Report on Statistical Uses of Administrative Records, 1980
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Statistical Policy Working Paper Report on Statistical Uses Of Administrative Records Prepared by Subcommittee on Statistical Uses of Administrative Records Federal Committee on Statistical Methodology U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE Philip M. Klutznick, Secretary Luther H. Hodges, Jr., Deputy Secretary Courtenay M. Slater, Chief Economist Office of Federal Statistical Policy and Standards Joseph W. Duncan, Director Issued: December 1980 Statistical Policy Working Papers are a series of technical documents prepared under the auspices of the Office of Federal Statistical Policy and Standards. These documents are the product of working groups or task forces, as noted in the Preface to each report. These Statistical Policy Working Papers are published for the purpose of encouraging further discussion of the technical issues and to stimulate policy actions which flow from the technical findings and recommendations. Readers of Statistical Policy Working Papers are encouraged to communicate directly with the Office of Federal Statistical Policy and Standards With additional views, suggestions, or technical concerns. Office of W. Duncan Federal Statistical Director Policy and Standards For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office Washington, D.C. 20402 Office of Federal Statistical Policy and Standards Joseph W. Duncan, Director Katherine K. Wallman, Deputy Director, Social Statistics Gaylord E. Worden, Deputy Director, Economic Statistics Maria E. Gonzalez, Chairperson, Committee on Statistical Methodology Preface This working paper was by the members of the Subcommittee on Statistical Uses of Administrative Records, Committee on Statistical Methodology. The Subcommittee was chaired by Daniel H. Garnick, Bureau of Economic Analysis, Department of Commerce. The members of the subcommittee are the authors of this report, their names are listed below. The first portion of this report provides a review of major administrative report files pertaining to individuals and to businesses. Major statistical uses of administrative records are outlined, including: (1) direct use of the records to obtain statistics and to supplement existing data via expanding coverage or content; and (2) technical uses of the data for constructing sampling frames, quality control, improving on procedures, and data evaluation. New developments in data from business establishment reporting and a number of potential uses of administrative records for data linkage are described. Technical problems in the statistical use of administrative records, including coverage, comparability, error and timing of data are discussed. the final section of the report covers various in accessing administrative records for statistical purposes. While much statistical use of administrative records is currently made in Federal agencies, this report is intended to inform managerial and technical staffs of the vast potential as well as difficulties entailed in augmenting current uses of administrative records for statistical purposes. The Office of Statistical Policy and Standards hopes to organize, with the help of Subcommittee members, seminars with Federal employers to disseminate the findings of this report. The implementation of the recommendations in report will be explored by the Office of Statistical Policy and Standards. Members of the Subcommittee on Statistical Uses Of Administrative Records. (June 1980) Daniel H. Garnick* (Chair) Bureau of Economic Analysis (Commerce) Lois Alexander Social Security Administration (HHS) Paul A. Armknecht Bureau of Labor Statistics (Labor) David V. Bateman Bureau of the Census (Commerce) Lawrence A. Blum Bureau of the Census (Commerce) Warren L. Buckler Social Security Administration (HHS) David W. Cartwright Bureau of Economic Analysis (Commerce) John DiPaolo Internal Revenue Service (Treasury) Maria E. Gonzalez* (ex officio) Office of Federal Statistical Policy & Standards (Commerce) John A. Gorman Bureau of Economic Analysis (Commerce) David A. Hirshberg Small Business Administration Beth A. Kilss Social Security Administration (HHS) J. Knott Bureau of the Census (Commerce) Bruce Levine Bureau of Economic Analysis (Commerce) Nash J. Monsour Bureau of the Census (Commerce) Allan Olson Economic Development Administration (Commerce) Elizabeth H. Queen Bureau of Economic Analysis (Commerce) Vernon Renshaw Bureau of Economic Analysis (Commerce) Fritz J. Scheuren* Social Security Administration (HHS) Daniel F. Skelly Internal Revenue Service (Treasury) Hyman Steinberg U.S. Postal Service Additional Contributors to the Report on Statistical Uses of Administrative Records Jeanne E. Griffith Office of Statistical Policy and Standards (Commerce) Daniel Kasprzyk Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (HHS) Susan Miskura Bureau of the Census (Commerce) * Member, Committee on Statistical Methodology ii Acknowledgments The body of this report is the collective effort of the Subcommittee on Statistical Uses of Administrative Records. Although the subcommittee members reviewed and commented on all parts of this report, specific individuals were responsible for preparing the various sections. In the case of Chapter VI, the subcommittee benefitted from the expertise and contribution of several additional persons in preparing the case studies. The authors of the chapters appear below: Chapter Authors I Daniel Garnick, Maria Gonzalez, Vernon Renshaw, Lois Alexander, David Hirschberg, Fritz Schuren II Vernon Renshaw, David Hirschberg, Daniel Garnick III Joseph Knott, Lawrence Blum, Waken Buckler, Vernon Renshaw, Fritz Scheuren IV Vernon Renshaw, David Cartwright, Nash Monsour, Lawrence Blum, John Gorman, Daniel Skelly, John DiPaolo, Warren Buckler, Elizabeth Queen V Lawrence Blum, Paul Armknecht, Warren Buckler, David Cartwright, Vernon Renshaw VI Fritz Scheuren, Beth Kilss, Jeanne Griffith, Daniel Kasprzyk, David Bateman, Sue Miskura, Maria Gonzalez VII David Cartwright, Vernon Renshaw, Bruce Levine, Warren Buckler, Fritz Scheuren VIII Lois Alexander Maria Gonzalez worked with the subcommittee throughout its two-year study. Members of the Federal Committee on Statistical Methodology and the Office of Statistical Policy and Standards provided additional assistance and encouragement. Critical reviews of earlier draft versions by Thomas Jabine, Barbara Bailar, and Tore Dalenius were particularly helpful in the development of this report. Discussion by Richard Ruggles on papers by Daniel Garnick and Joseph Knott, David Cartwright and Paul Armknecht, David Hirschberg and Vernon Renshaw, and Lois Alexander at the Statistical Uses of Administrative Records Session of the 1979 American Statistical meetings aided in sharpening the focus of this report. Others who contributed to the work of the Subcommittee include: Yoshio Akiyama, Leroy Bailey, Robert Berney, J. Robert Brown, Morris M. Kleiner, Lillian Madow, Harriet Orcutt, and Max Shor. iii Members of the Federal Committee on Statistical Methodology (June 1980) Maria Elena Gonzalez (Chair) Office of Federal Statistical Policy and Standards (Commerce) Barbara A. Bailar Bureau of the Census Norman D. Beller Economics, Statistics, and Cooperatives Service (Agriculture) Barbara A. Boyes Bureau of Statistics Edwin J. Coleman Bureau of Economic Analysis (Commerce) John E. Cremeans Bureau of Economic Analysis (Commerce) Marie D. Eldridge National Center for Education Statistics (Education) Daniel H. Garnick Bureau of Economic Analysis (Commerce) Thomas B. Jabine Energy Information Administration (Energy) Charles D. Jones Bureau of the Census (Commerce) William E. Kibler Economics, Statistics, and Cooperatives Service (Agriculture) Alfred D. McKeon Bureau of Labor Statistics (Labor) Raymond C. Sansing Internal Revenue Service (Treasury) Fritz J. Scheuren Social Security Administration (HHS) Lincoln E. Moses Energy Information Administration (Energy) Monroe G. Sirken National Center for Health Statistics (HHS) Wray Smith Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (HHS) Thomas G. Staples Social Security Administration (HHS) iv Table of Contents page Preface i Acknowledgments iii List of Figures ix List of Tables x Abbreviations xi Chapter I. Findings and Recommendations 1 A. Statistical Standards 1 B. Access 2 C. Other Government-Wide Program Coordination and Support 3 Chapter II. Introduction and Summary 5 A. Introduction 5 B. Summary 6 1. Chapter III 6 2. Chapter IV 7 3. Chapter V 8 4. Chapter VI 8 5. Chapter VII 8 6. VIII 9 Chapter III. Major Administrative Record Files 11 A. Scope of Study and Survey Conducted 11 1. Scope of Study 11 2. Survey Conducted 12 B. Survey Results 12 1. Files Pertaining Mainly to Individuals 12 a. Universe 12 b. Geographic Information 17 c. Demographic Information 17 d. Reporting Unit 17 2. Files Pertaining Mainly to Businesses 18 a. Universe 18 b. Geographic Information 18 c. Economic Data 18 d. Reporting Unit 18 C. Continuous Work History Files 18 D. The Evolution of Statistical Uses of Administrative Records 19 E. Appendix III.1 The Survey Questionnaire 20 F. Appendix III.2 The CWHS Data System 23 1. Data Sources 23 2. Processing Procedures - Administrative Records 23 3. Processing Procedures - Statistical Records 24 4. Sample Design 24 5. Data Files 25 a. One percent Sample Annual Employee-Employer (Ee-Er) File 25 b. One percent Sample Annual Self-Employed (SE) File 25 v page c. One percent Sample Longitudinal Employee- Employer Data (LEED) File 25 d. One percent 1937 to Date CWHS File 26 c. One-Tenth of One percent 1937 to Date