Government economists will use the data to update the "market basket" of goods and services in the consumer price index, or CPI, which measures inflation.
NEW YORK (Reuters) - The Census Bureau said on Thursday that it would begin collecting information in January on the everyday purchases and spending habits of Americans.
Government economists will use the data to update the "market basket" of goods and services in the consumer price index, or CPI, which measures inflation.
Starting in January, field representatives will interview U.S. households to collect information about how much they spend for groceries, clothing, transportation, housing, health care and other items, the Census Bureau said.
Interviews with about 15,000 households will take place once every three months, while another 12,000 households will be asked to keep two consecutive one-week diaries of their small, more frequent purchases.
!ADVERTISEMENT!The Bureau of Labor Statistics will publish the integrated data from the two surveys, the Census Bureau said.
(Reporting by Emily Chasan; Editing by Lisa Von Ahn)
