a similar nature.

Number of times we will visit you
We will visit this address each month for 4
months this year and again for 4 months a
year from now.

How you are chosen
We chose this address, not you as a person
or a family. If you should move during the
period, we will interview the new family that
moves to this address.

The Census Bureau never
reveals information about you
All information given by you to the Census
Bureau for this survey is confidential by law
(Title 13, United States Code, Section 9). Every
Census Bureau employee takes an oath to this
effect and is subject to a jail penalty and a fine
if he/she discloses any census information
given to him/her. We use computers to
collect the survey data, but the information
is encrypted to ensure its confidentiality.
We present published information only in
the form of statistical summaries, and we
never release any information that could
identify individuals. The Census Bureau has
established rigid procedures and guidelines
to ensure data confidentiality and is proud
the excellent reputation it has earned in
this regard.

Thank you for your participation in the Current Population Survey!