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Labor Force Statistics from the Current Population Survey
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CPS Methods Overview
An in-depth guide on how we create estimates and the concepts we measure.
Description of survey concepts and methodology for both technical and nontechnical audiences.
Learn more about the two main sources of employment, including differences in the two measures and trend divergences that sometimes occur.
Learn more about how historical comparability is affected by revisions to population controls, changes in occupational and industry classification, and other changes to the survey.
Learn more about how we define occupations and industries.
Learn more about how independent estimates of the population from the Census Bureau are used in producing CPS estimates.
Learn more about the reliability of the estimates, including standard errors.
Learn more about seasonal adjustment, the statistical procedure that removes the effects of normal seasonal variations from our monthly estimates.
Explore additional information about the CPS, including detailed technical documentation.