Consumer Expenditures Among Wireless Households in the U.S.

Consumer Expenditures Among Wireless

Households in the U.S.Brian Meekins,

Clyde Tucker, Scott Fricker

Bureau of Labor StatisticsAny opinions expressed in this paper are those of the authors and do not constitute policy of the Bureau of Labor Statistics

Background Cell phone only HH

Coverage issues for RDD surveys Weighting issues

NHIS estimates on cell only HH and adults in cell only HH

Blumberg, Brick, Keeter, Tucker, etc.

Consumer Expenditure Survey (CEIS) Tucker, Brick, Meekins 2004 http://www.bls.gov/cex/cellphones2007.htm

2

CEIS Data Sponsored by the Bureau of Labor Statistics

(BLS). Quarterly rotating panel survey of 5,000 to

8,000 per quarter (2,000 new cases). Large, nationally representative,

in-person/telephone Collects expenditure information

Telephone service Cigarettes, alcohol, health insurance

Data from 2000-2009 Cell only = respondent had cell phone bill and

no residential service in a given quarter3

HH Telephone Service

4

2009 Quarter 4 (weighted) n=1,736Landline & Cell 37.0Landline Only 30.0Cell Only 23.3No Phone 9.7

Demographic Composition

5

2009 Combined Weighted Unweightedn=7,050 Cell Only All Others Cell Only All OthersOverall 23.3 76.7 22.5 77.5% Renter 57.8 26.0 58.4 26.2% Male 52.3 46.6 52.7 47.2%Black 14.6 11.2 13.9 10.6%Hispanic 17.3 10.4 18.7 11.2%Under 36 51.7 17.3 50.7 16.5%Over 60 8.3 31.6 8.6 32.3%Central City 37.7 26.5 37.5 27.3%Rural 12.3 20.0 11.4 18.1%Single person HH 33.3 27.8 33.6 27.4Mean Age 38.3 52.5 38.6 52.8

Change in Telephone Use

62000.1

2000.3

2001.1

2001.3

2002.1

2002.3

2003.1

2003.3

2004.1

2004.3

2005.1

2005.3

2006.1

2006.3

2007.1

2007.3

2008.1

2008.3

2009.1

2009.3

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

BothLandline OnlyCell OnlyNo Phone

Telephone Use by Quarter: 2000.1 - 2009.4

Cell Only Households

72000.1

2000.3

2001.1

2001.3

2002.1

2002.3

2003.1

2003.3

2004.1

2004.3

2005.1

2005.3

2006.1

2006.3

2007.1

2007.3

2008.1

2008.3

2009.1

2009.3

0

5

10

15

20

25

30Cell Only by Quarter: 2000.1 - 2009.4

Cell Only Households

82000.1

2000.3

2001.1

2001.3

2002.1

2002.3

2003.1

2003.3

2004.1

2004.3

2005.1

2005.3

2006.1

2006.3

2007.1

2007.3

2008.1

2008.3

2009.1

2009.3

0

5

10

15

20

25

30Cell Only by Quarter: 2000.1 - 2009.4

Cell Only

Cell Only HH: 2000-2009

9200

3.1200

3.2200

3.3200

3.4200

4.1200

4.2200

4.3200

4.4200

5.1200

5.2200

5.3200

5.4200

6.1200

6.2200

6.3200

6.4200

7.1200

7.2200

7.3200

7.4200

8.1200

8.2200

8.3200

8.4200

9.1200

9.2200

9.3200

9.40

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90Mean Age% <= 35%36-45

Age: Cell Only

Cell Only HH: 2000-2009

10200

3.1200

3.2200

3.3200

3.4200

4.1200

4.2200

4.3200

4.4200

5.1200

5.2200

5.3200

5.4200

6.1200

6.2200

6.3200

6.4200

7.1200

7.2200

7.3200

7.4200

8.1200

8.2200

8.3200

8.4200

9.1200

9.2200

9.3200

9.40

10

20

30

40

50

60

70Married KidsKids

Family Type: Cell Only

Cell Only HH: 2000-2009

11200

3.1200

3.2200

3.3200

3.4200

4.1200

4.2200

4.3200

4.4200

5.1200

5.2200

5.3200

5.4200

6.1200

6.2200

6.3200

6.4200

7.1200

7.2200

7.3200

7.4200

8.1200

8.2200

8.3200

8.4200

9.1200

9.2200

9.3200

9.40

10

20

30

40

50

60

70 MaleFemaleSex: Cell Only

Cell Only HH: 2000-2009

12200

3.1200

3.2200

3.3200

3.4200

4.1200

4.2200

4.3200

4.4200

5.1200

5.2200

5.3200

5.4200

6.1200

6.2200

6.3200

6.4200

7.1200

7.2200

7.3200

7.4200

8.1200

8.2200

8.3200

8.4200

9.1200

9.2200

9.3200

9.40

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100OwnsRents

Owns/Rents: Cell Only

Cell Only HH: 2000-2009

13200

3.1200

3.2200

3.3200

3.4200

4.1200

4.2200

4.3200

4.4200

5.1200

5.2200

5.3200

5.4200

6.1200

6.2200

6.3200

6.4200

7.1200

7.2200

7.3200

7.4200

8.1200

8.2200

8.3200

8.4200

9.1200

9.2200

9.3200

9.40

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

NoneChildren in HH: Cell Only

Mean Expenditure

14

Expenditure Category

Weighted

Cell Only(n=5,128)

Other(n=28,665)

Whole Sample

(n=33,793)Total Expenditure 9,768.35 11,753.23 11,440.16Food 1,509.36 1,673.39 1,647.52Food Home 997.39 1,152.54 1,128.07Alcohol 109.05 82.42 86.62Housing 3,402.12 3,960.96 3,872.66Utilities 723.31 890.67 864.27Telephone 279.99 273.46 274.49Furniture 93.55 107.05 104.92Major Appliances 40.03 55.24 52.84

Mean Expenditure

15

Expenditure Category

Weighted

Cell Only(n=5,128)

Other(n=28,665)

Whole Sample

(n=33,793)Small Appliances 12.77 14.23 14.00Apparel 282.45 308.90 304.73Children’s Apparel 21.80 16.48 17.57Transportation 1,864.36 2,112.15 2,073.06Public Trans. 89.78 130.26 123.88Health Care 389.19 736.76 681.94Health Insurance 218.61 421.46 389.46Entertainment 468.26 604.79 583.26Tobacco 99.52 79.02 82.25

Expenditure by Cell Status

16

Controlling for Demographics

Expenditure CategoryLS Means

CoefficientCell Only OtherTotal Expenditure 9,505.31 9,720.98 -215.67Alcohol 35.56 21.85 13.71Utilities 737.14 709.32 27.82†Public Transportation 126.00 144.21 -18.22Health Insurance 308.75 313.76 -5.00*Tobacco 40.40 27.49 12.91*Not statistically sig at p<=.05†Changed direction from bivariate result

Effort by Cell Status

17

Cell Only OtherMean Number of Attempts 3.64 3.43% with Refusal 12.17 11.53% Receiving Letter 93.22 95.30% Telephone completion 31.62 36.65

Data Quality by Cell Status

18

Cell Only OtherMean Interview Time (min) 54.72 61.05% Never/Almost Never Using Records 18.78 22.90

Mean Number of Different Types of Records (if used) 0.72 1.11

% Missing Income 13.91 15.64% Completing IV in Language Other than English 6.65 5.44

Data Quality by Cell Status

19

Telephone CompletionsCell Only(n = 4,859)

Other(n=35,802)

Mean Interview Time (min) 48.83 54.73% Never/Almost Never Using Records 26.89 29.67

Mean Number of Different Types of Records (If Records Used)

0.65 1.00

% Missing Income 19.94 21.76% Completing IV in Language Other than English 3.70 4.77

Expenditure by Cell Status

20

Controlling for Demographics, Process, Methodological Variables

Expenditure CategoryLS Means

CoefficientCell Only OtherTotal Expenditure 10,115.4

010,347.7

0-232.30

Alcohol 38.99 23.72 15.28Utilities 774.03 749.32 24.71†Public Transportation 127.53 147.22 -19.69Health Insurance 316.72 328.77 -12.05*Tobacco 22.69 12.68 10.01*Not statistically sig at p<=.05†Changed direction from bivariate result

Panel Behavior

21

Cell Only(n=3,928)

Other(24,575)

Percentage Completing 4 IVs 56.57 73.66Mean Completed IVs 3.09 3.48Mean Attempts (All Waves) 14.38 13.39Mean Expenditure (All Waves) 10,310.92 12,341.81Mean Ratio Wave 3/Total .245 .242

Panel Behavior

22

Controlling for Demographics, Process, Methodological Variables

Expenditure CategoryLS Means Coefficien

tCell Only OtherMean Completed IVs 2.84 2.96 0.12Mean Attempts (All Waves) 11.57 11.58 -0.01*

Mean Total Expenditure(All Waves) 9,532.27 9,954.7

1 -422.44

Coefficient Exp(b)Odds < 4 Completions 0.215 1.236*Not statistically sig at p<=.05

Conclusions The number of cell-only HHs

continues to increase There is some evidence of a cohort

effect, as well as new entries Cell-only HHs have different

expenditure estimates Controlling for dems and

methodology Cell-only HHs exhibit different

response behavior 23

Contact Information

Brian MeekinsOffice of Survey Methods Research

202-691-7594meekins.brian@bls.gov