The survey is conducted on our behalf by The Demand Institute, a nonprofit organization jointly operated by The Conference Board and Nielsen. The sampling frame for the SCE is based on that used for The Conference Board’s Consumer Confidence Survey (CCS). Respondents to the CCS, itself based on a representative national sample drawn from mailing addresses, are invited to join the SCE internet panel.
The SCE, which launched in 2013, focuses primarily on expectations about economic outcomes related to inflation, the labor market, and household finance. In eliciting subjective expectations for certain variables, such as future inflation, we collect data on the individual’s forecast uncertainty. The survey tracks a respondent’s age, income, education, homeownership status, employment history, and region; it also tests for level of numeracy. A November 2016 New York Fed staff report offers an overview of the survey methodology. We summarize the main survey results in a monthly New York Fed press release, illustrate trends in a series of interactive graphics on the CMD website, and publish a range of analyses. The data are available to other researchers, policymakers, and the public.