The NLSY79 collects detailed information about individual employers for whom a respondent has worked. These data are gathered within several sections of the main questionnaire and in job-specific instruments called Employer Supplements, which were administered in some years as separate instruments. Information includes:

1. the types of employers about whom information is collected during each survey round
2. the variable series which provides a cumulative count of employers for whom a respondent has worked

Employer Data Collection

Detailed information is collected during each interview on new and previously reported employers for whom a respondent has worked since the date of the last interview. The list of employers is built in the OnJobs module (see description below, and Appendix 9: Linking Employers from OnJobs Section to Employer Supplement and Through Survey Years, for more details and hypothetical examples) by identifying three sets of employers: 

1. Employers with whom the respondent was actively employed at the date of last interview (or "dli" employers)
2. Previously reported employers with whom the respondent was NOT actively employed at the date of last interview, but for whom the respondent has worked SINCE the last interview.
3. new employers for whom the respondent reported working since the date of the last interview

Before 1994, the current or most recent employer, called the "CPS employer," is differentiated in the data set from other employers for whom the respondent reported working since the last interview by title (that is, start date for CPS job, start date for Job #2, start date for Job #3, and so forth). Beginning in 1994, CPS job information is simply labeled as "job #1" because job specific information is all collected in the Employer Supplement. Every employer for whom a respondent worked since the last interview, including the CPS employer, is identified within the data set by a yearly job number, for example, Job #1, Job #5, with the number reflecting the order (most recent to least recent) the respondent reported working for each. The detailed job characteristic information at the end of this section is collected for each CPS job, regardless of whether it is a full- or part-time job. 

Because the NLSY79 employer data collection relies on the successive administration of several survey instruments that not only gather information on multiple employers but also connect that information to data provided during earlier interviews, a brief overview of the mechanics of employer-related module questionnaire modules follows.

Administration of the Survey Instruments Collecting Job Information: Two different sections of the NLSY79 questionnaire and until 1993 separate employer-specific survey instruments called the Employer Supplements (ES) collect employer-related information. Using these instruments, interviewers gather details about all employers for whom a respondent has worked since the date of last interview. An interviewing aid called the Information Sheet is also provided to each interviewer; this document lists the names of employers reported during previous surveys and is used by the interviewer during the current interview to update each respondent's work record with a previous employer, if work with an employer took place since the date of last interview. 

A quick overview of the instruments and questionnaire sections used to collect NLSY79 jobs data and the function each performs is provided in Table 1. The sequence in which employer-related questionnaire sections are administered has implications for the universe of respondents for whom job-related information is available. During all surveys to date, the "Military" section of the questionnaire has been administered prior to the two employer-related sections, the "CPS" and "On Jobs," and the Employer Supplements. After completing the "Military" section of the questionnaire, those respondents serving in the active forces were skipped past most or all of the CPS section to the "On Jobs" section in order to determine if they had been engaged in any civilian work since the last interview. Those not currently in the active forces have been routed directly to the CPS section, where detailed information on their current or most recent job and other labor market activities is collected.

The universe for the CPS variables, thus, is civilian respondents--those not serving in the active armed forces--who were working for pay either during the survey week or since the date of last interview. The universe for the "On Jobs" module includes all respondents, both civilian and military. Users should note that although the sequencing of the "Military," "CPS," and "On Jobs" sections was modified in the 1993 CAPI-administered interviews, no universe changes occurred.

During each interview, a separate Employer Supplement is completed for each employer for whom the respondent worked since the last interview. Questions in each Employer Supplement link information about these earlier jobs with the employer information collected in the CPS section of the main questionnaire, if appropriate, and with the employer (job) number of this employer, if any, assigned at the previous interview. Users should note that, after the implementation of CAPI, the Employer Supplement physically became a part of the questionnaire. 

Capturing information on jobs outside of the traditional forms of employment: In rounds previous to 2002, it the language in the existing questionnaires presented challenges in capturing information about jobs outside of the traditional forms of employment. One key type of job is self-employment; respondents who own their own businesses sometimes had difficulty with questions phrased under the assumption that the respondent worked for someone else. The second type of job is nontraditional employment, wherein the respondent works for a temporary agency, under some type of contract, or in an on-call arrangement. Respondents in this kind of employment situation tend to have a large number of jobs and gaps in employment, and the survey had trouble capturing this information efficiently in past rounds.

On Jobs: Beginning with the 2002 survey, the On Jobs module serves two functions. First, as in previous survey rounds, the respondent reports all of his or her employers since the last interview, so that they can be included on the roster. Second, a new set of questions is asked about each employer, to ascertain whether the job has characteristics of self-employment, regular employment, or nontraditional employment.

On the basis of answers to the job classification or job type questions, the respondent is classified as self-employed if he or she owned at least 50 percent of the business, was the chief executive officer or principal managing partner of the business, or was supposed to file a form SE for Federal income taxes. Respondents also are classified as self-employed if they identify themselves as independent contractors, independent consultants, or freelancers. A job is classified as nontraditional employment if the respondent is paid by a temporary help agency, is an on-call worker (that is, is called to work only when needed, not in addition to regular hours), or works for a company that provides services to other companies under contract. To confirm that the respondent is a regular employee, a final set of questions asks whether the respondent's supervisor is employed by the same company and whether the company provides the respondent's tools or equipment. If the job is still unidentified at this point, the respondent is simply asked to describe his or her unique situation and answer questions in the regular Employer Supplement to the survey. Experience with 2002 and 2004 survey rounds indicates that this situation is extremely rare.

2002 was the first survey years in which job type questions were included in the questionnaire. Many jobs reported in previous survey rounds were classified by survey staff in advance of the 2002 fielding. For example, if, in the previous round, a respondent had reported working at a job with regular hours, a supervisor, and so on, staff assumed that the job was regular or traditional employment. Staff used the vast array of data available to make such preclassifications. The job type questions in the On Jobs module were not asked of most respondents who had been preclassified in traditional jobs. A random subset of these respondents was routed through the questions to verify that the preclassification criteria were accurate, while the majority of respondents were asked to verify that the preclassification fit the employment situation.  In addition, all self-employed and nontraditional jobs also were verified during the interview. In 2004 and after, the full set of job classification questions was asked only about new jobs. For employers continuing from the previous interview, respondents are asked to verify the job classification or update it as necessary (for example, if the respondent ceased being a regular employee and entered into a contractual arrangement).

Employer Supplements: After a roster of jobs  the respondent has worked in since the last interview has been compiled, along with job classifications for each, the survey moves into the Employer Supplements, which contains questions relevant to three types of employment situations: 

1. Regular or traditional job: The only significant change in the regular employment questions relates to teachers. Because teachers often are paid for only a set number of months per year, they sometimes found it difficult to answer the pay rate questions. To address this issue, a new set of pay rate questions was added in 2002 for all jobs identified as teaching positions, including both K-12 schools and colleges. Teachers are asked whether they are paid by the course or are salaried. If they are paid by the course, the survey records the amount paid per course and the number of courses taught in the calendar year. If, instead, the respondent receives a regular salary, they are asked about the number of paychecks received per year and the amount received per check. The survey also records payments for additional assignments, such as a coaching stipend or summer school pay. This approach allows survey staff to create an accurate rate of pay, regardless of whether the teacher is paid by the course or is on a 9-month, 10-month, or full-year schedule.
2. Self-employment: Although some questions are the same as in the traditional Employer Supplement, many questions were reworded to make them more applicable to self-employment.  New questions, tailored to record critical information about the respondent's business, were also added. The respondent reports whether the business is a farm or ranch, whether the business is based in the respondent's home, whether there are other partners in the business, and how many paid employees the business has. Respondents also state whether they consider the business to be their main or secondary job. As with questions about traditional employment, respondents report periods not working, hours usually worked per week, industry and occupation, whether the business is incorporated, the availability of employee benefits, the availability of and participation in a pension plan, and job satisfaction. A new series of questions was added in 2010 asking for more extensive details about business ownership beyond the basic information previously collection in the section on assets.  For more details, go to the Business Ownership section of this guide.
3. Nontraditional employers: This area encompasses the most substantial changes from previous surveys. Respondents working in nontraditional situations tend to have sporadic employment with frequent job changes. Prior to 2002, reporting of this type of employment caused some confusion. For example, some respondents who were employed through a temporary agency reported each separate job they were assigned to through that agency and each gap between those temporary assignments. This led to lengthy and difficult interviews. The new On Jobs and Employer Supplement sections more clearly specify that the respondent should consider the temporary or contracting agency as his or her employer, rather than reporting each assignment separately. The new sections also guide respondents in reporting these types of jobs correctly. 

Some questions in the series on nontraditional employers focus on the temporary or contracting agency. Information recorded about the agency (rather than each assignment) includes hours usually worked, the availability of employee benefits, the availability of and participation in a pension plan, union status, and job satisfaction.

Respondents then report on their assignment history, including the number of assignments since the last interview or the start of the the association with the agency, the amount earned, whether they are currently on an assignment, and, if so, how long that assignment is expected to last. If the respondent reports five or more periods not working during his or her tenure with the temporary agency, a series of questions is asked about the number of weeks without an assignment and whether any of those weeks were spent working for another employer. For both the longest spell not working and the most recent spell, respondents then report the dates of the spell, the reason why they were not working, whether they were looking for work or were on layoff, and, if they were not looking for work, the reason why they were not looking. Respondents with fewer than five gaps in tenure with an employer report this information for each spell.

Finally, respondents answer a set of questions about their most recent assignment through the temporary or contracting agency. These questions generally mirror the questions asked about traditional employers. With reference to the most recent assignment, respondents report the industry and occupation of the job, job sector, whether the business was incorporated, the rate of pay, and the shift worked.

Pay close attention to question paths followed for each job. Although the set of Employer Supplement questions for each type of job is described separately in the previous paragraphs, the actual survey instrument does not contain three separate and discrete sets of questions. In many cases, the same question is asked regardless of the type of job. For example, respondents report on the availability of employee benefits for all three types of job. The questions on benefits appear only once in the survey instrument, but will appear in the question path for all three types of employment.

NLSY79 Employer Types

This section discusses the various types of employers about which information is collected during each survey. Incorporated within the discussion is specific information on:

1. How the CPS employer is designated
2. How information on the CPS job--collected during many survey years within two separate survey instruments--can be linked
3. How a specific employer for whom a respondent has worked since the last interview can be matched to the same employer reported during a previous interview

Current or Most Recent (CPS) Employer: The NLSY79 replicates questions from the Current Population Survey, which specify the employer(s) with whom a respondent is associated at the time of the survey. A "CPS employer," or current/most recent employer, is designated for each civilian NLSY79 respondent who reported working for pay at some point since the last interview.

The methods employed to identify an employer as the CPS employer vary by interview mode. During the 1979-92 paper-and-pencil interviews, the CPS job was identified by NORC interviewers from the respondent's answer to the following open-ended question:

"For whom did you work last (week)?  IF MORE THAN ONE EMPLOYER, PROBE:  for whom did you work the most hours during the last week (you worked)?"

The actual name of the respondent's employer [for example, the Aspen Ski Company, Oliver's Saloon] is manually recorded in the questionnaire and entered on the cover page of an Employer Supplement. Because not all respondents were at work during the survey week and some were at work for more than one employer, detailed instructions on how to identify the CPS employer are provided to NORC interviewers within the round-specific Question by Question Specifications manuals. A summary of instructions from the 1996 interviewers' manual appears in Table 2.

Information on the CPS job has been collected during the 1980-93 survey years within the CPS section of the main questionnaire and within a single Employer Supplement for 1980-1998. Comparable information was gathered during 1979 in the "CPS" and "On Jobs" sections of the main questionnaire. A variable named, 'Is There a CPS Employer?' R41819. in 1993 for example, specifies whether there is a CPS employer for each respondent. The various types of job characteristic information collected about each CPS job/employer are discussed below. 

Beginning with the 1993 CAPI-administered interviews, the CPS job is identified by internal CAPI procedures which factor in, for civilian respondents, stop date information specific to each recorded job. Additional information on CAPI CPS-designation procedures, such as how the CAPI program handles multiple employers with the same stop date, can be found in Appendix 13: Intro to CAPI Questionnaires and Codebooks. 

Employers since the Last Interview--Jobs #1-#5: The "On Jobs" section of the questionnaire and the job-specific Employer Supplements, both administered during most survey years immediately after the CPS section, gather information about each employer for whom a respondent worked since the date of last interview.  A separate Employer Supplement (ES) is completed for each since-last-interview employer. Although information is collected about all employers for whom a respondent worked since the last interview, data on only the first five jobs or employers are released on the NLSY79 main data set. In each survey, the number of respondents who report more than five jobs is less than one percent of those interviewed.

In 1979, the CPS job is always Job #1. In 1980-1992, interviewers were instructed to collect information on the jobs a respondent held in reverse chronological order, with the current or most recent job first, followed by the next most recent, and so forth. This means that for most--although not all--respondents, Job #1 will be the CPS job, Job #2 could be the job held concurrently with the CPS job or immediately preceding it, and so forth. The job number to which the content of the variable refers e.g. is appended to each variable title. The mechanics used to designate the CPS job in CAPI interviews starting in 1993 results in all CPS jobs being Job #1. Before 1994, the collection of information on the CPS job within the CPS section of the main questionnaire and within a separate Employer Supplement means that researchers may find it necessary to link information collected within the two instruments or sections. The variable series that enables these data to be linked is described briefly below.  Users should note that while the data set contains only information on the first five jobs, all created variables, such as time worked during the year, are based on information on all jobs reported by the respondent.

Linking Job #1 - Job #5 to the CPS Job: During administration of each Employer Supplement, an interviewer check item determines whether the employer about whom information is being collected, for example, Job #1, is the CPS employer recorded in the CPS section of the main questionnaire. Interviewer responses to this item are found in the variable series 'Int Check - Is Job #X Same as Current Job?' Available for each survey year, these variables can be used to link information about the CPS job collected in an ES to that collected about the CPS job in the main questionnaire for survey years 1980-92.

Employers at or Prior to Date of Last Interview: In order to construct a continuous work record with each employer, information collected during the current interview is connected to data gathered about the same employer during earlier interviews. Information is updated on two sets of employers: (1) those employers for whom a respondent was actually working at the time of the last interview; and (2) those employers for whom a respondent had previously worked but for whom he or she was not working at the last interview date. Note: Information on these previous-to-last-interview employers is collected only if the respondent reports working again for that employer.

A separate interviewing aid called the Information Sheet provides NORC interviewers with a listing of the names and respective job numbers of each of these previous employers. Each set of employers is listed under a different Information Sheet item, for example, Item 05, Item 06, and so forth. Users should note that these Information Sheet item numbers are not consistently numbered across years, for example, the "at date of last interview" employers appear as Item 12 in 1980 but as Item 05 in 1991, while the "previous to date of last interview" employers appear as Item 13 in 1980 but as Item 06 in 1991. These Information Sheet item numbers are referenced within the Employer Supplement question verbatim responses and will be found in the title of each such variable, as illustrated below. Questions at the beginning of each Employer Supplement route the interviewer to the name and job number of each such employer listed on the Information Sheet in order to connect information collected during the current survey with information on that same employer gathered during an earlier interview. Employers can be linked across rounds using the PREV_EMP# variables. See Appendix 9 for more information.

Jobs Ever Reported as of Interview Date: The variable series 'Number of Jobs Ever Reported,' created for each survey year, provides a cumulative measure of the number of different employers that a respondent has reported up to the point of interview. Any employer identified as different from employers at the date of last interview and in the period before the date of last interview is counted as a different or new employer. This set of variables is created by simply counting each such employer in a current survey year and adding that sum to the total from the previous interview year in order to provide a cumulative figure through all survey years. 

Users should be aware that a small degree of double-counting of employers may exist in these variables. It is only possible to track a given employer between contiguous interview years in which information was collected on the specific employer. It is therefore conceivable that a respondent who works for a particular employer during one year, leaves that employer for the next year or more and then subsequently returns to that same employer would appear to be working for a new employer during the second tenure because the previous tenure with that employer would have slipped out of scope for tracking purposes.

Types of Job/Employer Characteristics Information

Descriptive information is collected about each job or employer and about the position a respondent occupies with that employer. The level of detail available for a given job varies by (1) whether that job was designated as the current or most recent job and (2) the number of hours per week or number of weeks worked. Complete job characteristic information is available for those jobs specified as the CPS job, as well as for those jobs at which a respondent reported working more than ten hours a week and for more than nine weeks since the date of last interview. This section briefly summarizes the differences in the kinds of data collected for the CPS versus non-CPS jobs. It then reviews the various types of job characteristic information which are available and refers users to other sections of the guide which discuss each characteristic more fully.

Be careful to distinguish these sets of job characteristic variables from the separate and distinct 1979 and 1982 data collections, which provide information on qualitative aspects of a respondent's current job such as degree of autonomy, variety, opportunity to deal with people, and job significance. This series can be distinguished from the variables discussed below by the phrase JOB CHARACTERISTICS ITEMS, which has been appended to each of the 22 1979 and 1982 variable titles. (See the Job Characteristics Index section.)

• CPS Job: All of the job characteristic information described below--including that on firm size and job satisfaction--is available for the job designated as the "CPS job." These data are available for any CPS job regardless of whether the job is a full-time, part-time, or temporary job. During the 1979-1993 interviews, all job characteristic information about the CPS job except that pertaining to usual earnings was collected within the CPS section of the main questionnaire. Beginning with the 1994 CAPI interviews, all CPS job-related information is gathered in the Employer Supplement. Wage information across survey years continues to be collected within the job-specific Employer Supplements.
• Non-CPS Jobs: Some detailed characteristic information is only available for non-CPS jobs meeting certain time and tenure requirements. Detailed questions are asked about jobs at which the respondent has worked for at least nine weeks since the last interview and at which the respondent generally worked at least 20 (through 1986) or 10 (since 1987) hours per week.

Brief summaries of select sets of job characteristic data appear below. References are provided to other sections of this guide that discuss these variables in more detail. Several other sets of job characteristic variables, such as union membership, coverage by a collective bargaining agreement, and whether a respondent's association with a given employer was the result of a Federally sponsored employment and training program, are also covered in other sections of this guide (such as Training).

• Class of Worker: For each CPS job (whether full- or part-time) and to each non-CPS job for which a respondent worked for more than ten/twenty hours a week and more than nine weeks since the last interview, a code is assigned indicating whether the respondent:

  1. works for a private company or for an individual for wages, salary, or commission
  2. is a government employee
  3. is self-employed in his or her own business, professional practice, or farm
  4. is working without pay in a family business or farm

  Both the CPS and non-CPS series further identify government workers as Federal, State, or Local-level employees and distinguish the businesses of self-employed respondents as incorporated or unincorporated. [See the Class of Worker section and refer to the "User Notes" in that section detailing the changes in coding for "Class of Worker" variables.]

• Firm Size: The number of employees both at the place where the respondent is currently employed and at other locations is available for the CPS job.  These data were collected during all survey years except 1981-85. Beginning in 1994, these variables are available for all employers.
• Fringe Benefits: During the 1979-93 interviews, information on the availability of various types of benefits provided by the CPS employer was collected for those respondents working 20 hours or more a week. Beginning with the 1993 survey, those respondents working 20 hours a week or less were also asked if their employer made any benefits available, and if so, which ones. Beginning in 1994, benefit information was collected for both the CPS and non-CPS jobs [See the Fringe Benefits section].
• Hours: Information on the number of hours worked at the CPS job, at each non-CPS job, and at all jobs combined is available for each survey year. A set of created summary variables provides a count of the total number of hours worked since the date of the last interview and during the past calendar year. Details on the type of shift and the actual clock hours worked have been collected during select survey years for the CPS job. Beginning in 1994, these data were collected for all employers (CPS and non-CPS).  [See the Time & Tenure with Employers and Labor Force Status sections.]
• Industry: A code from the Census industrial classification system is assigned to each CPS job (whether full- or part-time). A Census industry classification code is assigned to each non-CPS employer for whom a respondent worked for more than ten/twenty hours a week and more than nine weeks since the last interview. [See the Industries section.]
• Job Satisfaction: Respondents employed since the last interview are asked to rate, on a four point scale, how they feel about their current or most recent (CPS) job. Beginning in 1994, this information was collected for all CPS and non-CPS jobs. [See the Job Satisfaction section.]
• Occupation: A code from the Census occupational classification system is assigned to each CPS job (whether full- or part-time). A Census occupational code was assigned to each non-CPS employer for whom a respondent worked for more than ten/twenty hours a week and more than nine weeks since the last interview.  [See the Occupations section.]
• Wages: Rate of pay information, including the time unit of pay, is collected for each CPS and non-CPS job (whether full- or part-time but subject to minimum hours and weeks restrictions before 1988). A series of hourly rate of pay variables are created for each employer for whom a respondent worked since the date of last interview. [See the Wages section of this guide.]
• Job Tasks: In the 2016 survey year, a series of questions was added about job tasks encountered during the workday (CPS job only). Respondents were first asked how much of their workday involved 1) short, repetitive tasks; 2) physical tasks; and 3) managing or supervising others. In addition, they answered a question about the length of the longest document they typically read as part of their job. Respondents also estimated how often their job included problem solving, using advanced math, and personal contact with customers, suppliers, patients, students, and others.
• Job Stress: In the 2018 survey year, respondents answered a series of questions about job stress. First, they were asked if they had serious on-going stress at their job, such as extreme work demands, major changes, uncertainties, or not getting along with colleagues or boss. They then estimated the positive or negative effects their job had on their mental/emotional and physical health. They also were asked if it was possible for them to change the number of hours worked, have more flexibility with their hours, or move to a less stressful job position. In addition, they indicated whether their employer provided any special help should an employee's health limit his/her ability to work.
• Effects of COVID-19 on Jobs: In the 2020 survey year, respondents were asked about the ways their jobs had been affected by the COVID-19 outbreak, including questions about their work hours and earnings increasing or decreasing and if they were required to work remotely. To find COVID-related questions, use "CORONAVIRUS" as a the word-in-title search in NLS Investigator.

Some variation exists across survey rounds in the level of job characteristic detail available. "Job" should not be interpreted as occupation or employment duties but rather as an employer. If a respondent changes work activities for a single employer, this is counted as only one "job."

Comparison to Other NLS Cohorts: In each survey, extensive information on jobs and employers has been collected from NLSY79 young adults. Beginning in 2000, this series was greatly streamlined with the greatest detail asked only of the current or most recent primary employer. For employee jobs, respondents in the other cohorts have reported the following information in at least some survey years: start and stop dates, labor force characteristics, class of worker, collective bargaining status, and firm size. The Young Men have provided similar information about military service, including pay and occupational data; Older Men reported the dates of any military service. With the exception of the NLSY97, no information on freelance jobs has been collected from the other NLS cohorts, although job information for self-employed respondents has been gathered as a part of the regular employment section. For more precise details about the content of each survey, consult the appropriate cohort's User's Guide using the tabs above for more information.