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

06

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 2002-2006 for CPS job only)

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

 

 

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

Promotion (varies with year)

 

 

 

 

 

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

 

 

 

 

*

*

*

*

*

*

Commuting time to current job

*

*

*

 

 

 

 

 

 

*

 

 

 

 

*

*

 

 

 

 

 

 

Availability of benefits (beginning in 1994 for multiple jobs)

*

*

 

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

Global job satisfaction item

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

Job satisfaction scale

*

*

*

*

 

 

 

 

 

*

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Job characteristics inventory

*

 

 

*

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Size of employer (in 2002-2006, 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 2002-2006)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

Rate of pay, hourly rate of pay

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

Covered by collective bargaining

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

Is R union member

*

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

Reason for leaving job

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

Severance pay received

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

Availability of 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)

*