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Asterisk Table | National Longitudinal Survey of Older and Young Men

National Longitudinal Survey of Older and Young Men
NLSY97
NLSY79
NLSY79 Children
Mature and Young Women
Older and Young Men

This page presents two tables summarizing selected variables from the Young Men and the Older Men surveys (use the drop-down menu to select either the YM or OM table). The tables list individual items or groups of related items, with asterisks in the year columns indicating the survey years in which the variables(s) are available. Users are encouraged to consult the questionnaires for exact question wording in each survey round.

Selected Young Men variables by survey year: Respondents ages 14 to 24 in 1966

I. Labor Market Experience Variables

A. Current labor force and employment status

Variable 66 67 68 69 70 71 73 75 76 78 80 81
Survey week labor force and employment status * * * * * * * * * * * *
Hours worked in survey week * * * * * *     *     *
Weeks worked (time frames vary) * * * * * * * * * * * *
Usual hours worked during weeks worked * * * *     * *   * *  
Weeks unemployed, out of labor force (time frames vary) * * * * * * * * * * * *
Spells of unemployment in past year * * * * * *     *     *

B. Characteristics of current or last job

Variable 66 67 68 69 70 71 73 75 76 78 80 81
Occupation, industry, class of worker * * * * * * * * * * * *
Start date and stop date * * * * * * * * * * * *
Hours per week usually worked   * * * * * * * * * * *
Hourly rate of pay * * * * * * * * * * * *
Commuting time, costs             *   * * * *
Covered by collective bargaining       * * *     * * * *
Is R union member       * * *     * * * *
Job Characteristics Inventory                   *    
Fringe benefits available                 *     *
Shift worked           *       * * *

C. Work experience prior to initial survey

Variable 66 67 68 69 70 71 73 75 76 78 80 81
Occupation and industry of job held during last year in high school *                      
Occupation, industry, class of worker, start date, stop date, and reason for leaving first job after leaving school (details vary) *                      

D. Work experience since previous survey

Variable 66 67 68 69 70 71 73 75 76 78 80 81
Occupation, industry, class of worker, hours per week, start date, stop date, and reason for leaving intervening jobs (details vary)   * * * * *     *     *
Interfirm mobility (details vary)   * * * * * * * * * * *

II. Human Capital and Other Socioeconomic Variables

A. Early formative influences

Variable 66 67 68 69 70 71 73 75 76 78 80 81
Nationality *                      
Type of residence at age 14 and age 18 *                      
Person(s) R lived with at age 14 *                      
Occupation of head of household when R was 14 *                      
Highest grade completed by father and mother *                      
Were magazines, newspapers, library cards available in home when R was age 14 *                      
Parental encouragement to continue education past high school         * *     *      

B. Migration

Variable 66 67 68 69 70 71 73 75 76 78 80 81
Years at current residence *                      
Comparison of birthplace to current residence *                      
Geographic mobility * * * * * *     *     *

C. Education

Variable 66 67 68 69 70 71 73 75 76 78 80 81
Current enrollment status * * * * * * * * * * * *
Highest grade completed * * * * * * * * * * * *
Reason stopped attending high school * * * * * *            
Is current school public * * * * * *     *     *
High school curriculum * * * * * *     *      
High school subjects enjoyed most and least *                      
High school activities *                      
Index of high school quality *                      
Index of college quality         * *            
College (attended, highest degree received, field of study)             * * * * * *
College tuition (full-time amount) * * * * * *     *      
Financial aid in college (types and amount) * * * * * * * * *      
Reason R left college   * * * * *            
Reason R's college plans have changed   * * * * *            

D. Training outside regular school

Variable 66 67 68 69 70 71 73 75 76 78 80 81
Any training or educational program (did R take, current enrollment status, type, sponsor, duration, hours per week attended) (details vary) * * * * * * * * * * * *
Does R use additional training on current job * * * * * *     *      

E. Health and physical condition

Variable 66 67 68 69 70 71 73 75 76 78 80 81
Does health limit work *   *   * * * * * * * *
Does health limit school activity *   *   * * * *        
Duration of health limitations *   *   * *     *     *
Problematic activities and working conditions           *     *     *
Accidents (on-the-job, how, when)                 *      
Comparison of R’s condition with past           *     *     *
Is R able to go outdoors, use public transportation, or do personal care without help           *     *     *
Does wife's health limit her work; duration of wife's limitations *   *   * *     *     *
Does others' health limit R's work           *     *     *

F. Marital and family characteristics

Variable 66 67 68 69 70 71 73 75 76 78 80 81
Marital status * * * * * * * * * * * *
Marital history                 * * * *
Number of dependents * * * * * * * * * * * *
Parents: Life status, weeks worked, full-time, occupation * * * *                
Number and ages of children in household * * * * * * * * * * * *
Number of children R expects to have, and number he considers ideal                       *
Family members: Relationship to R, age, sex, education, employment status * * * * * * * * * * * *
Unrelated household members: Relationship to R, sex, age                   * * *
Household activities (responsibility for, hours per week spent on)                       *

G. Financial characteristics

Variable 66 67 68 69 70 71 73 75 76 78 80 81
Total net family assets *       * *     *     *
Total family income * * * * * * * * * * * *
Income from farm or business * * * * * * * * * * * *
Wage or salary income * * * * * * * * * * * *
Unemployment compensation income * * * * * * * * * * * *
Income from supplemental unemployment benefits                 *     *
Disability income                       *
Rental income                       *
Interest income                       *
Total market value of Food Stamps received                   * * *
Income from AFDC/TANF                       *
Income from public assistance                   * * *
Amount of financial assistance received from others * * * * * *     * * * *
Income from other sources * * * * * * * * * * * *

H. Military service

Variable 66 67 68 69 70 71 73 75 76 78 80 81
Ever served in *     * * *     * * * *
Branch of Armed Forces served in *     *   *     *     *
Months spent in Armed Forces *     *   *     *     *
Military occupation held longest *     *   *     *     *
How entered Armed Forces *     *   *     *     *
Did military service help/hurt career           *     *     *
Rank held in Armed Forces       *   *     *     *
Primary training received (did R complete, duration, type, used on job) *     *   *     *     *
GI (VA) benefits (ever used, type)                 *     *
Draft (classification, reason rejected)   * * * * *            
Disability (discharged for, service-connected, compensation rating)                 *     *

I. Attitudes/perspectives

Variable 66 67 68 69 70 71 73 75 76 78 80 81
How does R feel about job * * * * * *       * * *
What R likes best and least about job * * * * * *       * * *
Facet-Specific Job Satisfaction Index                   *   *
Would R continue to work if had enough money to live on       *   *           *
What is more important: high wages or liking work *                      
Would R like to receive more education or training * * * * * *     *      
Educational goal and expected education *     * * *     *      
What kind of work would R like to be doing at age 30 * * * * * * * * *      
Knowledge of World of Work score *                      
Rotter Internal-External Locus of Control score     *     *     *      
IQ score     *                  
Attitude toward women working           *     *     *
Discrimination (ever experienced, type)           *     *      
Has R progressed, held own, or moved backward           *     *      
Have job pressures increased, decreased, or remained the same                 *      

J. Hypothetical job offer

Variable 66 67 68 69 70 71 73 75 76 78 80 81
Would R accept * * * * * *     * * * *
Kind of work required to accept * * * * * *     * * * *
Hours per week would work * * * * * *     * * * *
Rate of pay required to accept * * * * * *     * * * *

III. Environmental Variables

A. Residence

Variable 66 67 68 69 70 71 73 75 76 78 80 81
South or non-South * * * * * * * * * * * *
Does R live in metropolitan statistical area * * * * * * * * * * * *
Mover or nonmover status * * * * * * * * * * * *
Comparison of State, county, metropolitan statistical area * * * * * * * * * * * *

B. Characteristics

Variable 66 67 68 69 70 71 73 75 76 78 80 81
Size of local area labor force * * * * * * * * * * * *
Local area unemployment rate * * * * * * * * * * * *
Accredited college in local area * * *                  

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