Current Population Survey (CPS) Basic Demographics

1975

42.0

71.7

1980

47.7

72.0

1985

0

3.0

6.0

9.0

12.0

1995

2000

2005

56.2

69.6

2010

53.6

63.7

2002

5.8

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics.

2001

4.7

Annual averages

2003

6.0

2004

5.5

2005

5.1

Unemployment Rate for 2001 to 2010

1990

57.5

71.9

55.6

70.8

54.3

72.0

50.4

70.9

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics.

1970

40.8

76.2

Men, age 16+
Women, age 16+

Percentage of Persons Employed

(Annual averages)

2007

4.6

2008

U.S. CENSUS BUREAU

Economics and Statistics Administration

U.S. Department of Commerce

2006

4.6

5.8

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Bachelor's
degree or more

Associate’s
degree

Some college,
no degree

High school
graduate

Less than
high school

(Annual averages for 2010)

4.7

2009

9.3

7.0

2010

9.6

14.9

Issued April 2011
BC-1433

9.2

10.3

Unemployment Rate for Persons
25 Years and Older, by Education

Fact Sheet for the Current
Population Survey

Attachment E-1

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

Legal authorization

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

Additional questions

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 interview about
55,000 households each month.

Why your answers are important

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.

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 of the excellent reputation

it has earned in this regard.

The Census Bureau never
reveals information about you

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.

How you are chosen

We will visit this address each month for 4
months this year and again for 4 months a
year from now.

Number of times we will visit you

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.

Thank you for your participation in 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.

Why we need the Current
Population Survey

This survey is the Current Population
Survey. Its main purpose is to collect upto-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.

What this survey is about

people who have jobs......those who want jobs......and those not in the job market.