Appendix B: Selected Variables for the NLSY79

Table B.1.1 depicts selected variables from the NLSY79 main data files. The top row of the table lists the years in which the NLSY79 has been administered; the first column gives some of the variables for which information has been collected. An asterisk (*) indicates that information for the designated variable was obtained for the cohort in the year indicated. The “R” used in variable descriptions stands for “respondent”. Users should be aware that, in some instances, the variable descriptions in the table represent a group of questions and not single response items.

Table B.1.1 Selected NLSY79 Main Youth Variables by Survey Year

Variable

 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 96 98 00 02 04
I. Labor Market Experience Variables
A. Current labor force and employment status and characteristics of current/most recent job1
 

Survey week labor force and  employment status

 * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *      
  Occupation (DOT code) *                                        
  Hours worked in survey week * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *      
  Hours per week usually worked * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
  Shift worked (in 2002/2004 for CPS job only) * * * * * * *     * * * * * * * * * * * *
  Promotion (varies with year)           * * * * * * *         * * * * *
  Commuting time to current job * * *             *         * *          
  Availability of fringe benefits (beginning in 1994 for multiple jobs) * *   * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
  Global job satisfaction item * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
  Job satisfaction scale * * * *           *                      
  Job characteristics inventory *     *                                  
  Size of employer (in 2002/2004, only at R's worksite) * *           * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
  Minority status of coworkers (1980 only), supervisor   *   *                                  
  Time R expects to stay at job * * * *                                  
  Participation in work-study program * * * * * * * *                          

B. Work experience since Jan. 1, 1978, or previous survey, or in past calendar year
  Weeks worked * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
  Hours usually worked per week * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
  Number of weeks, spells of unemployment * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
  Weeks out of labor force * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
C. Characteristics of jobs since Jan. 1, 1978, or last survey, including current or most recent job (more than 10 to 20 hours per week and more than 9 weeks in duration if not CPS job)2
  Occupation and industry (Census code) * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
  Class of worker * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
  Start date and stop date * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
  Hours usually worked at home                   * * * * * * * * * * * *
  Shift worked (only current/most recent job in 2002/2004)                               * * * * * *
  Rate of pay, hourly rate of pay * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
  Covered by collective bargaining * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
  Is R union member *                 * * * * * * * * * * * *
  Reason for leaving job * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
  Severance pay received                               * * * * * *
  Availability of fringe benefits (CPS job) (all jobs since 1994)             * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
  Characteristics of employer's pension plan                               * * * * * *
  Is employer exempt from Social Security; does another plan replace it                                       * *
  Global job satisfaction item                               * * * * * *
  Promotion and promotion potential with employer           *       * * *         * * * * *
  Size of employer (in 2002, only at R's worksite)                                 * * * * *
  Sex of supervisor and coworkers                                 * *      
  Is R a temporary or contractual worker                               * * *      
D. Job search
  Job search activities and (some years) intentions * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *    
  R looking for work or employed when found current or most recent job       *                       * * * *    
  Methods of job search       *   * * * * * * * * * * * * * *    
  Job offers rejected (while looking for each job)       *       * * *           * * * *    
  Desired characteristics of job sought       *   * * *                          
II. Human Capital and Other Socioeconomic Variables
A. Early formative influences/Parental status
  Nationality and birthplace *       *                                
  Birth date *   *                                    
  Ethnic self-identification (revised 2002) *                                     *  
  Year foreign-born R entered the United States         *                                
  Month and year R entered the United States to live for at least 6 months *                     *                  
  Country of citizenship when immigrated                       *                  
  Immigration or visa status                       *                  
  Religious affiliation, frequency of attendance (only new spouses in 2002/2004) *     *                             * * *
  Periods lived away from parents (birth to age 18) *                 *                      
  Non-English language spoken when R was a child *                                        
  Were magazines, newspapers, or library cards available in home when R was age 14 *                                        
  Person(s) R lived with at age 14 *                     *                  
  Occupation of primary adults when R was 14 *                                        
  Birthplace of parents: State or country *                                        
  Highest grade completed by father and mother *                                        
  Employment status of father and mother in past year * *                                      
  Are R's parents living * *                                      
  R's biological parents -- life status, health, cause of death (40-and-older health module)                                   * * * *
B. Education
  Current enrollment status, date of last enrollment * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
  Highest grade completed * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
  Reason stopped attending school * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
  Highest degree and date received                   * * * * * * * * * * * *
  Is or was school public or private *                                        
  High school curriculum * * * * * * *                            
  Comparison of high school courses to skills training                             *            
  College degree received * * * * * *       * * * * * * * * * * * *
  Type of college attending (2- or 4-year) * * * * * * * *   * * *   * * * * * * * *
  Field of study or specialization in college * * * * * * * *   * * *   * * * * * * * *
  College tuition *                                        
  Educational loans or financial aid in college * * * * * * * *   * * *   * * * * * * * *
  Attitude toward selected aspects of high school *                                        
  Courses taken during last year of high school *                                        
  Ever suspended or expelled from school; date   *                                      
C. Vocational training outside regular school
  Type(s) of training * * * * * * * *   * * * * * * * * * * * *
  Number of weeks, hours per week in training * * * * * * * *   * * * * * * * * * * * *
  Was training completed * * * * * * * *   * * * * * * * * * * * *
  Was degree, certificate, or journeyman's card obtained *                                        
  Was training related to specific job or employer       * * * * *   * * * * * * * * * * * *
  Was training related to a promotion                       * * * * *          
  Reason for training       * * *             * * * * * * * * *
  Method of financing training       * * *       * * * * * * * * * * * *
  Informal job learning activities (questions vary; self-training only in 2002 and 2004)                             * * * * * * *
D. Government jobs and training programs
  Participation in programs * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
  Type of program * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
  Satisfaction with program * * * * * * * * *                        
  Did program help on subsequent jobs * * * * * * * * *   * * * * * * * *      
  Services provided by program * * * * * * * * *                        
  Length of participation in program * * * * * * * *   * * * * * * * * * * * *