Consumer Expenditure Data (CX)
					cx.txt

Section Listing

1.  Survey Definition
2.  FTP files listed in the survey directory
3.  Time series, series file, data file, & mapping file definitions and relationships
4.  Series file format and field definitions
5.  Data file format and field definitions
6.  Mapping file formats and field defintions
7.  Data Element Dictionary

====================================================================================
Section 1
====================================================================================

The following is a definition of:  Consumer Expenditure Survey (CX)

Survey Description:  The Consumer Expenditure Survey collects information from 
the Nation's households and families on their buying habits (expenditures), 
income, and characteristics. The information obtained via the survey allows data 
users to relate the expenditures and income of consumers to the characteristics 
of those consumers. 

The survey consists of two components, a quarterly Interview Survey and a 
weekly Diary Survey, each with its own questionnaire and sample.  For the 
Diary survey, respondents complete a diary of expenses for two consecutive 
1-week periods.  The Diary survey is designed to obtain data on frequently 
purchased items, such as food or housekeeping supplies, that respondents 
are less likely to recall over time.  For the Interview survey, respondents 
report data to an interviewer.  Each sample household is interviewed once
per quarter, for five consecutive quarters.  This survey is designed to 
collect data on major items of expense, such as property purchases or
vehicle purchases, and those that occur on a regular basis, such as rent
or utility payments, that respondents recall for 3 months or longer.
 
Summary Data Available:  The following types of demographic data are available; 
average number of consumer units, percent male and female, education level, 
age and race of reference person.  Average annual expenditures consist of 
fourteen main categories:  Food, alcoholic beverages, housing, apparel 
and services, transportation, health care, entertainment, personal care 
products and services, reading, education, tobacco products and smoking 
supplies, miscellaneous, cash contributions, and personal insurance and pensions.  

Average annual expenditures, income, and characteristics 
per consumer unit are classified by 13 characteristics: quintiles of income
before taxes; income before taxes; age of reference person; size of consumer
unit; composition of consumer unit; number of earners; housing tenure and
type of area; race of reference person; Hispanic or Latino origin of 
reference person; region of residence; occupation of reference person;
education of reference person. 

Frequency of Observations:  All data are annual.

Annual Averages:  All data are based on annual averages. 

Base Periods:  Not applicable.

Data Characteristics:  Average annual expenditures are reported in dollars 
and are stored with no decimal places.  Income is reported in dollars 
and is stored with no decimal places.  Number of consumer units is 
reported in thousands and is stored with no decimal places. Percent 
distributions are stored with no decimal places.  Consumer unit 
characteristics are reported averages and are stored with one decimal place.

Updating Schedule:  Updates are done annually, usually in September.

References:	BLS Handbook of Methods, Chapter 16, "Consumer Expenditures 
		and Income".
                Link:  http://www.bls.gov/opub/hom/homch16.htm

Contact for Further Information:	Consumer Expenditure Survey Staff
					(202) 691-6900


====================================================================================
Section 2
====================================================================================
The following Consumer Expenditure Data files are on the BLS internet in the sub-
directory pub/time.series/cx:

	cx.category			- Category codes	mapping file
	cx.characteristics		- Characteristics codes	mapping file
	cx.contacts			- Contacts for cx survey  
	cx.data.1.AllData		- Data file for the specific load process
	cx.demographics			- Demographics codes    mapping file
	cx.footnote			- Footnote codes	mapping file
	cx.item				- Item codes 		mapping file
	cx.process			- Process codes		mapping file
	cx.seasonal			- Seasonal codes	mapping file	
	cx.series			- Series IDs for the data file
	cx.subcategory			- Subcategory codes	mapping file
	cx.txt				- General information
	cx.year				- Year Codes		mapping file
====================================================================================
Section 3 
====================================================================================
The definition of a time series, its relationship to and the interrelationship
among series, data and mapping files is detailed below:

A time series refers to a set of data observed over an extended period of time
over consistent time intervals (i.e. monthly, quarterly, semi-annually, annually).  
BLS time series data are typically produced at monthly intervals and represent data 
ranging from a specific consumer item in a specific geographical area whose price 
is gathered monthly to a category of worker in a specific industry whose employment
rate is being recorded monthly, etc.

The FTP files are organized such that data users are provided with the following
set of files to use in their efforts to interpret data files:

a)  a series file (only one series file per load)
b)  mapping files
c)  data files

The series file contains a set of codes which, together, compose a series 
identification code that serves to uniquely identify a single time series. 
Additionally, the series file also contains the following series-level information:

a) the period and year corresponding to the first data observation 
b) the period and year corresponding to the most recent data observation.  

The mapping files are definition files that contain explanatory text descriptions
that correspond to each of the various codes contained within each series
identification code.

The data file contains one line of data for each observation period pertaining to a
specific time series.  Each line contains a reference to the following:

a) a series identification code
b) year in which data is observed
c) period for which data is observed (M13, Q05, and S03 indicate annual averages)
d) value
e) footnote code (if available)
====================================================================================
Section 4
====================================================================================
File Structure and Format: The following represents the file format used to define
cx.series.  Note the Field Numbers are for reference only; they do not exist in the
database.  Data files are in ASCII text format.  Data elements are separated by 
tabs; the first record of each file contains the column headers for the data 
elements stored in each field.  Each record ends with a new line character. 

Field #/Data Element		Length		Value(Example)		

 1.  series_id	 	 	14 TO 18	CXU080110LB0101M

 2.  seasonal	 	  	1		U

 3.  category_code		10		EXPEND 

 4.  subcategory_code		8		FOODTOTL 

 5.  item_code		   	4 TO 8		080110 

 6.  demographics_code	   	4		LB01

 7.  characteristics_code	2		01

 8.  process_code	   	1		M

 9.  series_title		256		Eggs-LB01-All Consumer Units	

10.  footnote_code	   	10		It varies	

11.  begin_year		   	4		1984

12.  begin_period	   	3		A01	

13.  end_year		   	4		2000		

14.  end_period		   	3		A01	
					

The series_id (CXU080110LB0101M) can be broken out into:

Code					Value(Example)

survey abbreviation	=		CX
seasonal(code)		=		U
item_code		=		080110
demographics_code	=		LB01
characteristics_code	=		01
Process_code		=		M

====================================================================================
Section 5
====================================================================================
File Structure and Format: The following represents the file format used to define
each data file.  Note that the field numbers are for reference only; they do not 
exist in the database.  Data files are in ASCII text format.  Data elements are 
separated by tabs; the first record of each file contains the column headers for 
the data elements stored in each field.  Each record ends with a new line character.  

File Name:  cx.data.1.AllData

The above-named data file has the following format:

Field #/Data Element	Length		Value(Example)		

1. series_id		  14 TO 18	CXUMENBOYSLB0104M

2. year			   4		1984	

3. period		   3		A01		

4. value		  12      	35				 

5. footnote_code	  10		It varies
				

The series_id (CXUMENBOYSLB0104M) can be broken out into:

Code					Value(Example)

survey abbreviation	=		CX
seasonal(code)		=		U
item_code		=		MENBOYS
demographics_code	=		LB01
characteristics_code	=		O4
Process_code		=		M
====================================================================================
Section 6
====================================================================================
File Structure and Format:  The following represents the file format used to define
each mapping file. Note that the field numbers are for reference only; they do not
exist in the database.  Mapping files are in ASCII text format.  Data elements are
separated by tabs; the first record of each file contains the column headers for the
data elements stored in each field.  Each record ends with a new line character. 

File Name:  cx.category

Field #/Data Element		Length		Value(Example)

1. category_code		10		EXPEND

2. category_text	 	60		Expenditures

3. display_level		2		0

4. selectable			1		T

5. sort_seqence			5		100



File Name:  cx.subcategory

Field #/Data Element		Length		Value(Example)

1. category_code		10		EXPEND

2. subcategory_code		8		PERSCARE

3. subcategory_text	 	50		Personal care products and services

4. display_level		2		0

5. selectable			1		T

6. sort_seqence			5		900



File Name:  cx.item

Field #/Data Element		Length		Value(Example)

1. subcategory_code		8		ENTRTAIN

2. item_code			8		PETSPLAY

3. item_text			50		Pets, toys, and playground equipment

4. display_level		2		1

5. selectable			1		T

6. sort_seqence			5		11200



File Name:  cx.characteristics

Field #/Data Element		Length		Value(Example)

1. demographics_code		4		LB01

2. characteristics_code		2		01

3. characteristics_text		120		All consumer units

4. display_level		2		0

5. selectable			1		T

6. sort_seqence			5		1010



File Name:  cx.demographics

Field #/Data Element		Length		Value(Example)

1. demographics_code		4		LB01

2. demographics_text		150		Quintiles of income before taxes

3. display_level		2		0

4. selectable			1		T

5. sort_seqence			5		100



File Name:  cx.footnote

Field #/Data Element		Length		Value(Example)

1. footnote_code		10		It varies

2. footnote_text		250		No data reported



File Name:  cx.process

Field #/Data Element		Length		Value(Example)

1. process_code			1		M

2. process_text			30		Means

4. display_level		2		0

5. selectable			1		T

6. sort_seqence			5		100



File Name:  cx.seasonal

Field #/Data Element		Length		Value(Example)

1. seasonal			1		U

2. seasonal_text		30		Seasonally Unadjusted



File Name:  cx.year

Field #/Data Element		Length		Value(Example)

1. year				4		2001


====================================================================================
Section 7
====================================================================================

CONSUMER EXPENDITURE DATA (CX) DATABASE ELEMENTS


Data Element		Length	Value(Example)			Description

begin_period		3	A01			Identifies first data observation
				(A01=Annual data)	within the first year for which
				 			data is available for a given time
				 			series.
				
begin_year		4	1999			Identifies first year for which
							data is available for a given

category_code		10	EXPEND			Identifies the category code for 
                                                        the dataseries.

category_text		60	Text			Contains the text of the category.

characteristics_code	2	01			Identifies the characteristics code
                                                        for the data series.

characteristics_text	120	Text			Contains the text of the charateristics.
  
display_level		2	0			Used to display hierarchical data 
                                (0=No indentation)      by adding indentations to the area 
                                                        descriptions.

end_period		3	A01			Identifies last data observation   
				(A01= Annual data)	within the last year for which
							data is available for a given
							time series.

end_year		4	2002			Identifies last year for which 
							data is available for a given
							time series.
			
footnote_code	  	10	It varies		Identifies footnote for the 
							data series.
							
footnote_text		250	Text			Contains the text of 
							the footnote.

item_code		8	PETSPLAY		Identifies item for which
 					 		data observations pertain.

item_text		50	Text			Describes item.

period			3	A01			Identifies period for which
				(A01=Annual data)	data is observed. 

process_code            1       M                       Identifies process for which
				(M=Means)		data is observed. 

process_text		30	Text			Contains the text of the process.
					
seasonal		1	U			Code identifying whether the 
				(U=Unadjusted)		data are seasonally adjusted.
				
selectable              1       T                       Used to distinguish between standard 
                                (T=can be selected)     data and title information.

series_id		18	CXU080110LB0101M	Code identifying the specific series.

sort_sequence		5       100                     Identifies Order in which the items 
                                                        should be displayed

subcategory_code	8	APPAREL			Identifies the subcategory code for 
                                                        the dataseries.
								
value			12	275			Observation for the series. 
				
year			4	2001			Identifies year of observation.