The Current Population Survey (CPS) is a monthly survey of households conducted by the Census Bureau for the Bureau of Labor Statistics. In addition to the national unemployment rate, it provides data on employment, the unemployment rate, persons not in the labor force, hours of work, earnings, and other demographic and labor force characteristics.

Your responses are combined with those of other survey participants to produce important statistical information about the U.S. labor market. Data from the CPS are used by government policymakers and legislators as important indicators of our nation’s economic situation and for planning and evaluating many government programs. They are also used by business, the media, students, academics, and the general public.

If you have been contacted or visited by a Census Bureau interviewer or field representative, you can contact the local Census Bureau Regional Office for your state.

If you have questions about an email or letter you received about answering the Current Population Survey online, you can call 1-800-747-1494.

You will be asked about your employment status for a specific week of the month and additional questions such as age, race, occupation, hours of work, and education, among other topics. You also will be asked these questions about everyone in your household 15 years and older.

Whether you are employed or retired, unemployed or just going to school, all that information is important in capturing the current makeup of our nation's labor force. Trends in the movement of workers into and out of the labor force are important to economists and policy makers to help make better decisions about resources and policies.

Yes. Any household member 15 years of age or older can respond for the household. However, we would like to talk to someone who is knowledgeable about people in the household.

You as an individual were not selected to be in the survey; rather, your address was chosen to represent hundreds of other households like yours. Your participation in the survey is very important for the completeness and accuracy of the final results.

If you move during the period of the survey, you will no longer be interviewed.

Yes. The Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Census Bureau understand the importance of keeping your information confidential. Title 13, United States Code, Section 8b, authorizes the U.S. Census Bureau to conduct this survey. Section 9 of Title 13, United States Code, requires Census to keep all information about you and your household strictly confidential and that the information be used only for statistical purposes. No information that could personally identify you or your family is released. If anyone violates this law, it is a federal crime; they may face severe penalties, including a federal prison sentence of up to five years, a fine of up to $250,000, or both. 

Your participation in this survey is voluntary. However, your household has been selected to represent people like you, and your contribution helps to ensure that employment and unemployment data are as reliable and accurate as possible. The only way we can achieve this needed reliability is through the cooperation of households such as yours in providing complete and accurate information.

Yes.  Some addresses have been selected to be part of a test in 2025.  If you are included in the test, your response is just as important.  The purpose of this test is to modernize CPS to make it as efficient as possible and is as easy as possible for you to provide your response.  

Mailings

If you receive a survey or a letter in the mail from the Census Bureau, the envelope contains information that will help you verify its legitimacy. For example:

• “U.S. Census Bureau” in the return address or “U.S. Department of Commerce” which is the Census Bureau’s parent agency.
• Jeffersonville, IN in the return address. The Census Bureau has a mail processing center located there.

You may also receive a reminder letter from one of our regional offices or Census Bureau headquarters in the Washington, D.C. area.

Email

Completing the survey: Emails from the Census Bureau will have instructions or information to complete the survey, such as online, by phone with a Census Bureau representative, or by paper. The Census Bureau will NOT ask you to provide your personal information via email. 

The Census Bureau will never ask for your full Social Security number, bank account number, or passwords. 

Check the “From” email address:  Emails from the Census Bureau are sent from the official @census.gov domain. 

Verify the email sender: To verify that someone who has emailed you is a Census Bureau field representative, you can enter their name in the Census Bureau Staff Search database that lists the name and contact information for all Census Bureau employees.

You can also contact the local Census Bureau Regional Office that services your state.

The Census Bureau will never ask for your full Social Security number, bank account number, or passwords. 

Verify the sender of the text message: To verify that someone who has texted you is a Census Bureau field representative, you can enter their name in the Census Bureau Staff Search database that lists name and contact information for all Census Bureau employees. Note: We do not publish the cell phone numbers of our field representatives in our staff search directory. 

You can also contact the local Census Bureau Regional Office that services your state.

To opt out of receiving automated texts, reply "STOP". (Note: Mobile text message and data rates may apply). 

1. This survey is conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau to improve the survey experience for respondents in future household surveys. Census Bureau surveys help local government, businesses, and nonprofit organizations meet the needs of their communities. If you have received a link and chose to login with your phone number, you will receive one text message with an 8-digit verification code required to complete your login. You will receive one message with a unique 8-digit verification code each time you need to re-enter the survey.

2. You can cancel the SMS or text message service at any time. Just text "STOP" to the short code. After you send the SMS message "STOP" to us, we will send you an SMS message to confirm that you have been unsubscribed. After this, you will no longer receive SMS messages from us.

3. If you are experiencing issues with the messaging program you can reply with the keyword HELP for more assistance.

4. Carriers are not liable for delayed or undelivered messages.

5. As always, message and data rates may apply for any messages sent to you from us and to us from you. You will receive one message with a unique verification code each time you enter the survey. If you have any questions about your text plan or data plan, it is best to contact your wireless provider.

6. If you have any questions regarding privacy, please read our privacy policy: Online Privacy Policy (census.gov).