Current Population Survey Adaptations Due to Coronavirus Pandemic

The Current Population Survey has adapted its operations in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, including changes to data collection procedures, contact strategies, and classification of COVID-related layoffs. These adaptations involve shifts in interview methods, enhanced phone research support, decentralized mailing, and new training protocols for interviewers. The timeline of pandemic impacts on survey operations is detailed, highlighting the evolution of data collection methods from shutdown orders to full capacity operations.

• Population survey
• Coronavirus pandemic
• Data collection
• Contact strategies
• COVID-19 impact

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1. Current Population Survey Adaptations due to Coronavirus Pandemic Federal Economic Statistics Advisory Committee Meeting December 11, 2020 Kyra Linse, Asst. Survey Director for the Current Population Survey 2020CENSUS.GOV

2. CPS Operating Procedures Current Population Survey Data: Occupation Status (Housing Vacancy Survey) Household Roster and Demographics Employment Status Industry and Occupation Interviewer Based Monthly Data Collection 10 Days of interviewing 4 months of interviewing - 8 months off - 4 months interviewing to measure year to year change Visit the HH the 1stmonth and the 5thmonth. Follow up with phone calls or visits the following months 2020CENSUS.GOV

3. Pandemic Impact Timeline March Shutdown orders implemented and personal visits were stopped 4 days into interviewing April June : CAPI: No personal visits, CATI Closed, Mailing Facilities closed July: Limited Personal Visit in small number of geographic areas, CATI Reopened in limited capacity August: More geographic areas open but still limited, CATI expands slightly, Mailing Facilities reopen Sept November: All geographic areas open, CATI at almost full capacity 3 2020CENSUS.GOV

4. New Contact Strategies - Phone First Policy - Personal Visits will no longer be the first method of contact (or not at all). - Better Phone Research Support Move phone research out of NPC and into Regional Offices Contact Frame to provide phone numbers in Case Management - New Please Call letter Added to first letter to emphasize for respondents to call us. - Decentralized Mailing While mailing centers are closed, ROs required to do all mailings. - Email Approval Allowing FRs to email respondents using templates to make contact and answer questions. 4 2020CENSUS.GOV

5. Classification of COVID layoffs - Employees were temporarily not working in businesses that do not typically use the term layoff. - Impacts on estimates if a person is not working and on layoff versus for some other reason - Sponsor requested quick way to ensure proper classification without changing question (too high risk) New Instructions and Training before Interviewing New interviewer instruction on screen Review of data in real time for FLD to reach out to FRs to give immediate feedback 5 2020CENSUS.GOV

6. New COVID Related Questions BLS wanted to measure COVID impact on employment Able to get questions in instrument by May 2020 Data Collection Measures impact due to COVID: - People teleworking - People unable to work due to temporary business closures/cutbacks - People not looking for work - People who did not receive needed medical care (May Oct only, added on behalf of NCHS) * School Enrollment added questions and Voting Supplements added new answer categories for COVID 6 2020CENSUS.GOV

7. Data Processing - Changed schedule to provide sponsor additional paradata and sooner - BLS uses response rates, mode rates, etc. for variance adjustments - Noninterview Bias Review on employment status to measure impact 7 2020CENSUS.GOV

8. Long Term Operational Changes - Virtual Training Started Training FRs virtually in September. Adapted current training, but need to develop more virtual friendly training - Internet Self Response Mode - Had started but now more urgent priority - Better Administrative Data Access Phone Lookups in ROs, more links to administrative data - Expand use of Email and Texting for communication with respondents 8 2020CENSUS.GOV

9. Contact Information Kyra Linse Kyra.M.Linse@census.gov 301-763-9280 9 2020CENSUS.GOV