Exploring Differences in Employment between Household and Establishment Data

60 Pages Posted: 6 Aug 2009

See all articles by Katharine G. Abraham

Katharine G. Abraham

University of Maryland - Joint Program in Survey Methodology and Department of Economics; National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)

John Haltiwanger

University of Maryland - Department of Economics; National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER); Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA)

Lee Kristin Sandusky

U.S. Census Bureau

James Spletzer

United States Department of Labor

Multiple version iconThere are 2 versions of this paper

Date Written: April 1, 2009

Abstract

Using a large data set that links individual Current Population Survey (CPS) records to employer-reported administrative data, we document substantial discrepancies in basic measures of employment status that persist even after controlling for known definitional differences between the two data sources. We hypothesize that reporting discrepancies should be most prevalent for marginal workers and marginal jobs, and find systematic associations between the incidence of reporting discrepancies and observable person and job characteristics that are consistent with this hypothesis. The paper discusses the implications of the reported findings for both micro and macro labor market analysis.

Suggested Citation

Abraham, Katharine G. and Haltiwanger, John C. and Sandusky, Lee Kristin and Spletzer, James, Exploring Differences in Employment between Household and Establishment Data (April 1, 2009). US Census Bureau Center for Economic Studies Paper No. CES-WP-09-09, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1444530 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.1444530

Katharine G. Abraham

University of Maryland - Joint Program in Survey Methodology and Department of Economics ( email )

College Park, MD 20742
United States

National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)

1050 Massachusetts Avenue
Cambridge, MA 02138
United States

John C. Haltiwanger (Contact Author)

University of Maryland - Department of Economics ( email )

College Park, MD 20742
United States
301-405-3504 (Phone)
301-405-3542 (Fax)

National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) ( email )

1050 Massachusetts Avenue
Cambridge, MA 02138
United States

Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA) ( email )

P.O. Box 7240
Bonn, D-53072
Germany

Lee Kristin Sandusky

U.S. Census Bureau ( email )

4600 Silver Hill Road
Washington, DC 20233
United States

James Spletzer

United States Department of Labor ( email )

2 Massachusetts Avenue, NE
Washington, DC 20212
United States
202-606-7393 (Phone)
202-606-4602 (Fax)

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