1 — U.S. BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS • bls.gov

Sneak Peek:

Where are we going this year 

and beyond?

Steve Henderson

Chief, Branch of Information and Analysis

Division of Consumer Expenditure Surveys

July 20, 2018

Celebrating 130 Years

of Consumer Expenditure Surveys!
2 — U.S. BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS TATISTICS • bls.gov bls.gov

Vision

The Consumer Expenditure Surveys 

Program will provide the Nation with 

accurate and complete information on 

consumer spending, based on 

methodologically sound surveys, 

efficient processing, and timely 

dissemination
3 — U.S. BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS TATISTICS • bls.gov bls.gov

Where are we headed and what 

have we done lately?

Outline

 New for tables and microdata

 Weights for three selected states

 Next annual release date

 Changes with the future CE Redesign

 NEW Veteran’s Status question

 NEW Point of Purchase questions for selected items 

and Households
4 — U.S. BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS TATISTICS • bls.gov bls.gov

Changes for tables and microdata

Recently:

Research cross-tabulations with

higher income ranges

New on September 11:

Redesigned healthcare

questions in the 

microdata

Selected Age Table by aggregated spending
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Coming in 2019

 More detailed geographic 

Census Divisions, in addition to

Census Regions, using 2017 and

2018 data.

 Redesigned microdata

documentation.
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Also coming in 2019 and after

 New generational categories,

including those born after 1997

This will split up the Millennials

into 1981-1996, and 1997+

 New income cross-tabs into 

production
7 — U.S. BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS TATISTICS • bls.gov bls.gov

Weights for Selected States

Work by the State Weights Team

 Susan King’s initial research, team lead by Taylor 

Wilson with 

membership from SMD and my branch

 Three states available now

 Examining sample sufficiency 

state-by-state

 Is becoming very useful
8 — U.S. BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS TATISTICS • bls.gov bls.gov

Changes to the CE Gemini 

Redesign

Shifting to phased implementation of individual 

design elements, as the original redesign plan was 

no longer budget neutral on a production basis.

Online Diary, pending results, put directly in 

production in January 2022.

Streamlined CE Quarterly Interview Survey 

instrument targeted for implementation, 

tentatively spring 2023.

Incentives
9 — U.S. BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS TATISTICS • bls.gov bls.gov

New Veterans Status Question

 In addition to asking if anyone in the household is 

currently in the US military,

 Adding a new question asking

if anyone had served previously.

 Starting this month in the

Interview survey, and January

for the Diary.
10 — U.S. BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS TATISTICS • bls.gov bls.gov

Adding Point of Purchase 

Questions for the CPI

 No longer just what did you buy, but also where did 

you buy it?

 Expanded to selected items and addresses in CPI 

Urban areas.

 Starts this month.

 For internal use at

BLS only:

Will NOT be on the

Public Use Microdata
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Questions?
Contact Information

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Steve Henderson

Chief, Branch of Information and Analysis

Division of Consumer Expenditure Surveys

202-691-5124

Henderson.Steve@bls.gov