An official website of the United States government

The .gov means it's official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you're on a federal government site.

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Bureau of Labor Statistics > Consumer Expenditure Survey > Publications

Consumer Expenditure Surveys (CE) Survey Methods Symposium and Microdata Users' Workshop, July 21-24, 2020

Update: Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the July 21-24, 2020, CE Survey Methods Symposium and Microdata Users’ Workshop will now be an online-only event. Further details are forthcoming, including an updated Call for Presenters. We will update this webpage as soon as new information is available. Please register online if you would like to participate in these events. If you have already registered, no action is needed at this time.

Due to the change in format, the Call for Presenters for the 2020 Microdata Users' Workshop is open through June 15, or until all presentation timeslots are filled. Except for the deadline, the application process is unchanged. For a printable (PDF) version of this document, click here.

Online registration is now open for the 2020 CE Survey Methods Symposium and Microdata Users' Workshop. Registration is free, and closes July 15. For those who have already registered, no action is needed at this time.

Opportunities to Meet with an Expert are still being planned for the 2020 workshop. As soon as they are available, details will be provided to those who request meetings.

Thank you for a Highly Successful 2019 Workshop!

Presentations in a zip file from the 2019 Microdata Users' Workshop are now available. Presentations for the Survey Methods Symposium will be posted soon.

July 21, 2020: The annual free CE sponsored Survey Methods Symposium will feature presentations from CE staff about topics relevant to CE's ongoing redesign initiative.

July 22–24, 2020: The annual free CE Microdata Users' Workshop sessions are geared to microdata users of all levels of experience. The workshop is designed to help you learn how to use CE public use microdata using your own programming skills. Experts proficient in multiple programming languages are readily available to assist with technical issues. After completion of this workshop, attendees can expect to not only obtain a well-rounded understanding of the estimation methodology used by the CE, but also the skills required to correctly apply those methods using various statistical software platforms.

Workshop participants are strongly encouraged to bring a personal laptop loaded with their preferred statistical software package. For planning purposes, please specify on the registration form the statistical software package you intend to use during the hands-on training. Attendees will be seated according to the software package indicated on the registration form. Wi-Fi will be available. We recommend reviewing the CE PUMD Getting Started Guide and downloading the 2018 datasets that will be used in the workshop practical training sessions prior to the event.

Attendees with detailed questions about projects in progress using CE data, or who have suggestions about improving CE products, are encouraged to Meet with an Expert.

Do you have questions, comments, or suggestions regarding the symposium or workshop? Please contact us.