This page contains a Flash digital edition of a book.
data on housing, literacy, and language. It is hoped data, and making information available online so it
that such data would save lives if they are readily can be used in disaster relief.
available before, during, and after incidents.
An objective is to maintain data for the following
Income Data for 2002: A Comparison
three levels of administrative areas: of Eight Surveys
1. State/province
John Czajka from Mathematica Policy Research
presented an interesting study done under con-
2. District/county
tract with the Department of Health and Human
3. Municipality/township Services on the consistency of income data across
eight major surveys, including the following:
Many countries have only levels one and two,
and a few have only level one. Data for the elusive CPS Current Population Survey
level three are those that would be most useful for
SIPP Survey of Income and Program
disaster relief. Annual estimates for levels one, two,
Participation
and three are based on census data and occasionally
official estimates and are controlled to the national
ACS American Community Survey
population estimates maintained in the U.S. Census
NHIS National Health Interview Survey
Bureau’s International Database.
MEPS Medical Expenditure Panel Survey
Maps, which are also important for disaster relief,
pose a separate challenge. Comenetz explained that,
MCBS Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey
unlike the United States, many countries produce
HRS Health and Retirement Study
maps and demographic data in different agencies,
PSID Panel Study of Income Dynamics
so data and maps can be out of sync. He noted one
also finds inconsistencies between maps, and maps
Data were examined for 2002, the most recent
that are available only on paper must be digitized,
year for which all surveys had income data. To make
rescaled, and checked for accuracy. Permission to
the data more comparable, income tabulations were
use is an issue in some countries where maps are not
standardized based on standardized income measures,
approved for use outside the government. He also
family definitions, and population groups. There is no
noted that changes in the boundaries of administra-
gold standard for income data, but comparisons were
tive units are a challenge.
made against the CPS because it is an official source of
Comenetz then showed example data and
income data. All estimates were at the national level.
explained that countries provide data in different
Czajka presented a number of tables comparing
formats and media. Because there are varying defini-
the surveys on measures such as aggregate income,
tions, it is difficult to make cross-national compari-
income distributions, average income per capita by
sons. Data sources used were national censuses and
quintile of family income, persons with earnings and
official estimates, such as U.S. Census Bureau prod-
per capita amount, earned income as a percent of CPS
ucts on the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS
by quintile of family income, and unearned income as
relief, the International Database, United Nations
a percent of CPS by quintile of family income.
data, and surveys by governments and NGOs.
For many of the comparisons, the ACS income
Satellite images also have been used as a basis to
estimates were impressively close to the CPS results,
distribute population totals to subnational areas based
and often closer than those of the other surveys. The
on the distribution of hard or impervious areas pro-
ACS/CPS consistency was considered notable, given
duced by humans, such as pavement. Topography
the differences in ACS data collection, reference peri-
also is helpful, as people rarely live on steep slopes.
ods, and residence rules. For example, some aggre-
Comenetz noted the image work is only partially
gate income estimates presented were as follows.
automated and often requires manual work. CPS 6.47 trillion
Comenetz was asked how well population distri-
ACS 6.35 trillion
bution corresponds to impervious surfaces and he
showed the strong correspondence in Haiti (con-
MEPS 6.28 trillion
firmed because Haiti has a good census), but he SIPP 5.77 trillion
acknowledged that the correspondence likely var-
NHIS 6.12 trillion
ies by country. In response to a question about the
tsunami in the Indian Ocean, Comenetz said that is
Czajka noted that the PSID was the highest of all
exactly the kind of event they seek to address, but he
surveys, at 6.72 trillion, despite a weighted popula-
noted that only some of the affected countries have
tion of 21 million fewer than the CPS.
data at level three.
Czajka reviewed additional tables comparing
The program’s goals for the future include build-
incomes for persons 65 and older and 51 and older
ing a shape file archive and demographic database,
and described how they investigated the impact of
using remote-sensing methods to update population
family definitions on poverty rates. (The inclusion
JULY 2009 AMSTAT NEWS 15
Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80  |  Page 81  |  Page 82  |  Page 83  |  Page 84
Produced with Yudu - www.yudu.com