Letter to OMB #2 - Household Pulse Survey Nonsubstantive Change

June 2, 2020

TO:

Desk Officer for the U.S. Census Bureau
Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs/OMB

FROM:

Victoria Velkoff, Associate Director for Demographic Programs, U.S. Census Bureau
VICTORIA VELKOFF

SUBJECT:

Digitally signed by VICTORIA
VELKOFF
Date: 2020.06.02 16:03:44 -04'00'

Request for Approval for Non-Substantive Change: Household Pulse Survey

The Census Bureau is writing to request approval of a Non-Substantive Change to the questions
administered on the Household Pulse Survey questionnaire approved on April 19, 2020 (OMB No. 06071013). This notice is in keeping with the Census Bureau’s commitment to foster transparency in its
efforts to produce new, relevant and timely data on the social and economic experiences individuals are
having during this period of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The revisions to the Household Pulse Survey questions are designed 1) to ensure clarity in the collection
of responses to existing questions; and/or 2) to collect new relevant information.
Refinement to existing questions include in the domains of employment (clearer response options
regarding the reasons someone did not work); education (to ensure we were collecting information on
teacher-led instructional hours for all K-12 students in the household); and respondent-provided address
information (to clarify we are asking for current address).
New questions have been added to the domains of employment/spending (1 new question); food security
(1 new question); education (1 new question); and one open-ended question so participants may write in
about other experiences they wish to convey.
Please see Attachment NSC-2 for documentation of these changes.
Thank you for your consideration. Please let us know if you have any questions or concerns.

Attachment NSC-2 OMB Approval 0607-1013: Non-Substantive Change Request re Household Pulse Survey Questionnaire

Proposed changes to Household Pulse Survey
June 2, 2020
Employment

(Implement line break in Q11. Consider adding new response option to Q13: “I did not work because I was concerned about
getting or spreading the coronavirus”)

(Q11:) Now we are going to ask about your employment.
In the last 7 days, did you do ANY work for either pay or profit? Select only one answer.
o
o

Yes
No

(Q13:) What is your main reason for not working for pay or profit? Select only one answer.
I did not work because I/my:
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o

did not want to be employed at this time
am/was sick with coronavirus symptoms
am/was caring for someone with coronavirus symptoms
am/was caring for children not in school or daycare
am/was caring for an elderly person
was concerned about getting or spreading the coronavirus
am/was sick (not coronavirus related) or disabled
am retired
employer experienced a reduction in business (including furlough) due to coronavirus pandemic
am/was laid off due to coronavirus pandemic
employer closed temporarily due to the coronavirus pandemic
employer went out of business due to the coronavirus pandemic
Other reason, please specify

(Q20:) Thinking about your experience in the last 7 days, which of the following did you use to meet
your spending needs? Select all that apply.
□
□
□
□
□
□
□

Regular income sources like those received before the pandemic
Credit cards or loans
Money from savings or selling assets
Borrowing from friends or family
Unemployment insurance (UI) benefit payments
Stimulus (economic impact) payment
Money saved from deferred or forgiven payments [to meet your spending needs]

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Attachment NSC-2 OMB Approval 0607-1013: Non-Substantive Change Request re Household Pulse Survey Questionnaire

Food Security

(Consider new question to follow Q24)

(New. Ask if Q24 =2, 3, 4 AND there are children in HH:) Please indicate whether the next statement was
often true, sometimes true, or never true in the last 7 days for the children living in your household who
are under 18 years old. "The children were not eating enough because we just couldn't afford enough
food."
o
o
o

Often true
Sometimes true
Never true

Education

(Change Q48 to account for multiple children. Consider new question to follow Q48)

(Q48:) During the last 7 days, about how many hours did the student(s) have live contact either by
phone or video with their teachers? Enter the total number of hours for all students. If none, enter 0.
___________

(New. Ask if Q42=1:) During the last 7 days, about how many hours did the student(s) spend doing
learning activities on their own? Do not include time spent with teachers or other household members.
Enter the total number of hours for all students. If none, enter 0.
___________

Address

(Add “current”)

(Residence:) The U.S. Census Bureau is interested in understanding geographic differences in
experiences with the coronavirus pandemic. To help us analyze survey responses across the entire
United States, please provide your complete current street address below.
Your address information will only be used for statistical analyses conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau
and will not be used for any other purpose or shared with any other parties.

(Rural_address:) Please provide the Rural Route address where you currently reside.
Also, provide a description of the physical location in the space provided.

(Other_address:) Please provide the city and state or ZIP Code where you are currently living.
Also, describe the physical location in the space provided.

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Attachment NSC-2 OMB Approval 0607-1013: Non-Substantive Change Request re Household Pulse Survey Questionnaire

Open-ended feedback item
(New:) Thank you.
(New2:) Is there anything else related to the coronavirus pandemic you would like to tell us?
(open-ended text box)

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