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1.1 The NLS of Young Women Cohort
1.2 The NLS
1.3 Surveys of the Young Women
1.4 Accessing Young Women Data
1.5 Organization of the Guide
Chapter 2: Sample Design and Attrition
2.1 Sample Design
2.2 Screening Process
2.3 Sampling Process
2.4 Interview Schedule & Fielding Periods
2.5 Interview Methods
2.6 Eligible Sample & Reasons for Noninterview
2.7 Sample Representativeness and Attrition
2.8 Sample Weights
Chapter 3: Guide to the Young Women Data
3.1 Survey Instruments and Related Documentation
3.2 Types of Variables
3.3 Young Women Codebook System
3.4 Data File Search Functions
Chapter 4: Topical Guide to the Young Women
4.1 Age
4.2 Alcohol Use
4.3 Aptitude, Achievement & Intelligence Scores
4.4 Attitudes & Expectations
4.5 Child Care
4.6 Cigarette Use
4.7 Class of Worker
4.8 Crime, Delinquency & School Discipline
4.9 Discrimination
4.10 Educational Status & Attainment
4.11 Family Background
4.12 Fertility
4.13 Fringe Benefits
4.14 Geographic Residence & Environmental Characteristics
4.15 Health
4.16 High School Survey & College Information
4.17 Household Composition
4.18 Income & Assets
4.19 Industries
4.20 Job Characteristics Index
4.21 Job Satisfaction
4.22 Job Search
4.23 Labor Force Status
4.24 Marital Status & Marital Transitions
4.25 Occupations & Occupational Prestige Indices
4.26 Pension Benefits & Pension Plans
4.27 Public Assistance Support Services
4.28 Race, Ethnicity & Nationality
4.29 Social Security & Disability
4.30 Training
4.31 Transfers
4.32 Wages
4.33 Work Experience
Appendices
Appendix A: Quick Reference Guide
Appendix B: Selected Young Women Variables by Survey Year
Appendix C: Unpacking Multiple Entries
The National Longitudinal Survey of Young Women is sponsored by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, and conducted by the Census Bureau and the Center for Human Resource Research at The Ohio State University. The Social Security Administration and the U.S. Department of Labor’s Women’s Bureau and Pension and Welfare Benefits Administration have provided additional funding.
This document pays tribute and gives thanks to the respondents who willingly participated in this survey. From 1968 to 2003, thousands of American women provided valuable personal data about themselves and their families, thus allowing researchers and policymakers a clearer picture of women’s shifting roles over several decades. A big thank you also goes to the many interviewers who gathered this information and the Census Bureau who coordinated the data collection efforts.
Persons needing detailed information about specific NLS cohort groups are encouraged to consult the NLS Web site at www.bls.gov/nls, which provides access to questionnaires, codebooks, documentation, and downloadable data. Summaries of NLS-related research completed over the past several decades are presented online at www.nlsbibliography.org. For specific user questions, email NLS User Services at NLS_info@bls.gov.