79 Guide Fringe Benefits

Data on the availability of fringe benefits provided by employers of NLSY79 respondents have been collected during each survey year except 1981. The fringe benefit series was administered, from 1980 to 1992, to those respondents who worked 20 hours or more a week at their current or last job and who were not self-employed in an unincorporated business or enlisted in the military. From 1993 to 2004, those working under 10 hours a week were asked if their employer made available any fringe benefits. Those respondents replying in the affirmative were then asked the detailed fringe benefit series. Fringe benefits questions were asked only about the CPS job from 1979–93; they have been asked about all jobs beginning in 1994. The types of benefits about which information has been gathered vary across the years. Table 4.16.1 summarizes, by survey year, the numbers of employed NLSY79 respondents reporting the availability of each type of benefit. This information is taken from the Employer Supplement questions; additional information is available in the CPS section. Further information on work-related benefits can be found in the "Pension Benefits & Pension Plans" section of this guide.

Survey Instruments: The “Current Labor Force Status (CPS)” section of the NLSY79 questionnaires: Section 8 (1979), Section 7 (1980), Section 5 (1982–92), Section 6 (1993), and Section 7 Employer Supplement (1994–2004) contain the employer-related fringe benefit series.

Data Files: Fringe benefit variables can be found in “Job Information” and the yearly “Misc. xxxx” areas of interest.

Comparison to Other NLS Cohorts: Data have been collected during each NLSY79 young adult survey on the availability of fringe benefits provided by employers. Questions on fringe benefits for the NLSY97 cohort are only asked of respondents who report an employee job lasting at least 13 weeks that ended after the date of their 16th birthday, or who are age 16 and over and report an on-going employee job at which they have worked at least 13 weeks. Information on fringe benefits has been collected for the Mature Women in 1977, 1982, 1987, 1989, and 1995–2003; for the Young Women in 1978 and each survey since 1983; and for the Young Men in 1976 and 1981.

Table 4.16.1 Number of Civilian Workers Reporting the Availability of Various Types of Fringe Benefits at Their Current/Last Job: NLSY79 1979-2004

Type of Fringe Benefit	79	80	82	83	84	85	86	87	88	89	90	91	92	93	94	96	98	00	02	04
Reporting Availability¹	5047	4132	7652	5869	6560	6492	6735	7014	8131	8126	8015	6214	6147	6592	7164	6990	6772	6132	na⁴	na⁴

Medical/Surgical/ Hospital Insurance	1893	2305	4124	3757	4347	4380	4704	5141	5704	6052	6009	5181	5135	5056	5195	5286	5309	5278	4927	4791
Life Insurance	1230	1647	2979	2912	3391	3421	3800	4262	4719	5027	5067	4360	4331	4316	4423	4518	4511	4553	4261	4168
Paid Vacation	2190	2664	4494	4205	4740	4716	5040	5456	6023	6229	6312	5308	5227	5096	5264	5238	5207²	5160³	4655	4510
Sick Days w/ Full Pay						3468	3815	4307	4634	4903	4906	3683	3989	3885	4106	4182	4125²	4106	3877	3804
Dental Benefits						2563	2913	3425	3833	4149	4222	3835	3816	3894	4022	4266	4426	4529	4353	4226
Maternity/Paternity Leave						3395	3695	4101	4284	4467	4413	3755	3719	4057	4106	4288	4294	4196	3915	3808
Disability Insurance									4748
Retirement Plan (Not Social Security)									3933	4219	4345	3901	3949	4000	4143	4345	4493	4576	4370	4279
Stock Options									1848
Profit Sharing									2029	2214	2208	1956	2019	1949	1912	1905	1822	1759	1586	1385
Training/Educational Opportunities									3208	3567	3775	3307	3306	3308	3281	3419	3469	3501	3274	3128
Company-Provided or Subsidized Child care									342	430	509	533	526	509	527	582	513	566	522	451
Company-Paid or Subsidized Meals									1016	1259	1301
Company-Provided or Subsidized Transportation									932
Company-Provided or Subsidized Housing									228
Flexible Hours or Work Schedule										3846	3878	3249	3218	3264	3355	3568	3560	3535	3254	3215
Company-Provided or Subsidized Parking										4337	5003
Employee Discounts										3631	3709

Note: Question formats for the fringe benefits series have changed over time, so numbers may not be strictly comparable from year to year. These data are from the Employer Supplements; other fringe benefit information is available in the CPS section.
¹ The eligible universe for the fringe benefit series during all surveys except 1979 and 1993-2004 is those respondents who worked 20 or more hours a week at their current or last job. Excluded are self-employed respondents working in an unincorporated business and those enlisted in the military.
² These include those with combined sick/vacation days and with 995 responses to sick days questions (meaning combined sick/vacation days).
³Includes paid vacation days and combined sick/vacation days.
⁴This question was asked in a different fashion for 2002 and 2004 and is not comparable to previous rounds.

The exact categories of benefits for which information was recorded may vary; generally, less information was collected in earlier years. Consult the BLS website at http://www.bls.gov/nls or the appropriate cohort’s User’s Guide for more information.

4.16 Fringe Benefits