How Well Do They Compare?: Selected Characteristics of the Foreign-Born Population from the 2004 American Community Survey and the 2005 Current Population Survey

Marcella Jones, U.S. Census Bureau
Janin Menendez, U.S. Census Bureau

The American Community Survey (ACS) and the Annual Social and Economic Supplement (ASEC) to the Current Population Survey (CPS) provide information on the foreign-born population in the United States. The ASEC has traditionally been the official source for annual reports on the size and selected characteristics of the foreign-born population. As the ACS becomes another source for annual reports on the foreign-born population, analysis is conducted to evaluate its comparability to the ASEC estimates. This poster presentation will focus on the findings of this research by presenting comparable tables for selected demographic characteristics from these two data sources as well as identifying key differences between the two surveys.