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Innovations in Incentives in 

the NLS

Donna S. Rothstein

National Longitudinal Surveys

Survey Methods Symposium

July 16, 2019
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National Longitudinal Surveys (NLS)

 NLS surveys gather detailed information about 

labor market activity and other experiences in 

the lives of seven cohorts of men and women

 Four original cohorts

Surveys began in the mid 1960s

Have since been discontinued

 Three active cohorts

Surveys began in 1979, 1986, and 1997

Continue to be interviewed
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National Longitudinal Surveys (NLS)

 NLSY79: born 1957-64

Began in 1979 (ages 14-22) and interviewed for 

the 27th time in 2016-17 (ages 51-59)

 Children of the NLSY79 

Began in 1986, children of the women in the 

NLSY79

 NLSY97: born 1980-84 

Began in 1997 (ages 12-17), and interviewed for 

the 18th time in 2017-18 (ages 32-37)
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Incentives in the NLS

 The NLS are longitudinal surveys; same 

respondents interviewed over time

 Respondents are offered financial incentives 

to help secure their cooperation

 Incentives are one lever for maintaining NLS 

samples, also important are respondent 

materials, interim contact, interview length, 

interview content
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Incentives in the NLS

 The NLSY79 and NLSY97 have had success in 

keeping response rates high over the years

 For perspective, NLSY79 round 27 response 

rate was 76.4 percent, and round 28 (in field) 

is at a little over 74 percent as of late June

 In this presentation, will focus on incentives in 

the most recent round of the NLSY79 (similar 

in NLSY97)
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Incentives in the NLSY79

 28th round of NLSY79 fielding in fall 2018-late 

summer 2019 (about 49 weeks)

 A number of incentives offered throughout 

the interview period for round 28

 Interviews primary conducted by phone, 

although about 5 percent may be in person
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Summary of Round 28 NLSY79 Incentives

Incentive Type Completed Round 27 Missed Round 27

Base $70 $70

Early Bird $100 $100

Final Push (Standard) $20 $20

Final Push (Enhanced) $40 $40

Missed Rounds $20-$40

In-kind Up to $27 Up to $27

Min $70 $90

Max $127 $167
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Interview Phases of the NLSY79

 Early Bird and Outbound dialing: 

When on duty, interviewer calls respondents to 

schedule/interview cases that come up on screen. 

(more on early bird later)

 Case-managed: 

interviewers assigned particular cases to work 

over time as they see fit
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Base Incentive Fee in Round 28 NLSY79

 Base incentive fee for interview = $70

 Additional incentive payment for respondents 

who were not interviewed in round 27 (and 

prior rounds).

Extra $20 if missed round 27

Additional $10 if also missed round 26

Additional $10 if also missed round 25

– $40 max additional payment
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Early Bird Incentive in Round 28 NLSY79

 Extra $30 over base incentive fee of $70

Respondent contacts us by a certain date and 

keeps appointment (as specified in early bird 

mailing, which also states incentive amount)

Receives early bird incentive once interview is 

completed

Up to $40 additional payment if missed round 27, 

and prior two rounds

In round 27, about 50% of completes during EB
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Final Push Incentive (Standard)

 To encourage cooperation of most difficult 

respondents

 After first 12 weeks of the round, cases that 

have had least 6 contact attempts or at least 

one refusal eligible for a final push incentive of 

up to $20

 Beginning 6 months after start of fielding, all 

respondents eligible for incentive
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Final Push Incentive (Enhanced)

 To support sample representativeness

 Evaluate subgroup-specific response rates 

after completion of first two phases of 

interviewing (early bird and outbound calling) 

when full sample is at about 60% completion

Subgroups defined on measures from round 27 -

educational attainment, weeks worked, AFQT 

score, health limits work (with 

gender/race/ethnicity)
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Final Push Incentive (Enhanced)

 Any subgroup having a response rate 8% or 

more below the sample average would be 

offered an enhanced final push amount of $40 

instead of $20

 Offered only during the case managed stage of 

fielding
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In-kind Incentives

 Small gift to help facilitate an in-person 

interview (approved by field manager)

Tool for up to 15% of cases attempted in person, 

spend no more than $10 on any respondent

 Mail a small in-kind gift to up to 1,200 

respondents

Spend no more than $12 on any respondent, 

average $10 (facilitate phone interviews)
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In-kind Incentives

 Up to 1,000 pens or other small items (valued 

at $5 or less), useful to be handed at the door 

or left on door hangers once in last third of 

fielding
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Electronic Payment of Incentives

 NLSY79

Round 27: offered electronic payments via PayPal to 

telephone-interview respondents

Round 28: expanded to offer via On-line Mobile 

Banking(OMB)/Zelle (e.g., Google Wallet, ApplePay, Chase 

QuickPay)

 NLSY97

Round 17: offered electronic payments via PayPal to 

telephone-interview respondents

Round 18: offered $5 incentive to receive payment 

electronically via PayPal

– also offered Chase QuickPay briefly during round 18, but didn’t 

launch full OMB/Zelle payments until Round 28
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Electronic Payment of Incentives

 Respondent gives interviewer e-mail address 

or mobile device number for his or her 

PayPal/On-line Mobile Banking account

 Convenient tool for interviewers

 Respondents like getting payment quickly

 Electronic payments are part of the NLS OMB 

clearance package
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Electronic Payment of Incentives

 NLSY79 Round 27 

15% of payments made electronically

PayPal was the only option for electronic payment

 NLSY79 Round 28 (as of mid-June 2019)

33.4% of payments made electronically

– 17.4% through PayPal 

– 16% through other On-line Mobile Banking
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Electronic Payment of Incentives

 NLSY97 Round 17

4% of payments made electronically

PayPal was the only option for electronic payment

Only offered to phone cases with 17% of phone 

cases taking electronic payment

 NLSY97 Round 18

39.1% of payments made electronically

– 33.2% through PayPal 

– 5.9% through Chase QuickPay (offered only briefly)
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Benefits of Electronic Payment of Incentives

 Cost to process electronic payment lower than 

for check (envelope/postage/any qc/mailed)

$1.00-$1.50 vs. $13-$14

 Easier to track/resolve issues with electronic 

payments vs. check in which have to issue new 

check/mail via FedEx/stop payment on old 

check

 Respondents get electronic payments faster
Contact Information

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Donna S. Rothstein

Research Economist

National Longitudinal Surveys

www.bls.gov/nls

202-691-7529

rothstein.donna@bls.gov