From: Employment and Earnings, February 1997
R$visions in the Current Population
Survey Effective January 1997
Gloria Peterson Green
Reform and ControlAct of 1986 (IRCA) are reflected in the
population projections for the first time. This change
resulted in Iisubstantial increase in the Hispanic-origin share
of net undocumented immigration, with the greatest effect
for males 16 to 39 years. This upward revision was balanced by a dOwnward revision in the share of non-Hispanic
whites. In the case of emigration, a change in the methodology for es~ting
the age distribution yielded a decrease
in the proportion ofemigrants16 years and over, and thus, a
corresponding increase in the population 16 years and over
for both Asian. and Pacific Islanders and persons of Hispanic-origin.
Effective with the release of January 1997 data, revisions
were introduced into the population controls used for
the Current Population Survey (CPS). Such revisionS. are
periodically introduced into the survey to incorporate the
latest information available on population growth trends.
The current revisions primarily reflect improvements iP the
estimation of the demograpbic characteristics of various
sub-components of migration into and out of the United
States. This article briefly describes the revisions and provides an indication of their effect on national labor force
estimates.
Nature of the revisions
Effect of the revisions on national estimates
Each month, CPS estimates of the population are adjusted
to conform with independent population controls. In this
year's annual updating of national post-censal population
estimates by the Bureau of the Census. two projected components of population change-undocumented
migration to
the United States and the emigration of legal residents from
the United States-were revised. Because the projections
of these components date from the last decade, 'the changes
affected population estimates for the entire interval after
April 1990; however, they are only being carried into the
CPS population controls for January 1997 forward
Specifically, these revisions affected the distributions of
both components by age, sex, race, and Hispanic origin and,
consequently, the magnitude of the estimated population 16
years and over. The revisions in the two migration components tended to reinforce each other, relative to their effect
on the civilian noninstitutional population 16 years and over.
In the case of net undocumented immigration, new data on
the characteristics of undocumented residents legalizing their
residency status under provisions of the Immigration
Table 1 provides population and labor force estimates by
age, sex, race, and Hispanic origin for December 1996 based
on the old and revised population controls.' The introduction of these controls into the CPS estimation procedure
results in an increase in the population and labor force estimates and represents a break in series with data for prior
years. As the table indicates, the civilian noninstitutional
population 16 years and over was raised by about 470,000,
primarily men. The labor force and employment levels were
increased by about 320,000 and 290,000, respectively. The
Hispanic-origin population and labor force estimates were
raised by about 450,000 and 350,000, respectively, and Hispanic employment by 325,000. The increases in the overall
and Hispanic-origin estimates were largest among the 20to 54-year-old age group. Unemployment rates and other
percentages of labor market participation were not affected
by the revisions.
BLS bas no plans to revise the national historical labor
force estimates at this time.
Gloria Peterson Green is an editor of Employment and Earnings and Chief
of the Data Users and Publication Services Group, Bureau afLabor Statistics. Infonnation for this article was provided by staff of the Bureau of the
Census.
I The "old" December 1996 data are weighted noncomposited estimates
and differ from the official weighted composite estimates previously published.
3
Table 1. PopulaUon and labor force esUmates, by age, sex, race, and Hispanic origin, using old and revised 1990 census-based
populaUon controls, December 1996;not seasonally adjusted
(Numbers In thousands)
Characteristic
Old
controls'
Black
Whit8
Total
A8IIi8ed
controls
Old
Differ·
ence controls'
A8IIIsed
controls
AevIaed
Differ·
Old
controls' controls
enee
Hispanic origin
Differ·
Old
ence controls'
A8IIIsed DRIer·
controls ence
Civilian nonlnltltUtlonal
population
269
88
132
35
14
23,794
2,391
2,540
14,111
4,751
23,812
2,393
2,547
14,109
4,764
18
2
7
·2
13
19,505
1,988
2,502
11,926
3,090
19,957
2,082
2,608
12,150
3,117
452
96
106
224
27
82,188
67,125
310
-40
10,668
13,126
10,671
13,142
5
14
9,741
9,763
10,177
9,781
436
16
113,696 113,691
6,348
6,392
10,830 10,948
82,141 82,176
14,376 14,374
195
44
116
37
-2
15,269
870
1,751
11,260
1,388
15,274
871
1,758
11,257
1,390
5
1
5
-3
2
13,163
821
1,890
9,389
1,083
13,535
886
1,982
9,593
1,094
352
45
92
204
11
81,988
51,905
235
-39
7,192
8,G76
7,193
8,082
6
1
7,793
5,390
8,138
5,397
345
7
108,769 108,945
5,529
5,568
10,091 10,199
79,205 79,239
13,943 13,941
176
37
106
34
-2
13,742
585
1,440
10,366
1,351
13,746
588
1,444
10,363
1,353
4
1
4
-3
2
12,245
659
1,717
8,855
1,015
12,571
695
1,802
9,049
1,026
326
38
65
194
11
59,291
49.655
215
-38
6,471
7.271
6,470
7.275
-1
4
7,321
4.925
7,640
4.931
319
6
4.927
818
739
2,937
433
4,948
826
748
2.939
433
19
8
9
2
0
1.527
265
312
894
37
1.528
265
312
894
37
1
0
0
0
0
938
162
173
534
88
964
171
181
544
69
26
9
8
10
1
24
1
2.675
2,251
2.695
2,250
20
-1
722
806
722
806
0
0
473
465
498
468
25
1
5.0
15.6
8.3
4.1
3.0
0
0
0
0
0
4.3
12.9
6.8
3.6
3.0
4.3
12.9
6.8
3.6
3.0
0
0
0
0
0
10.0
32.7
17.8
7.9
2.7
10.0
32.7
17.8
7.9
2.7
0
0
0
0
0
7.1
19.8
9.2
5.7
6.3
7.1
19.7
9.1
5.7
8.3
0
-.1
-.1
0
0
5.0
5.1
0
0
4.3
4.3
4.3
4.3
0
0
10.0
10.0
10.0
10.0
0
0
8.1
8.6
6.1
8.8
0
0
169,044 169,313
12,008 12,096
13,824 13,956
96,488 96,523
48,724 48,738
Total, 16 years and over ••••••••••.••..•.•••••.•••.••201,636
16to 19years .•••.•••.••••••••..••••••••.•••.••••.•.•15,141
20 to 24 years ••••.•••••••••.••••.••••••••..••••••.•.•17,369
118,122
25 to 54 years ••••.••••.••••••••••••.•••••.••••••••.••
55 years and over ••••••••••••••.•.•••••••••••.•••••52,984
202,104
15,245
17,548
118,263
53,049
468
104
159
141
65
96,742
Men ••••••••.••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••.••.•••••
104,694
Woman ••••••••••...••.••.••.•.•••..•••••••.••••.••.....
97,165
104,940
423
48
Total, 16 years and over ••••.•••••••.••••..••••••••••134,673
18to 19years .••..•....•..•.....•••.••...••..•••.•••.,
7,482
13,231
20 to 24 years .•..•.•••.•••.......•.......•.•..••..•.•
25 to 54 years ..•...••...•.•..••...•••...•.•.••..•••.. 97,722
55 years and over ......•••...••.••••...•....••...••
16,238
134,990
7,532
13,366
97,842
16,251
317
50
135
120
13
Men ••••••••••..••••••.•.•.•.••••••••••.••••••••••••••••••
71,950
Women ••.••••.••••.•••.•••••.••.•.•••..•..•••..••••.•.•62,723
72,261
62,729
311
8
128,188
6,360
12,255
93,808
15,765
292
42
124
114
12
68,376
59,520
68,683
59,524
287
4
59,076
49,693
6.776
1.164
1.100
4.028
485
6.802
1.172
1.111
4.034
488
26
8
11
8
1
Men ••••••••••••••.•••••••••••••.••••.••••..••••••••..•••.
3.574
Woman .••..•.••.•..•.•.••••..••...•••••.•...••..••...•• 3.203
3.598
3,204
5.0
15.6
8.3
4.1
3.0
5.0
5.1
81,878
67,165
ClYlllan labor force
81,751
51,944
Employed
Total, 16 years and over .•..•••...••...••..••••••••.. 127,896
16to 19years •..••••.•••.•••••••••.••••..••.••••...•• 8,318
20 to 24 years •••.••••.••.•..••.•..••...••..•••.•..•.• 12, 131
25 to 54 years •...••....••...••....•...•...•••••••..•• 93,694
55 years and over •••...•....••..••...•••.••••..•••. 15,753
Men ..••••..••...•.....•...•....•...••....•..•••...••..•.•
Women ..••...••...•.•..••...••...;...•••...•...........
Unemplo)oed
Total. 16 years and over ............•.•..•.•.•••....•
16 to 19 years ••...•....••••..•...•••...•....••...•...
20 to 24 years ...••....•••..••..••....••..•.•....•...•
25 to 54 years ••••••.•••••••...••..•••.•••••.••..••••.
55 years and over •••.••••..•••...••••••.••••••..•••
Unemployment
rate
Total. 16 years and over •..••..••....••....•...•..•.•
16to 19years •....••..•••...•....••..•••..•••...••..•
20 to 24 years .•.....•....•...•••.•.•........•••......
25 to 54 years •••..••....••...••....•...••.•.••....•.•
55 years and over .....•.......•...•.••.•••...•.•..•
Men ..•.•...•••....•....••...••...••..••••.•••..•••...••.
Women ....••....•....•••..•••..••••••••...••...•...••••
'These are weighted noncomposited estimates and differ from the official
weighted composited estimates previously published lor Dec:embef 1996.
NOTE: DetaIl lor the above
totals because data lor the "other J8C8s" group are not presented and HispanIcs are Included In both the white and black population groups. Detail may not
sum to totals due to rounding.
(
J8C8
and HIspanIc-orlgln group whl not sum to
4