Survey of Consumers
The Survey of Consumers is a continuous survey effort by the University of Michigan and the Survey Research Center.
The Index of Consumer Expectations is produced from the surveys.
Contents
Description
These surveys interview U.S. consumers about their expectations for interest rates, unemployment rates, inflation rates, etc.
The Index of Consumer Expectations is a composite score. It is normalized to have a score of 100 at 1966 Q1.
Data can be accessed online.
Design
Audience is "coterminous states and the District of Columbia", i.e. not Alaska nor Hawaii.
A fresh sample' is drawn every month. Each monthly fresh sample is a replicate.
Respondents become eligible for a recontact sample approximately 6 and 12 months after responding.
The two samples are base weighted and calibrated separately, then combined with a rotating panel design adjustment that is calculated to reflect increased confidence, and reduced variance, in repeated and correlated responses from the recontact sample. There is variation month-to-month in the proportions of fresh and recontact sample.
History
Began with in-person interviews using area probability sampling in November 1952.
In October 1978, switched to telephone interviews using an RDD landline sample. Sampled hundred blocks ("hundred series" in this publication). "Probability methods" employed to pick the designated respondent from the adults living at a landline residence.
Adopted CATI techniques in 1993.
In 1994, adopted use of GENESYS's RDD frame subset to those with a listed household number. In 2010 adopted GENESYS-CSS screening.
In July 2012, added a RDD cellphone supplement. Adults are assumed to be sampled directly. In January 2015, switched to using the cellphone RDD sample entirely.
Transitioned to web using an address based sample in April-June 2024. See the corresponding technical report here.