2010 EEO Census File Update #3

On February 4th, the Census Bureau sent out a brief update regarding the status of the 2010 EEO file that is expected to be released in 2012. The message clarifies that disability data will not be a part of the Special EEO file.

Below is a copy of the e-mail message:

________________________________________
From: CENSUS2010 CENSUS2010 [mailto:CENSUS2010.GWEST2PO.GWEST2DOM@EEOC.GOV]
Sent: Friday, February 04, 2011 1:23 PM
To: JOSEPH DONOVAN
Subject: Third Informal Update on Status of Census 2010 Special EEO File
Happy Chinese New Year!

This email is the third informal briefing on the American Community Survey (ACS) 2010 Special EEO File (Tabulation) from the Census Bureau that is expected to be released in the fall of 2012. The first and second updates are attached to this email. These updates will continue until the EEO File and the American FactFinder (AFF) programs for accessing the data in the File are released.

If you would like to be removed from this mailing list, which will be sent via bcc, please let me know. If you know of other organizations or individuals who might like to receive these notices, please send me their names or email addresses.

Please remember that this information is unofficial and will only be finalized when the Census Bureau releases the EEO File and the AFF means for accessing it.

Just as the Special EEO File has been the primary benchmark in civil rights monitoring and enforcement for determining the racial, ethnic and gender composition of labor markets, within specified geographies and job categories, it was hoped that the next EEO File would have the same status for determining benchmarks by disability and citizenship. This will definitely not be the case for disability statistics, as they cannot be included for technical reasons.

Citizenship data, which was specifically added to the EEO File to address federal employment issues, will be included in the next Special EEO File. However, the size for the smallest geographic levels (i.e., counties, aggregated counties, or places) will probably be 100,000 or more – rather than the 50,000 or more for other variables. The citizenship data should not affect the availability of tables or cross-tabulations by larger geographic areas, i.e., Combined Statistical Areas (CBA’s); Core Based Statistical Areas (CBSA’s); states; and the United States.

Again, irrespective of the variable, only tables and cross-tabulations that are permitted by the Census Bureau’s Disclosure Review Board will be produced, which might mean that some desired tabulations and cross-tabulations may not be possible due confidentiality concerns.

Finally, apart from the features within AFF to download specific tables and cross-tabulations created by the user, AFF will provide a pointer to other sites within Census where users can download the entire Special EEO or other large files. The files will be available in ASCII, SAS and, most likely, other formats. Pointers to the documentation for downloading and using these files will also be provided.

Joseph Donovan