# CPS ASEC Bridge File

**URL:** <https://forum.ipums.org/t/cps-asec-bridge-file/3188>\
**Category:** CPS\
**Created:** [September 24, 2019, 7:31pm UTC](https://forum.ipums.org/t/cps-asec-bridge-file/3188 "2019-09-24T19:31:02Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![ashadyna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/87869e/32.png) [@ashadyna](https://forum.ipums.org/u/ashadyna)\
**Post date:** [September 24, 2019, 7:31pm UTC](https://forum.ipums.org/t/cps-asec-bridge-file/3188/1 "2019-09-24T19:31:02Z")

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Hi! Apparently, the Census has released a modified version of the Current Population Survey (CPS) Annual Social and Economic Supplement (ASEC) file. This file [is called the "Bridge Data File.](https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/demo/datasets/income-poverty/time-series/data-extracts/2018/cps-asec-bridge-file/2018-asec-bridge-file-documentation.pdf)" It uses some updated questions and imputation methods which produce some very different results than the regular file. It can be downloaded [here](https://www.census.gov/data/datasets/2018/demo/income-poverty/cps-asec-bridge.html).

Is there a way to use IPUMS to query the CPS ASEC Bridge file?

Thanks!

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**Author:** ![Matthew\_Bombyk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/34f0e0/32.png) [@Matthew\_Bombyk](https://forum.ipums.org/u/Matthew_Bombyk)\
**Post date:** [September 26, 2019, 6:06pm UTC](https://forum.ipums.org/t/cps-asec-bridge-file/3188/2 "2019-09-26T18:06:38Z")

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Currently the ASEC bridge files are not available via IPUMS. The IPUMS CPS team is exploring methods of eventually making these files available, but it will not be ready in the near future.