Variance Estimation for Price Indexes From a Two-Stage Sample With Rotating Panels

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Estimation of price indexes in the United States is generally based on complex rotating panel surveys. The sample for the Consumer Price Index, for example, is selected in three stages—geographic areas, establishments, and individual items—with 20% of the sample being replaced by rotation each year. At each period, a time series of data is available for use in estimation. This article examines how to best combine data for estimation of long-term and short-term changes and how to estimate the variances of the index estimators in the context of two-stage sampling. I extend the class of estimators, introduced by Valliant and Miller, of Laspeyres indexes formed using sample data collected from the current period back to a previous base period. Linearization estimators of variance for indexes of long-term and short-term change are derived. The theory is supported by an empirical simulation study using two-stage sampling of establishments and items from a population derived from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics ...