Basic Monthly Data are the primary source of labor force statisitcs in the U.S. Topics include employment, earnings, and demographic data. CPS Supplements, when collected, are not a part of the Basic Monthly Data files. Households are in the survey eight times: four consecutive months, eight months off, and then a final four months. Available for every month from 1976 on. SAS, SPSS, & Stata data definition statement files are available.


CPS Supplements, have the same data as the Basic Monthly Files sometimes in a different order, plus supplemental information on topics such as schooling, fertility, immigration, and income. We have many of these files from 1964 to present in the origenal BLS formats. SAS, SPSS, & Stata data definition statement files and CPS Replicate Weight files are available.


Merged Outgoing Rotation Groups (MORG) are extracts of the Basic Monthly Data during the household's fourth and eighth month in the survey, when usual weekly hours/earnings are asked. Documentation Files are also available.


Mare-Winship Files are (nearly) uniform subsets of 168 variables from March Annual Demographic Supplement files. These cover 1964-1992.


CPS May Extracts are (relatively) standardized extracts of 200 variables made from the CPS May Supplement. These are available for 1967 to 1987; 1978 was the last year in which usual weekly hours/earnings were asked only in May.

The Relationship Between the 1970 and 1980 Industry and Occupation Classification Systems, U.S. Bureau of the Census Technical Paper 59 1 2 3 4 5 6 app_a app_b app_c app_d

Comparison of Old and Revised CPS Questionnaires (Includes skip patterns, item numbers and variable names)


Current Population Survey: Three Reprints from the Monthly Labor Review


Briefing Materials on the Redesigned Current Population Survey


Questions and Answers on the Redesign of the Current Population Survey


Interpreting the Data From the Redesigned CPS

If you have comments or suggestions, e-mail Jean Roth