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QUESTION:  Why can we access the data only during the current release? I understand that you want your customers to access the most up-to-date data, but what if we wish to compare this release with data from the previous release?

 

ERI's cloud-based Assessor Series are provided for a one-year period (see Update Available to learn about database updates).  Because the databases are constantly improving, ERI does not wish to support any earlier release than the most recent release.  ERI's datasets are updated twice each quarter, so the survey population changes approxiately every six weeks.  With the addition of new survey resources, historical comparison between release periods is not statistically relevant.  (If our data population were to remain consistent from one release to the next, as with a single survey that queries the same entities through time, then trending could be inferred.)  Likewise, cost-of-living data is continually being collected and updated.

 

Customers are encouraged to save comparisons by printing or exporting reports with which they may compare future release data.  Please note, however, that the reason for most historical comparisons of compensation data is the analysis of market movement.  Again, because we do not survey the same data population every six weeks, these inferences would be misguiding.  A change in value from one release to the next may not be the result of inflation, for example; rather, it may be the result of improved data and/or improved methodology.