IPUMS CPS Data Extract with all Variables versus CPS Data Extracts from Census website

CPS
1

I would like to extract all current variables from 2021’s CPS data that is currently in the data dictionary file on the census website.

Primary Question:
However, going through the IPUMS data extraction tool to select all 392 variables in painstaking. Is there a better way to select or extract this data through IPUMS?

Secondary Question:
With that said, could I just use the data off of the census website (since it’s technically coming from the same source). The disadvantages I see with this approach are:

  • Data is not harmonized if I want multiple years
  • Custom parsing and matching data dictionaries is required for each Basic CPS Monthly dataset.

Open to thoughts and comments on both questions.

2

IPUMS discourages our data users from creating an extract with all available variables. This is due to several reasons, but the main reason is that the data is continuously being updated, so a local copy of the full database will quickly become outdated. This is especially true with the CPS. There is also a clause in the IPUMS Terms of Use which restricts redistribution of data without permission. This clause is more easily broken when full copies of the database exist outside of the IPUMS server. That said, you can select large number of variables more efficiently by selecting display options and then “show all groups together” (see screenshot).

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