This paper reports the general results of research undertaken by Census Bureau staff. The views expressed are attributable to the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the Census Bureau.

Nonresponse is a critical problem for the Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP). The SIPP is a nationally representative longitudinal survey conducted by the Census Bureau. The survey collects information about the financial situation of persons, families, and households in the noninstitutionalized population of the United States. Being a longitudinal survey, SIPP requires multiple interviews over a period of years. Nonresponse increases with successive interviews, causing the sample to become less representative of the population it is approximating. This issue creates concerns about the size of household and person nonresponse bias in the cross-sectional and longitudinal estimates of the SIPP.