ACS Data Users Group

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!

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.

Thank you so much Beth, super helpful

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