Revisions in the Current Population 

Survey Effective January 1999 

John F. Stinson Jr. 

E

^ ffective with the release of January 1999 data, 

I revisions were introduced into the population controls 

i^used for the Current Population Survey (CPS). Such 

revisions are introduced periodically into the survey to 

incorporate the latest information available on population 

growth trends. The current revisions primarily reflect updated 

information on immigration. This article briefly describes 

the revisions and provides an indication of their effects on 

national labor force estimates. 

Nature of the revisions 

Each month, CPS estimates of the population are controlled 

to independent population estimates. The current revisions 

to the population controls resulted from the incorporation of 

information provided by the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS), which increased the proportion of undocumented immigrants who originated as "visa 

overstayers." These are persons who came into the United 

States on a temporary visa and did not leave when it expired. The significant effect of this change was to reduce the 

size of the Hispanic-origin population for men and to increase it for women. It also contributed to a disproportionately large increase in the size of the population for the "other 

races" category, especially for Asian and Pacific Islanders. 

The INS data were incorporated into the population controls because they represented an analysis of information 

John F. Stinson Jr. is an editor of Employment and Earnings and an 

economist at the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Staff of the Bureau of the 

Census provided information for this article. 

available through the mid-1990s. The previous information 

on undocumented immigration reflected in the population 

controls was derived from 1990 census data. 

Effect of the revisions on national estimates 

Table 1 provides population and labor force estimates by 

age, sex, race, and Hispanic origin for December 1998 based 

on the old and revised population controls.' The introduction of these controls into the CPS estimation procedure results in an increase in the estimated population and labor 

force levels and represents a break in series with data for 

prior years. In many cases, however, the break is inconsequential. As the table indicates, the civilian noninstitutional 

population 16 years and over was raised by about 310,000, 

with the population of men falling by about 180,000 and 

that for women increasing by about 490,000. The labor force 

and employment levels were increased by about 60,000 each, 

as gains for women more than offset losses among men. The 

Hispanic-origin population estimates were lowered 

by about 165,000 and the labor force and employment 

estimates were lowered by about 225,000 and 215,000, 

respectively, with large declines for men much more than 

offsetting smaller gains for women. The population 

revisions had a negligible impact on unemployment rates 

and other percentage estimates. 

BLS has no plans to revise the national historical labor 

force estimates at this time. 

' The "old" December 1998 data are weighted noncomposited estimates 

and differ from the official weighted composite estimates previously 

published. 
Table 1. Population and labor force estimates, by age, sex, race, and Hispanic origin, using old and revised 1990 census-based 

population controls, December 1998, not seasonally adjusted 

(Numbers in thousands) 

Total White Black Hispanic origin 

Characteristic Old Revised Differ- Old Revised Differ- Old Revised Differ- Old Revised Differcontrols' controls ence controls' controls ence controls' controls ence controls' controls ence 

Civilian noninstitutional 

population 

Total, 16 years and over 206,270 206,577 307 172,197 172,296 99 24,561 24,634 73 21,405 21,241 -164 

16 to 19 years 15,933 15,995 62 12,568 12,609 41 2,509 2,516 7 2,241 2,268 27 

20 to 24 years 17,648 17,658 10 14,243 14,230 -13 2,526 2,538 12 2,784 2,732 -52 

25 to 64 years 117.767 117,853 86 97,148 97,102 -46 14,557 14,599 42 13,039 12,875 -164 

55 years and over 54,922 55,071 149 48,238 48,355 117 4,969 4,982 13 3,340 3,366 26 

Men 99,309 99,126 -183 83,748 83,510 -238 11,018 11,039 21 10,906 10,523 -383 

Women 106,960 107,451 491 88,449 88,786 337 13,543 13,596 53 10,499 10,719 220 

Civilian labor force 

Total, 16 years and over 138,764 138,822 58 116,142 116,068 -74 16,287 16,333 46 14,542 14,316 -226 

16 to 19 years 8,115 8,140 25 6,790 6,808 18 1,021 1,023 2 999 1,009 10 

20 to 24 years 13,522 13,514 -8 11,162 11,139 -23 1,759 1,766 7 2,095 2,040 -55 

25 to 54 years 99,406 99,429 23 82,669 82,590 -79 11,953 11,988 35 10,382 10,198 -184 

55 years and over 17,721 17,739 18 15,521 15,530 9 1,554 1,556 2 1,066 1,070 4 

Men 74,199 73,978 -221 63,246 62,990 -256 7,575 7,587 12 8,699 8,354 -345 

Women 64,565 64,844 279 52,896 53,078 182 8,712 8,746 34 5,844 5,962 118 

Employed 

Total, 16 years and over 133,119 133,175 56 111,951 111,883 -68 15,105 15,147 42 13,454 13,240 -214 

16 to 19 years 7,105 7,126 21 6,042 6,056 14 810 812 2 819 826 7 

20 to 24 years 12,657 12,652 -5 10,585 10,567 -18 1,508 1,514 6 1,910 1,860 -50 

25 to 54 years 96,117 96,142 25 80,193 80,121 -72 11,296 11,328 32 9,720 9,546 -174 

55 years and over 17,240 17,256 16 15,131 15,139 8 1,491 1,493 2 1,005 1,008 3 

Men 71,029 70,825 -204 60,831 60,595 -236 6,973 6,983 10 8,114 7,792 -322 

Women 62,090 62,350 260 51,119 51,288 169 8,132 8,163 31 5,340 5,448 108 

Unemployed 

Total, 16 years and over 5,645 5,647 2 4,192 4,185 -7 1,182 1,186 4 1,089 1,076 -13 

16 to 19 years 1,009 1,014 5 749 752 3 211 211 0 180 183 3 

20 to 24 years 865 863 -2 577 573 -4 251 252 1 185 179 -6 

25 to 54 years 3,289 3,287 -2 2,476 2,469 -7 658 660 2 662 652 -10 

55 years and over 481 482 1 390 391 1 63 63 0 61 62 1 

Men 3,170 3,153 -17 2,415 2,395 -20 602 603 1 585 562 -23 

Women 2,475 2,494 19 1,777 1,790 13 580 583 3 504 515 11 

Unemployment rate 

Total, 16 years and over 4.1 4.1 0 3.6 3.6 0 7.3 7.3 0 7.5 7.5 0 

16 to 19 years 12.4 12.5 .1 11.0 11.1 .1 20.7 20.7 0 18.0 18.2 2 

20 to 24 years 6.4 6.4 0 5.2 5.1 -.1 14.2 14.3 .1 8.8 8.8 0 

25 to 54 years 3.3 3.3 0 3.0 3.0 0 5.5 5.5 0 6.4 6.4 0 

55 years and over 2.7 2.7 0 2.5 2.5 0 4.0 4.0 0 5.7 5.8 .1 

Men 4.3 4.3 0 3.8 3.8 0 7.9 8.0 .1 6.7 6.7 0 

Women 3.8 3.8 0 3.4 3.4 0 6.7 6.7 0 8.6 8.6 0 

These are weighted noncomposited estimates and differ from the official 

weighted composited estimates previously published for December 1998. 

NOTE: Detail for the above race and Hispanic-origin group will not sum to 

totals because data for the "other races" group are not presented and Hispanics are included in both the white and black population groups. Detail may not 

sum to totals due to rounding.