June 4 -- The Bureau of Labor Statistics, Department of Labor, invites public comments to OMB by July 3, 2024 regarding its plan for the 2024-2026 Current Population Survey (CPS) Veterans Supplement.
The Veterans Supplement to the Current Population Survey is conducted annually. This supplement is co-sponsored by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and by the U.S. Department of Labor's Veterans Employment and Training Service. Data collected through this supplement will be used by the co-sponsors to determine policies that better meet the needs of our Nation's veteran population. The supplement provides information on the labor force status of veterans with a service-connected disability, combat veterans, past or present National Guard and Reserve members, and recently discharged veterans. Afghanistan, Iraq, and Vietnam veterans are identified by location of service. Also, questions include items about veterans' transition from Active Duty to civilian employment, details about working with service-connected disabilities, awareness of VA benefits, and work duties while in the Armed Forces. Data are provided by period of service and a range of demographic characteristics. The supplement also provides information on veterans' participation in various transition and employment and training programs. Respondents are veterans who are not currently on active duty or are members of a household where a veteran lives.
The collection of the Veterans Supplement in August 2023 was the twenty-fifth in a series of efforts to gather detailed data regarding location of military service, service-connected disability rating, Reserve or National Guard membership, and combat-zone veterans. Questions include items about veterans’ transition from Active Duty to civilian employment, military pay grade, details about working with service-connected disabilities, awareness of VA benefits, and work duties while in the Armed forces (see Attachment A). The collection of these data is mandated by federal law under the Special Unemployment Study (Attachment B). The Veterans Supplement also collects data on participation in certain programs for veterans. The Veterans Supplement was first conducted in April 1985 and was repeated biennially until July 2010. Since July 2010, the supplement has been conducted annually, generally in August.
As part of the CPS, the supplement will survey veterans ages 17 and over from a nationally representative sample of approximately 60,000 eligible U.S. households.
The annual Veterans Supplement will provide information on the labor force status of veterans with service-connected disabilities; combat-zone veterans; past or present National Guard and Reserve members; recently discharged veterans; and Afghanistan, Iraq, and Vietnam veterans. The supplement will also provide data on veterans’ participation in various employment and training programs. Also, questions include items about veterans’ transition from Active Duty to civilian employment, details about working with service-connected disabilities, awareness of VA benefits, and work duties while in the Armed forces.
As in the past, these data will be used by the Veterans’ Employment and Training Service (VETS) and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to determine policies that better meet the needs of our Nation’s veteran population. Of current concern is the scope of the problems of veterans as well as the effectiveness of veterans’ benefit programs in meeting their needs. These questions will provide information to assist VA and VETS in developing programs and policies that smooth veterans’ transition into civilian employment, including for veterans with service-connected disabilities. The CPS demographic and labor force data provide a comprehensive picture that is invaluable in planning Federal programs and formulating policy. Legislation is regularly proposed in Congress concerning veterans; these proposals often use BLS data. Veteran service organizations, as well as academic researchers, use the data to analyze the employment status of various groups of veterans. It is expected that approximately 5,500 eligible veterans will participate in the survey.
Census CPS Veterans:
https://www.census.gov/data/datasets/time-series/demo/cps/cps-supp_cps-repwgt/cps-veterans.html
BLS Employment Situation of Veterans:
https://www.bls.gov/news.release/vet.toc.htm
BLS submission to OMB:
https://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAViewICR?ref_nbr=202402-1220-002 Click IC List for information collection instrument, View Supporting Statement for technical documentation. Submit comments through this webpage.
FRN:
https://www.federalregister.gov/d/2024-12162
For AEA members wishing to submit comments, "A Primer on How to Respond to Calls for Comment on Federal Data Collections" is available at
https://www.aeaweb.org/content/file?id=5806