Current Population Survey

Intro and Overview

The Current Population Survey (CPS) is the key source of unemployment information in the US. The survey began in the 1940s under the Work Projects Administration. Harmonized data are available for analysis from 1962 through 2019 via the Integrated Public Use Microdata Series (IPUMS) database.

Each month the household answers the CPS Basic questionnaire, which contains measures of employment and unemployment.The March survey, known as the  Annual Social and Economic Survey (ASEC), contains detailed measures of income, poverty, health insurance, and program participation (e.g. food stamp receipt).

While the ASEC is consistently conducted every March, other supplements are more sporadic. Below is a list of supplements available via IPUMS with the first and last year available.

  • Agricultural worker (1977-1987)
  • Civic engagement (2008-2017)
  • Computer and internet use (1997 - 2017)
  • Contingent work (1995 - 2017)
  • Displaced worker (1984 - 2018)
  • Education (1976 - 2018)
  • Fertility and marriage (1976 - 2018)
  • Food security (1995 - 2018)
  • Immunization (1978 - 1984)
  • Job tenure (1983 - 2018)
  • Public arts (2002 - 2015)
  • Tobacco Use (1992 - 2018)
  • Un(der)banked (2009 - 2017)
  • Veterans (1995 - 2018)
  • Volunteer (2002 - 2017)
  • Voter (1976 - 2018)
  • Work schedules (1991 - 2004)

You can learn more about creating an extract and exploring available data in the video below.

The CPS is conducted monthly and does include a longitudinal component. The video below explains the CPS rotational pattern, which is relevant for any use of these data and especially important for longitudinal linking.

The CPS can also be linked to the American Time Use Survey (ATUS), which began in 2003. This survey provides time diary data during a designated 24 hour period. The ATUS can be used to study time with children, gender differences in household production, non standard work hours, and eldercare.

Tips for Getting Started

The CPS is easiest to access via IPUMS CPS Links to an external site., and the ATUS is available under IPUMS Time Use.  Links to an external site.

The Census has a helpful Subject Definitions Links to an external site. page, and the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) has an extensive page of CPS resource links. Links to an external site.

Key Advantages

  • Large. State geocode is available in the public use data. Smaller populations can be studied.
  • Frequent. Monthly surveys and timely release of CPS Basic data allow for some of the most up to date data available to researchers.
  • Longitudinal. Most researchers do not take advantage of the longitudinal component, but the IPUMS linkage tools should reduce the burden of getting started.

Key Disadvantages

Papers Using these Data

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