The other census bureau

American Demographics, April, 1996

Dear Dr. Demo:

I know there's a census every ten years. But what does the Census Bureau do the other nine years?

--Curious Taxpayer, Atlanta, GA

Dear Curious:

It does plenty. The Census Bureau is not like the mythical town of Brigadoon that magically appears once a decade. It's more like Santa's workshop, in a state of constant preparation. And since the census is only part of what it does, the bureau never gets a day off--except when budget problems shut it down.

Even at mid-decade, the Census Bureau is still delivering data from the 1990 census count, while it gets into full swing for 2000. The bureau also conducts surveys year-round. In fact, it conducts about 175 surveys a year, many of which are done under contract to other federal agencies such as the Bureau of Labor Statistics and Department of Housing and Urban Development. How many Americans are out of work? How many homes were built last year? How much do we spend on health care? The Census Bureau provides data on business, employment, income, education, spending, health, housing, and crime to government officials, businesspeople, community leaders, planners, and anyone who needs to know what's happening to the population and the economy.

On the macroeconomic side, the bureau produces monthly retail trade surveys, reports on imports and exports, and an annual survey of manufacturers. It also produces the monthly unemployment rate. This major economic indicator is derived from the monthly Current Population Survey (CPS), for which the bureau interviews 60,000 households for the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). This survey also asks about hours worked, earnings, and other work- and income-related issues. Annual supplements added to the CPS in various months yield detailed information about education, household composition, fertility, and other subjects. The quarterly Consumer Expenditure Survey, also conducted for the BLS, provides spending information to update the Consumer Price Indexes.

The Census Bureau works with the Department of Education to collect information about our schools: how much they spend, how they are staffed, and who attends them. The bureau helps the Department of Housing and Urban Development stay up to date with the American Housing Survey, Survey of Construction, and Building Permits Survey.

Working with the National Center for Health Statistics, the bureau helps gather facts and figures ranging from the number of sick days taken by workers to injury rates for children. Public health planners rely on the Health Interview Survey, Hospital Discharge Survey, Health Provider Inventory, Home and Hospice Care Survey, Ambulatory Medical Care Survey, and Maternal and Infant Care Survey.

In partnership with the Department of Justice, the bureau also studies crime and punishment in America by conducting the National Crime Victimization Survey, Survey of Law Enforcement Agencies, National Prisoners Statistics Program, and surveys of inmates in state correctional facilities. The Census Bureau even has an international division that keeps track of other countries' populations and economies. These data are useful to politicians involved with foreign policy, but also to American companies interested in doing business elsewhere, as well as firms in other countries who want to do business here.

The bureau itself produces more than 2,000 reports based on the research it does. These come in many shapes and sizes, from printed reports (although these are becoming more scarce), to maps, CD-ROMs, disks, tapes, and microfiche, as well as an increasing presence on the bureau's World Wide Web site (available at http://www.census.gov). All in all, the Census Bureau is the nation's leading fact-finder, reporting regularly on who and where we are and how and what we're doing.

The bureau's annual catalog is a complete list of all products. plus prices and ordering instructions. For a copy, contact the Government Printing Office at (202) 512-1800. The item number is 003-024-08782-1. --Dr. Demo

To ask Dr. Demo a question, write to American Demographics, P.O. Box 68, Ithaca, NY 14851; fax (607) 273-3196; or e-mail drdemo@demographics.com. Sorry, no telephone inquiries will be accepted. If Dr. Demo uses your question, you will be rewarded with an official American Demographics T-shirt.