Job Satisfaction
Employment
Job Satisfaction
Mature Women Job Satisfaction Variables
During most survey years, respondents rated how they felt about their jobs on a scale from "like it very much" to "dislike it very much." For the early survey years, the question pertained only to the current job, thus restricting the universe to those respondents who reported working during the survey week. For the 1982 and 1987-92 interviews, the question was asked about the current or the most recent job, thereby expanding the universe to include respondents reporting work since the date of last interview. In 1995-2003, respondents were asked this question in reference to all jobs since their last interview. Following this global satisfaction question, most surveys elicited information on the specific factors that the respondent liked and disliked about the job. Global job satisfaction information is available for all survey years except 1968, 1974, and 1976.
Data comparing the respondent's attitude toward her current job with her attitude toward her job in a previous survey year were collected during some of the early years of the survey. In addition, respondents were asked in select survey years whether a higher wage or liking the job was more important toward motivating them to work. Consult MW1 for availability by survey year and reference numbers.
During the 1992 survey, respondents were asked a series of questions about the effort and concentration level required by their current or last job. In addition, the women agreed or disagreed with a series of statements about the satisfaction and importance of their jobs/work. The reference numbers for these questions are R10188.00-R10197.00.
Table MW1. Reference Numbers of Job Satisfaction Questions by Survey Year
| Survey Year |
Attitude toward current job, current / last job, or all jobs1 | Attitude toward current job compared to job in a previous interview | Motivation to work | Things liked / disliked about job | Commitment to work |
| 1967 | R00095.00, R00721.00 | -- | R00102.00, R00139.00 | R00096.00-R00101.00 | R00103.00-R00106.00, R00140.00-R00143.00, R00729.00 |
| 1969 | R00967.00, R01014.00, R01327.50 | R01015.00, R01016.00 | R01037.00 | R00968.00-R00973.00 | R01033.00-R01036.00, R01327.00 |
| 1971 | R01611.00 | R01626.00, R01627.00 | -- | R01612.00-R01617.00 | -- |
| 1972 | R02414.00 | R02429.00, R02430.00, R02853.00 | R02469.00 | R02415.00-R02420.00 | R02465.00-R02468.00 |
| 1974 | -- | -- | -- | -- | R02928.00 |
| 1976 | -- | -- | -- | -- | R03135.00 |
| 1977 | R03638.00 | R03646.00, R03647.00 | R03814.00 | R03639.00-R03644.00 | R03810.00-R03813.00 |
| 1979 | R04631.00 | -- | -- | R04632.00-R04637.00 | -- |
| 1981 | R04946.00 | -- | -- | R04947.00-R04952.00 | R04978.00 |
| 1982 | R05342.00 | -- | R06207.00 | R05343.00-R05348.00 | R06206.00 |
| 1984 | R06724.00 | -- | -- | R06725.00-R06730.00 | R06761.00 |
| 1986 | R07276.00 | -- | -- | R07277.00-R07279.00, R07281.00-R07283.00 |
R07350.00 |
| 1987 | R07890.00 | -- | R08538.00 | R07891.00-R07893.00, R07895.00-R07897.00 |
R08537.00 |
| 1989 | R08937.00 | -- | -- | R08938.00-R08940.00, R08942.00-R08944.00 |
-- |
| 1992 | R10153.00, R13008.00 | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| 1995 | R25476.00-R25481.00 | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| 1997 | e.g., R36578.00 (job #01) | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| 1999 | e.g., R4461800. (job #01) | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| 2001 | e.g., R58146.00 (job #01) | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| 2003 | e.g., R69189.00 (job #01) | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| 1 Attitude toward current job was asked in the 1967, 1969-72, 1977-81, and 1984-86 surveys. In 1982 and 1987-92, the survey inquired about the respondent's current or last job. In 1995-2003, the survey asked each job the respondent held since the last interview. | |||||
Survey Instruments: These job satisfaction questions are located within the "Current Labor Force Status" sections of the questionnaires.
User Notes
Cross-cohort analyses are possible using items from the other Original Cohorts, NLSY79, and NLSY97.
Reference
Andrisani, Paul J.; Appelbaum, Eileen; Koppel, Ross; and Miljus, Robert C. Work Attitudes and Labor Market Experience: Evidence from the National Longitudinal Surveys. New York: Praeger Publishers, 1978.