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Covid impacts on 2020 ACS

erhamilton
over 3 years ago

Has the ACS released recent/updated information about Covid impacts on data collection in 2020?

Has anyone written about the impact of the pandemic on response rates or other data quality issues?

I saw the Webinar on COVID 19 Uses of ACS Data on June 26, 2020, which included a short update on data collection from Donna Daily. At that point, the plan was to resume in-person interviews in late summer. Did this happen?

Is the release date of the 2020 1-year PUMS expected to be the same as in prior years (October 2021) or will there be a delay?

Thanks much for any information!

  • over 3 years ago

    Data collection did resume over the summer (for details see press release here: https://www.census.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2020/ongoing-surveys.html).

    I have not seen any formal announcement (such as a "Tip Sheet") of data release dates for 2020 ACS, but the 2021 product calendar has been posted online and there are ACS 1-year summary products on the schedule in September. https://www.calendarwiz.com/calendars/calendar.php?crd=cens1sample&op=cal&month=9&year=2021 For now that appears to be the most current information available. Usually summary file products come out in September and PUMS the following month. But I do not see PUMS release dates, in October or otherwise, on this calendar--just the September summary file dates.

  • over 3 years ago in reply to Beth Jarosz

    Thank you so much Beth, super helpful

  • over 3 years ago
    Beth is correct in noting that in-person interviews resumed.  We haven't released any information on the impact of COVID on ACS data collection.  However, we plan to touch on this topic during the 2021 ACS Data Users Conference in May.
    We are still finalizing the 2020 ACS release schedule.  It should be similar to last year.  When it's approved, we will post it at https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/news/data-releases.html.
    Thanks,
    Gretchen
  • over 3 years ago in reply to Gretchen Gooding

    ACS Data User friends: I don't know what's gotten into me -- weighing in twice in one week (ha ha).

    However, FWIW with respect to Beth's excellent question: There have been comparable situations with suspension of the ACS in the past decade (twice, I think?), due to federal government shutdowns after Congress and the administration failed to agree on appropriations bills. I think the first was in October 2013 or 2014 -- a three-week long shutdown. The Census Bureau requested funding to mitigate the data quality/reliability issues in several subsequent annual budget requests, but Congress didn't go along (shame on them), although I think the bureau eventually "found" resources. And I think the Census Bureau had to suspend the ACS during the 30+ day shutdown from late December 2018 - late January 2019. Main point: there might be lessons learned from those experiences that the Census Bureau is applying to the current COVID-impact situation.

    Terri Ann

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