How are the data in the Current Employment Statistics Survey collected?
Each month state agencies collect data on employment, hours, and earnings from a sample of about 300,000 nonfarm establishments which employ nearly 40 percent of the total nonfarm population. All establishments with 1000 employees or more are asked to participate in the survey along with a representative sample of smaller establishments. Sample respondents extract the requested data from their payroll records, which must be maintained for a variety of tax and accounting purposes. Data were collected primarily by mail until recent BLS and state initiatives in collection methodology increased the use of electronic media. Now, phone collection, touch-tone self response, computer-assisted interviews, fax technology, and voice recognition are also being used to obtain higher and faster response rates. States also electronically transmit both sample data and geographic estimates to BLS in Washington to speed the estimation and publication processes. An example of the mail schedule sent to re
