Purpose
The Census
Bureau collects information on the buying habits of American
consumers from two separate studies within the Consumer Expenditure
Survey: the Quarterly Interview Survey and the Diary Survey.
The Quarterly Interview Survey collects data on certain types
of expenditures which respondents can recall fairly accurately
for periods of 3 months or longer. The Diary Survey collects
information on the small, frequently purchased items which
we cannot expect respondents to recall for even relatively
short periods of time. These surveys are conducted by the
Census Bureau for the sponsoring agency, Bureau of Labor Statistics
(BLS). The primary use of the data collected in the CE survey
is to revise the Consumer Price Index (CPI). In addition,
many academic scholars use the CE data for market research,
economic analysis, and other studies. Federal and state legislators
use the CE data as an aid in planning public assistance programs.
Survey
Statistics
| Interview
Period |
Starts
on the 1st day of each month and continues through the
end of the month |
| Sample
Size |
350
households in sample each month |
| Coverage
Area |
All
of New England and upstate New York |
| Field
Staff |
40
Field Representatives and 12 Senior Field Representatives |
-
Contact Information
|
|
|
Phone
|
1-800-562-5721
|
|
Email
|
boro.ce@census.gov |
|
Coordinator
|
Zoi
Kalaitzidis
|
|
Supervisor
|
Tiffany Anderson
|
more
information about CE
Census
Bureau Surveys
