BOSTON, March 30
/PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ -- In April 2009, U.S. Census Bureau field
representatives will collect information about how much Americans spend for
groceries, clothing, transportation, housing, health care and other items from
a sample of households across the country.
(Logo:
www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20090226/CENSUSLOGO )
The Consumer
Expenditure Survey (CE) program consists of two parts:
-- The Interview Survey
- Throughout the year, about 28,000 households will be interviewed once every
three months over five calendar quarters to obtain data on relatively large
expenditures and also for those expenditures that occur on a regular basis
(such as rent and utilities).
-- The Diary Survey -
During the year, another 7,000 households will keep two consecutive one-week
diaries of smaller, more frequent purchases that may be difficult for
respondents to recall later (such as a fast-food purchase at a drive-through
window, a soda or candy bar from a vending machine, or a carton of eggs from
the supermarket).
The U.S. Bureau of
Labor Statistics then calculates and publishes integrated data from the two
surveys - providing a snapshot of our nation's economy and spending habits.
Government economists use the survey results to update a "market
basket" of goods and services for the Consumer Price Index, our nation's
most widely used measure of inflation.
"The Consumer
Price Index," said Kathleen Ludgate, director of the Census Bureau's
Boston Regional Office, "helps businesses around the country keep wages,
salaries and pensions in line with increases in the cost of living."
Before the CE
interviews begin, households will receive a letter from the Census Bureau
director informing them of their selection to participate in the survey. Census
Bureau field representatives will visit these households to conduct the
interview. The field representative must display an official photo
identification before proceeding with the interview. Federal law ensures survey
respondents' personal information and answers are kept confidential.
The following data on
the amount spent on health care are an example of CE results.
Household Expenditures
for Health Care: 2006-2007
Average annual amount
Percentage of total
Area spent for health
care expenditures
United States $2,810 5.7
Northeast $2,618 5.2
Boston 2,809 5.1
New York 2,674 4.7
Philadelphia 2,175 4.5
South $2,788 6.2
Houston 3,293 5.9
Dallas-Fort Worth 2,967 5.5
Washington, D.C. 2,641 4.0
Baltimore 2,431
4.6
Atlanta 2,355 5.0
Miami 2,167 4.7
Midwest $2,957 6.3
Minneapolis-St. Paul 3,705 6.2
Cleveland 3,293 6.9
Chicago 3,020 5.3
Detroit 2,307 4.8
West $2,857 5.0
San Francisco 3,224 4.6
Seattle 3,127 5.3
Phoenix 3,058 5.3
San Diego 2,613 4.8
Los Angeles 2,324 3.8
SOURCE U.S. Census Bureau
