COVID-19 Pulse Surveys
Household Pulse Survey: Measuring Social & Economic Impacts During the COVID-19 Pandemic
The Basics
The U.S. Census Bureau, in collaboration with five federal agencies, is in a unique position to produce data on the social and economic effects of COVID-19 on American households. The Household Pulse Survey is designed to deploy quickly and efficiently, collecting data on a range of ways in which people’s lives have been impacted by the pandemic. Data will be disseminated in near real-time to inform federal and state response and recovery planning.
All communications from the Census Bureau regarding the Household Pulse Survey, including all emails and the link to the survey, will originate from a census.gov domain.
If you have been invited to participate in the survey, you can visit the Census Bureau's Household Pulse Survey website or view the Sample Household Pulse Survey Questionnaire.
When Will Data Be Made Available From the Household Pulse Survey?
Data collection for the Household Pulse Survey will begin on April 23, 2020. The Census Bureau will collect data for 90 days, and release data on a weekly basis. (For the first release, the Census Bureau anticipates it will take two weeks after the first week of data collection to prepare and weight the data; subsequent releases will then be made on a weekly basis.)
How is the Household Pulse Survey Different From Other Surveys Conducted By the Census Bureau?
The approach for the Household Pulse Survey is different: It is designed to be a short-turnaround instrument that will provide valuable data to aid in the post-pandemic recovery. The Census Bureau is fielding the Household Pulse Survey as a demonstration project that is part of the Experimental Data Product series.
Small Business Pulse Survey: Tracking Changes During the Coronavirus Pandemic
The Basics
The Small Business Pulse Survey (SBPS) measures the effect of changing business conditions during the Coronavirus pandemic on our nation's small businesses. SBPS data complements existing U.S. Census Bureau data collections by providing high-frequency, detailed information on the challenges small businesses are facing during the Coronavirus pandemic.
What Information Will the Small Business Pulse Survey Collect?
The survey includes information on small business operations and finances, requests and receipt of assistance, vaccines, capital expenditures, and expectations for recovery. The survey, conducted by email, is intended to provide crucial weekly data on the impact of the COVID-19 crisis on the nation’s businesses.
What Data Will Be Made Available From the Small Business Pulse Survey Collect?
The Small Business Pulse Survey includes information on location closings, changes in employment, disruptions in the supply chain, the use of federal assistance programs, and expectations concerning future operations.
The Census Bureau defines small businesses as single business locations with one to 499 employees and at least $1,000 in annual revenue.
Who Else Was Involved in the Small Business Pulse Survey?
Collaborators on the Small Business Pulse Survey included the Small Business Administration and Minority Business Development Agency, the Bureau of Economic Analysis, and the Bureau of Labor Statistics, among others.
When Will Data Be Made Available From the Small Business Pulse Survey?
The new Small Business Pulse Survey will measure the impact of COVID-19 on the nation's small businesses. Data will be available on this site in mid-May 2020. For the duration of the survey, each week, over 100,000 small businesses will be invited to respond to a short, 16-checkbox survey estimated to take five minutes or less to complete. It is expected to reach approximately 885,000 small businesses over nine weeks with an expected end date of July 9, 2020. Data will continue to be posted every Thursday.
Results from the Small Business Pulse Survey are displayed as data visualizations.
Interested in Learning More?
- Experimental Data Products: Innovative statistical products created using new data sources or methodologies that benefit data users in the absence of other relevant products.
- Measuring the Effect of COVID-19 on U.S. Small Businesses: The Small Business Pulse Survey - In this working paper, the Census Bureau describes the motivation for SBPS, summarizes how the content for the survey was developed, and discusses some of the initial results from the survey. The Census Bureau also describes future plans for the SBPS collections and for other research using the SBPS data.