DOI: 10.3886/icpsr23440
title: Current Population Survey: Annual Social and Economic (ASEC) Supplement Survey, 2008
title: Archival Version

description: This data collection is comprised of data from the 2008 Annual Social and Economic Supplement (ASEC), and is a part of the Current Population Survey (CPS) Series. The Census Bureau conducts the ASEC (known as the Annual Demographic File prior to 2003) over a three-month period, in February, March, and April, with most of the data collected in the month of March. The ASEC uses two sets of survey questions, the basic CPS and a set of supplemental questions.The CPS, administered monthly, is a labor force survey providing current estimates of the economic status and activities of the population of the United States. Specifically, the CPS provides estimates of total employment (both farm and nonfarm), nonfarm self-employed persons, domestics, and unpaid helpers in nonfarm family enterprises, wage and salaried employees, and estimates of total unemployment.In addition to the basic CPS questions, respondents were asked questions from the ASEC, which provides supplemental data on poverty, geographic mobility/migration, and work experience. Comprehensive work experience information was given on the employment status, occupation, and industry of persons aged 15 and over. Additional data for persons aged 15 and older were available concerning weeks worked and hours per week worked, reason not working full time, total income and supplemental income components. Additional data are included that cover training and assistance received under welfare reform programs such as job readiness training, child care services, or job skill training. Data covering nine noncash income sources: food stamps, school lunch program, employer-provided group health insurance plan, employer-provided pension plan, personal health insurance, Medicaid, Medicare, CHAMPUS or military health care, and energy assistance are also included.Demographic variables include age, sex, race, Hispanic origin, marital status, veteran status, educational attainment, occupation, and income. Data on employment and income refer to the previous calendar year, although demographic data refer to the time of the survey.The original ASEC data provided by the Census Bureau are distributed in a hierarchical file structure, with three record types present: Household, Family, and Person. The ASEC is designed to be a multistage stratified sample of housing units, where the hierarchical file structure can be thought of as a person within a family within a household unit. Here the main unit of analysis is the household unit.
description: The data contain five weight variables: Basic CPS earnings weight, A_ERNLWTBasic CPS final weight, A_FNLWGTMarch supplement Household weight, HSUP_WGTMarch supplement Family weight, FSUP_WGTASEC supplement Person weight, MARSUPWT Users are strongly encouraged to refer to the User Guide for detailed information on how to use the weights, as well as how they were derived.
description: A multistage probability sample was used for the housing unit. The sample was based on the results of the decennial Census, with coverage in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The ASEC is also supplemented with a sample of Hispanic households identified the previous November. More detailed information about the sampling frame can be found in the User Guide.
description: Datasets: DS1: Current Population Survey: Annual Social and Economic (ASEC) Supplement Survey, 2008
description: The civilian noninstitutional population of the United States living in housing units, and members of the Armed Forces living in civilian housing units on a military base or in a household not on a military base.
description: computer-assisted personal interview (CAPI); computer-assisted telephone interview (CATI)These data are distributed exactly as they arrived from the data depositor. ICPSR has not checked or processed the data. Consistency checks were performed by the principal investigators. Users should consult the Current Population Survey Web site if further information is desired about the data.The hierarchical file is sorted by Census state code (GESTCEN), then by core-based statistical area (CBSA) code (GTCBSA).Users are strongly encouraged to read the User Guide, which contains the questionnaire for the supplement, as well as additional technical documentation.