Census Bureau to Announce Updates to Current Population Survey Modernization Efforts

OCT. 28, 2026 - The U.S. Census Bureau announced today it will hold a webinar to share important updates about its Current Population Survey (CPS) modernization efforts. This joint project with the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) first launched in 2023. The aim is to implement changes to ensure the survey's sustainability.

Response rates for all household surveys, including the CPS, have been steadily declining for years. Additional challenges include increased collection costs in the form of labor and travel, as well as an increase in both the number of contacts required to reach the desired sample size and hard-to-reach respondents.

Conceived in the 1930s to meet the increased needs for unemployment statistics, the CPS has been conducted in its present form since 1948, making it one of the oldest and most recognized surveys in the nation. Sponsored jointly by the Census Bureau and the BLS, it is a primary source of labor force statistics for the U.S. population, producing a key Principal Federal Economic Indicator (PFEI). Additionally, the data are used to inform policymakers on the social and economic well-being of the nation and its people by adding a set of supplemental questions to the monthly basic CPS questions.

The webinar will provide updates on where we are in our modernization efforts and planned next steps.

A question-and-answer session will immediately follow the presentation.