Purchasing Health Insurance
Almost 60 percent of employers in the United States employ just one to four people meaning that a random sample would yield comparatively few larger small employers to interview. Since size within the small-business population is often an important differentiating variable, it is important that an adequate number of interviews be conducted among those employing more than 10 people. The interview quotas established to achieve these added interviews from larger, small-business owners are arbitrary but adequate to allow independent examination of the 10-19 and 20-249 employee size classes as well as the 1-9 employee size group.
Table A1 Sample Composition under Varying Scenarios
|
Expected from Random Sample* |
Stratified Random Sample |
Obtained from Stratified Random Sample |
Employee Size of Firm |
Interviews Expected |
Percent Distri- bution |
Interview Quotas |
Percent Distri- bution |
Completed Interviews |
Percent Distri- bution |
1 - 9 10 - 19 20 - 249 |
593 82 75 |
79 11 10 |
350 200 200 |
47 27 27 |
350 201 200 |
47 27 27 |
All Firms |
750 |
100 |
750 |
101 |
752 |
100 |
* Sample universe developed from the Bureau of the Census (2002 data) and published by the Office of Advocacy at the Small Business Administration