Note to Reviewer - CE Stimulus Questions

January 5, 2021

MEMORANDUM FOR: Reviewer of 1220-0050

FROM: ADAM SAFIR, Chief

Division of Consumer Expenditure (CE) Surveys

Bureau of Labor Statistics

SUBJECT: Non-substantive Change Request for the

Consumer Expenditure Surveys (CEQ) – Addition of Stimulus Questions

Because of the recent second stimulus payment made by the Federal Government in response to the coronavirus pandemic, CE requests to add seven questions to the Consumer Expenditure Quarterly (CEQ) survey. These questions will be administered beginning in February and continuing through September. The questions are exactly the same as the previous round of stimulus payment questions included in the CEQ survey from June to November 2020.

These questions are necessary to measure the effect of the stimulus payments sent directly to many households in response to the coronavirus pandemic. Addition of the questions described below are needed to facilitate a timely and effective collection of expenditure data resulting from the stimulus. Economic data are used to evaluate the intended effect of the stimulus and to adequately explain changes in expenditure patterns that result from the coronavirus pandemic.

Together, the questions will capture: 1) the receipt of the stimulus payments, 2) by which members of the Consumer Unit (CU), 3) the month the CU received the stimulus, 4) the amount of the stimulus, 5) how the CU received the stimulus (check, direct deposit or debit card), 6) the primary use of the stimulus and 7) whether any additional stimulus checks were received by the CU. (See Attachment A for a full list of questions.)

BLS estimates that the addition of these questions will require approximately 72 additional burden hours.  CE estimates that it will take approximately 1 minute to answer the additional questions. CE estimates that 85 percent of respondents will have received the stimulus payment during one of their interviews and will therefore be routed through these additional questions; 85% of the expected 6,015 respondents with a complete interview will be routed through these questions once, for a total of 4,346 responses. This will result in approximately 72 hours of additional burden.

	Mins.	Number of Respondents Impacted by Additional Stimulus Questions	Total Hours
Estimated time to ask additional questions	1	4,346	72
TOTAL			72

Current OMB approval of the CE surveys is scheduled to expire November 30, 2023.

If you have any questions about this request, please contact Adam Safir at 202-691-5175 or e-mail at Safir.Adam@bls.gov or Peggy Murphy at 202-691-6186 or e-mail at Murphy.Peggy@bls.gov.

Attachment A – Stimulus Questions