# Replicate weights for CPS Monthly Data **URL:** \ **Category:** CPS\ **Created:** [October 13, 2020, 10:56pm UTC](https://forum.ipums.org/t/replicate-weights-for-cps-monthly-data/3802 "2020-10-13T22:56:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Nichole\_Watmore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ba9def/32.png) [@Nichole\_Watmore](https://forum.ipums.org/u/Nichole_Watmore)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2020, 10:56pm UTC](https://forum.ipums.org/t/replicate-weights-for-cps-monthly-data/3802/1 "2020-10-13T22:56:53Z")
I’m interested in calculating monthly unemployment rates using CPS monthly data. How would I go about calculating Standard Error (SE) estimates? Are there replicate weights that I should use? Or do I simply use WTFINL to weight my estimates? ---
**Author:** ![KariWilliams](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/82dd89/32.png) [@KariWilliams](https://forum.ipums.org/u/KariWilliams)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2020, 2:47pm UTC](https://forum.ipums.org/t/replicate-weights-for-cps-monthly-data/3802/2 "2020-10-16T14:47:50Z")
I am sharing the relevant portions of a response from my colleague to this [related post on basic monthly weights](https://forum.ipums.org/t/cps-basic-monthly-weights-and-unemployment-in-r/3756/1). > For basic monthly CPS samples, there are no replicate weights or sampling design information included in the public use microdata. You can still calculate standard errors by treating it as a simple weighted sample, but they will likely be slightly underestimated. The correct person-level weight to use for most analyses using basic monthly data is [WTFINL](https://cps.ipums.org/cps-action/variables/WTFINL#description_section). ---
**Author:** ![Nichole\_Watmore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ba9def/32.png) [@Nichole\_Watmore](https://forum.ipums.org/u/Nichole_Watmore)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2020, 8:06pm UTC](https://forum.ipums.org/t/replicate-weights-for-cps-monthly-data/3802/3 "2020-10-16T20:06:52Z")
Great, thank you!