DOI: 10.3886/icpsr07610.v1
title: National Longitudinal Surveys of Labor Market Experience, 1966-1992
title: Version 1

description: The primary purpose of the five sets of surveys that comprise the National Longitudinal Surveys is the collection of data on the labor force experience of specific age-sex groups of Americans: Older Men aged 45-59 in 1966, Mature Women aged 30-44 in 1967, Young Men aged 14-24 in 1966, Young Women aged 14-24 in 1968, and Youth aged 14-21 in 1979. Each of the 1960s cohorts has been surveyed 12 or more times over the years, and the Youth cohort has been surveyed yearly since 1979. The major topics covered within the surveys of each cohort include: (1) labor market experience variables (including labor force participation, unemployment, job history, and job mobility), (2) socioeconomic and human capital variables (including education, training, health and physical condition, marital and family characteristics, financial characteristics, and job attitudes), and (3) selected environmental variables (size of labor force and unemployment rates for local area). While the surveys of each cohort have collected data on the above core sets of variables, cohort-specific data have been gathered over the years focusing on the particular stage of labor market attachment that each group was experiencing. Thus, the surveys of young people have collected data on their educational goals, high school and college experiences, high school characteristics, and occupational aspirations and expectations, as well as military service. The surveys of women have gathered data on topics such as fertility, child care, responsibility for household tasks, care of parents, volunteer work, attitudes towards women working, and job discrimination. As the older-aged cohorts of men and women approached labor force withdrawal, surveys for these groups collected information on their retirement plans, health status, and pension benefits. Respondents within the 1979 Youth cohort have been the focus of a number of special surveys, including the collection of data on: (1) last secondary school attended, including transcript information and selected aptitude/intelligence scores, (2) test scores from the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB), (3) illegal activities participation including police contacts, and (4) alcohol use and substance abuse. Finally, the 1986 and 1988 surveys of the Youth cohort included the administration of a battery of cognitive-socioemotional assessments to the approximately 7,000 children of the female 1979 Youth respondents. Data for the five cohorts are provided within main file releases, i.e., Mature Women 1967-1989, Young Women 1968-1991, Young Men 1966-1981, Older Men 1966-1990, and NLSY (Youth) 1979-1992. In addition, the following specially constructed data files are available: (1) a file that specifies the relationships among members of the four original cohorts living in the same household at the time of the initial surveys, i.e., husband-wife, mother-daughter, brother-sister, etc., (2) an NLSY workhistory tape detailing the week-by-week labor force attachment of the youth respondents from 1978 through the most current survey date, (3) an NLSY child-mother file linking the child assessment data to other information on children and mothers within the NLSY, (4) a supplemental NLSY file of constructed and edited fertility variables, (5) a women's support network tape detailing the geographic proximity of the relatives, friends, and acquaintances of 6,308 female NLSY respondents who were interviewed during the 1983-1985 surveys, and (6) two 1989 Mature Women's pension file detailing information on pensions and other employer-provided benefits.
description: Each of the first four cohorts is represented by a national probability sample of approximately 5,000 individuals--1,500 Blacks and 3,500 Whites. These four "original cohorts" have been interviewed at least once in every two-year period since the 1960s. Retention rates have remained high, with around two-thirds of the active samples continuing to be interviewed. Three independent probability samples, designed to be representative of the entire population of youth born in the United States between 1957 and 1964, were drawn for the NLSY: (1) a cross-sectional sample of 6,111 respondents designed to be representative of the noninstitutionalized civilian segment of American young people aged 14-21 as of January 1, 1979, (2) a supplemental sample of 5,295 respondents designed to oversample civilian Hispanic, Black, and economically disadvantaged non-Hispanic, non-Black youth, and (3) a military sample of 1,280 respondents designed to represent the population aged 17-21 as of January 1, 1979, and serving in the military as of September 30, 1978. The retention rate for the NLSY, interviewed yearly since 1979, remains at over 90 percent. The military sample was interviewed from 1979-1984.
description: Datasets: DS0: Study-Level Files DS1: Mature Men, 1966-1990 DS2: Mature Women, 1967-1986 (Main File) DS3: Young Men, 1966-1981 DS4: Young Women, 1968-1982 (Main File) DS5: Youth, 1979-1992 (Common Demographic Information) DS6: Youth, 1979-1992 (Created Key Variables) DS7: Youth, 1979-1992 (Family Background) DS8: Youth, 1979-1992 (Marital History) DS9: Youth, 1979-1992 (Current Labor Force Status) DS10: Youth, 1979-1992 (Jobs) DS11: Youth, 1979-1992 (Job Information--Employer Supplement) DS12: Youth, 1979-1992 (Periods Not Working--Employer Supplement) DS13: Youth, 1979-1992 (Information Sheet, 1980-1989) DS14: Youth, 1979-1992 (Regular Schooling) DS15: Youth, 1979-1992 (Income and Assets, 1979-1990) DS16: Youth, 1979-1992 (Assets, 1985-1989) DS17: Youth, 1979-1992 (Household Record) DS18: Youth, 1979-1992 (Periods When Respondent Was Not Working or in the Military) DS19: Youth, 1979-1992 (Degrees and Certification, 1979-1984 and 1988- 1989) DS20: Youth, 1979-1992 (Birth Record and Fertility, 1982-1984) DS21: Youth, 1979-1992 (Birth Record and Fertility, 1985) DS22: Youth, 1979-1992 (Birth Record and Fertility, 1986) DS23: Youth, 1979-1992 (Birth Record and Fertility, 1987) DS24: Youth, 1979-1992 (Children Record Form for Biological Children) DS25: Youth, 1979-1992 (Children Record Form for Non-Biological Children) DS26: Youth, 1979-1992 (Fertility, 1979-1981) DS27: Youth, 1979-1992 (Miscellaneous Non-Longitudinal Items, 1979) DS28: Youth, 1979-1992 (Miscellaneous Non-Longitudinal Items, 1980) DS29: Young Women, 1968-1982 (Attachment 2 File) DS30: Young Women, 1968-1982 (Attachment 3 File) DS31: Young Women, 1968-1982 (KWIC Index) DS32: Young Women, 1968-1982 (Numeric Index) DS33: Young Women, 1983-1991 (Main File) DS34: Young Women, 1983-1991 (Attachment File) DS35: Young Women, 1983-1991 (KWIC Index) DS36: Young Women, 1983-1991 (Numeric Index) DS37: Mature Men, 1966-1990 (Attachment 3) DS38: Youth, 1979-1992 (Miscellaneous Non-Longitudinal Items, 1981) DS39: Youth, 1979-1992 (Miscellaneous Non-Longitudinal Items, 1982) DS40: Youth, 1979-1992 (Miscellaneous Non-Longitudinal Items, 1983) DS41: Youth, 1979-1992 (Miscellaneous Non-Longitudinal Items, 1984) DS42: Youth, 1979-1992 (Miscellaneous Non-Longitudinal Items, 1985) DS43: Youth, 1979-1992 (Miscellaneous Non-Longitudinal Items, 1986) DS44: Youth, 1979-1992 (Miscellaneous Non-Longitudinal Items, 1987) DS46: Youth, 1979-1992 (Government Jobs--Employer Supplement, 1979-1987) DS47: Youth, 1979-1992 (Profiles--ASVAB Vocational Test, 1980) DS48: Youth, 1979-1992 (School Survey) DS49: Youth, 1979-1992 (Transcript Survey) DS50: Youth, 1979-1992 (Military Data, 1980-1989) DS51: Child-Mother, 1979-1990 (Merged File) DS52: Merged Child-Mother Data, 1979-1990 (Numeric Index) DS53: Mature Men, 1966-1990 (Numeric Index) DS54: Mature Men, 1966-1990 (KWIC Index) DS55: Mature Women, 1967-1986 (Numeric Index) DS56: Mature Women, 1967-1986 (KWIC Index) DS57: Young Men, 1966-1981 (Numeric Index) DS58: Young Men, 1966-1981 (KWIC Index) DS59: Original Cohort Relationship: Mature Men, Mature Women DS60: Original Cohort Relationship: Mature Men, Young Women DS61: Original Cohort Relationship: Mature Men, Young Men DS62: Original Cohort Relationship: Mature Women, Young Women DS63: Original Cohort Relationship: Mature Women, Young Men DS64: Original Cohort Relationship: Young Men, Young Women DS65: Original Cohort Relationship Documentation DS67: Women's Support Network, 1983-1985: Round 5 Respondent-Relation Distance DS68: Women's Support Network, 1983-1985: Round 5 Respondent-Relation Distance, Record Layout DS69: Women's Support Network, 1983-1985: Round 6 Respondent-Relation Distance DS70: Women's Support Network, 1983-1985: Round 6 Respondent-Relation Distance, Record Layout DS71: Women's Support Network, 1983-1985: Round 7 Respondent-Relation Distance DS72: Women's Support Network, 1983-1985: Round 7 Respondent-Relation Distance, Record Layout DS73: Women's Support Network, 1983-1985: Respondent Mobility File DS74: Women's Support Network, 1983-1985: Respondent Mobility File, Record Layout DS75: Youth, 1979-1992 (Other Training) DS76: Youth, 1979-1992 (Government Training, 1979-1987) DS77: Youth, 1979-1992 (Child Care, 1982-1989) DS78: Youth, 1979-1992 (Health) DS79: Youth, 1979-1992 (Alcohol Use, 1982-1985 and 1988-1989) DS80: Youth, 1979-1992 (Drug Use, 1984 and 1988) DS81: Youth, 1979-1992 (Illegal Activities and Reported Police Contacts, 1980) DS82: Youth, 1979-1992 (Job Search and Job Findings, 1981-1982 and 1986- 1987) DS83: Youth, 1979-1992 (Last Job Lasting 2 Weeks or More, 1979) DS84: Youth, 1979-1992 (Work Experience Prior to 11/1/78, 1979) DS85: Youth, 1979-1992 (Attitudes of Influential Person Toward Respondent's Decisions, 1979) DS86: Youth, 1979-1992 (Attitudes Toward Hypothetical Job Offers, 1979) DS87: Youth, 1979-1992 (Attitudes Toward Work, Self, Traditional Roles, AIDS, 1979-1984 and 1987-1988) DS88: Youth, 1979-1992 (Interviewer Remarks) DS89: Youth, 1979-1992 (Time Spent Working, Going to School, Training, Etc., 1981) DS90: Youth, 1979-1992 (Supplemental Fertility File) DS91: Youth, 1979-1992 (Numeric Index) DS92: Youth, 1979-1992 (KWIC Index) DS93: Youth, 1979-1992 (Codebook) DS94: Youth, 1979-1992 (Workhistory) DS95: Attachment 3 for Mature Women, 1967-1986 DS96: Mature Women, 1987-1989 (Main File) DS97: Mature Women, 1987-1989 (KWIC Index) DS98: Mature Women, 1987-1989 (Numeric Index) DS99: Attachment 3 for Mature Women, 1987-1989 DS100: Youth, 1979-1992 (Birth Record and Fertility, 1988) DS101: Youth, 1979-1992 (Miscellaneous Non-Longitudinal Items, 1988) DS102: Young Women, Flowchart for Year 1978 DS103: Young Women, Flowchart for Year 1980 DS104: Young Women, Flowchart for Year 1982 DS105: Young Women, Flowchart for Year 1983 DS106: Young Women, Flowchart for Year 1985 DS107: Young Women, Flowchart for Year 1987 DS108: Mature Women, Flowchart for Year 1979 DS109: Mature Women, Flowchart for Year 1981 DS110: Mature Women, Flowchart for Year 1982 DS111: Mature Women, Flowchart for Year 1984 DS112: Mature Women, Flowchart for Year 1986 DS113: Mature Women, Flowchart for Year 1987 DS116: Young Women, Flowchart for Year 1988 DS117: Young Women, Flowchart for Year 1991 DS118: Youth, 1979-1992 (Birth Record and Fertility, 1989) DS119: Youth, 1979-1992 (Miscellaneous Non-Longitudinal Items, 1989) DS120: Youth, 1979-1992 (SAS Data Definition Statements, Common Demographic Information) DS121: Youth, 1979-1992 (SAS Data Definition Statements, Created Key Variables) DS122: Youth, 1979-1992 (SAS Data Definition Statements, Family Background) DS123: Youth, 1979-1992 (SAS Data Definition Statements, Marital History) DS124: Youth, 1979-1992 (SAS Data Definition Statements, Current Labor Force Status) DS125: Youth, 1979-1992 (SAS Data Definition Statements, Jobs) DS126: Youth, 1979-1992 (SAS Data Definition Statements, Job Information--Employer Supplement) DS127: Youth, 1979-1992 (SAS Data Definition Statements, Periods Not Working--Employer Supplement) DS128: Youth, 1979-1992 (SAS Data Definition Statements, Information Sheet, 1980-1989) DS129: Youth, 1979-1992 (SAS Data Definition Statements, Regular Schooling) DS130: Youth, 1979-1992 (SAS Data Definition Statements, Income and Assets, 1979-1990) DS131: Youth, 1979-1992 (SAS Data Definition Statements, Assets, 1985- 1989) DS132: Youth, 1979-1992 (SAS Data Definition Statements, Household Record) DS133: Youth, 1979-1992 (SAS Data Definition Statements, Periods When Respondent Was Not Working or in the Military) DS134: Youth, 1979-1992 (SAS Data Definition Statements, Degrees and Certification, 1979-1984 and 1988-1989) DS135: Youth, 1979-1992 (SAS Data Definition Statements, Birth Record and Fertility, 1982-1984) DS136: Youth, 1979-1992 (SAS Data Definition Statements, Birth Record and Fertility, 1985) DS137: Youth, 1979-1992 (SAS Data Definition Statements, Birth Record and Fertility, 1986) DS138: Youth, 1979-1992 (SAS Data Definition Statements, Birth Record and Fertility, 1987) DS139: Youth, 1979-1992 (SAS Data Definition Statements, Children Record Form for Biological Children) DS140: Youth, 1979-1992 (SAS Data Definition Statements, Children Record Form for Non-Biological Children) DS141: Youth, 1979-1992 (SAS Data Definition Statements, Fertility, 1979- 1981) DS142: Youth, 1979-1992 (SAS Data Definition Statements, Miscellaneous Non-Longitudinal Items, 1979) DS143: Youth, 1979-1992 (SAS Data Definition Statements, Miscellaneous Non-Longitudinal Items, 1980) DS144: Youth, 1979-1992 (SAS Data Definition Statements, Miscellaneous Non-Longitudinal Items, 1981) DS145: Youth, 1979-1992 (SAS Data Definition Statements, Miscellaneous Non-Longitudinal Items, 1982) DS146: Youth, 1979-1992 (SAS Data Definition Statements, Miscellaneous Non-Longitudinal Items, 1983) DS147: Youth, 1979-1992 (SAS Data Definition Statements, Miscellaneous Non-Longitudinal Items, 1984) DS148: Youth, 1979-1992 (SAS Data Definition Statements, Miscellaneous Non-Longitudinal Items, 1985) DS149: Youth, 1979-1992 (SAS Data Definition Statements, Miscellaneous Non-Longitudinal Items, 1986) DS150: Youth, 1979-1992 (SAS Data Definition Statements, Miscellaneous Non-Longitudinal Items, 1987) DS151: Youth, 1979-1992 (SAS Data Definition Statements, Government Jobs--Employer Supplement, 1979-1987) DS152: Youth, 1979-1992 (SAS Data Definition Statements, Profiles, ASVAB Vocational Test, 1980) DS153: Youth, 1979-1992 (SAS Data Definition Statements, School Survey) DS154: Youth, 1979-1992 (SAS Data Definition Statements, Transcript Survey) DS155: Youth, 1979-1992 (SAS Data Definition Statements, Military Data, 1980-1989) DS156: Youth, 1979-1992 (SAS Data Definition Statements, Other Training) DS157: Youth, 1979-1992 (SAS Data Definition Statements, Governmental Training, 1979-1987) DS158: Youth, 1979-1992 (SAS Data Definition Statements, Child Care, 1982-1989) DS159: Youth, 1979-1992 (SAS Data Definition Statements, Health) DS160: Youth, 1979-1992 (SAS Data Definition Statements, Alcohol Use, 1982-1985 and 1988-1989) DS161: Youth, 1979-1992 (SAS Data Definition Statements, Drug Use, 1984 and 1988) DS162: Youth, 1979-1992 (SAS Data Definition Statements, Illegal Activities and Reported Police Contacts, 1980) DS163: Youth, 1979-1992 (SAS Data Definition Statements, Job Search and Job Findings, 1981-1982 and 1986-1987) DS164: Youth, 1979-1992 (SAS Data Definition Statements, Last Job Lasting 2 Weeks or More, 1979) DS165: Youth, 1979-1992 (SAS Data Definition Statements, Work Experience Prior to 11/1/78, 1979) DS166: Youth, 1979-1992 (SAS Data Definition Statements, Attitudes of Influential Person Toward Respondent's Decisions, 1979) DS167: Youth, 1979-1992 (SAS Data Definition Statements, Attitudes Toward Hypothetical Job Offers, 1979) DS168: Youth, 1979-1992 (SAS Data Definition Statements, Attitudes Toward Work, Self, Traditional Roles, AIDS, 1979-1984 and 1987-1988) DS169: Youth, 1979-1992 (SAS Data Definition Statements, Interviewer Remarks) DS170: Youth, 1979-1992 (SAS Data Definition Statements, Time Spent Working, Going to School, Training, Etc., 1981) DS171: Youth, 1979-1992 (SAS Data Definition Statements, Supplemental Fertility File) DS172: Youth, 1979-1992 (SAS Data Definition Statements, Birth Record and Fertility, 1988) DS173: Youth, 1979-1992 (SAS Data Definition Statements, Miscellaneous Non-Longitudinal Items, 1988) DS174: Youth, 1979-1992 (SAS Data Definition Statements, Birth Record and Fertility, 1989) DS175: Youth, 1979-1992 (SAS Data Definition Statements, Miscellaneous Non-Longitudinal Items, 1989) DS176: Youth, 1979-1992 (Birth Record and Fertility, 1990) DS177: Youth, 1979-1992 (Miscellaneous Non-Longitudinal Items, 1990) DS178: Youth, 1979-1992 (SAS Data Definition Statements, Birth Record and Fertility, 1990) DS179: Youth, 1979-1992 (SAS Data Definition Statements, Miscellaneous Non-Longitudinal Items, 1990) DS180: Child Assessment Supplement, 1986 DS181: Child Assessment Supplement, 1988 DS182: Child Assessment Supplement, 1990 DS183: Codebook for All Child Assessment Supplements DS184: Index for All Child Assessment Supplements DS185: Mature Men, 1966-1991 (Flowchart 1978) DS186: Mature Men, 1966-1991 (Flowchart 1980) DS187: Mature Men, 1966-1991 (Flowchart 1981) DS188: Mature Men, 1966-1991 (Flowchart 1983) DS189: Mature Men, 1966-1991 (Flowchart for Widows, 1990) DS190: Mature Men, 1966-1991 (Flowchart 1990) DS191: Youth, 1979-1992 (SAS Data Definition Statements for Birth Record and Fertility, 1991) DS192: Youth, 1979-1992 (SAS Data Definition Statements for Miscellaneous Non-Longitudinal Items, 1991) DS193: Youth, 1979-1992 (Birth Record and Fertility, 1991) DS194: Youth, 1979-1992 (Miscellaneous Non-Longitudinal Items, 1991) DS196: Young Women, 1968-1991 (Appendix 33) DS197: Mature Men, 1966-1990 (Appendix 32) DS198: Mature Women, 1989 Pension (ISR Pension Data File) DS199: Mature Women, 1989 Pension (Crosswalk File of NLS Mature Women) DS200: Youth, 1979-1992 (Birth Records and Fertility, 1992) DS201: Youth, 1979-1992 (Miscellaneous Non-Longitudinal Items, 1992) DS202: Youth, 1979-1992 (SAS Data Definition Statements, Birth Record and Fertility, 1992) DS203: Youth, 1979-1992 (SAS Data Definition Statements, Miscellaneous Non-Longitudinal Items, 1992) DS204: Handbook 1994 DS205: User Guide 1994 DS206: Child Handbook DS207: Child-Mother and Assessment 1986-1990 Guide DS208: Child-Mother Questionnaire, 1979-1988 DS209: Child-Mother Questionnaire, 1990 DS210: Child-Mother Questionnaire, 1992 DS211: Youth Surveys Questionnaire, 1979 DS212: Youth Surveys Questionnaire, 1980 DS213: Youth Surveys Questionnaire, 1981 DS214: Youth Surveys Questionnaire, 1982 DS222: Youth Surveys Questionnaire, 1992 DS9998: Citation
description: Five cohorts are represented in this collection: Older Men aged 45 to 59 years of age in 1966, Mature Women aged 30 to 44 years in 1967, Young Men aged 14 to 24 years in 1966, Young Women aged 14 to 24 years in 1968, and NLSY (Youth--both males and females) aged 14 to 21 years in 1979.
description: (1) Due to the consolidation of files and removal of obsolete errata files, there are no Parts 45, 66, 114, 115, or 117 in this collection. These data occupy over 30 reels of tape when written at 6,250 bpi, and over 120 reels when written at 1,600 bpi. Due to the magnitude of this collection, interested users should initially request the introductory report that describes the file structure and content prior to submitting their orders. Codebooks are electronic although some supplementary materials are available only on microfiche. Numeric and KWIC indexes and various attachments are supplied as electronic files. Users will need to order Numeric and KWIC indexes along with data files to determine column locations for variables. (2) A change has been made to the structure of the 1979-1992 Youth Workhistory data file. The size of the file necessitated splitting the data into two records per case. The first record contains the data for the A, HOURS and DUALJOBS arrays and the second record contains the remainder of the data pertaining to specific job characteristics, gaps in employment, and summary labor force activity variables.