Response Rates and Methodology
In 2008 a sample of 2,751 employers were randomly selected to complete the benefits survey (Table 1). Of these, 2,158 (78.4%) were operating and responded. Only 75 (2.7%) refused, 38 (1.4%) were temporarily out of business, and 137 (5.0%) were permanently out of business. There was insufficient address information to contact 31 employers (1.1%) and 10 employers (0.4%) responded that they had no employees during the survey reference period. After removing those who we could not contact, those who refused, those who were closed either temporarily or permanently, and those who did not have any employees during the reference period, the net useable response rate for this year’s benefits survey was 87.7%. Across all four quarters, the net useable response rate ranged from a high of 91.3% in the first quarter to a low of 82.9% in the second quarter.
The survey methodology was the same as in previous years. For a complete
explanation of methodology, see Hauf, Knapp, and Leonard (2006).