Tenure
Employment
Tenure
Created Variables
CV_WKSWK_JOB_DLI.xx. Calculates tenure in weeks with an employer for the period between the job's start date and the job's stop date, or the current interview date for on-going employee jobs. Gaps within jobs are not counted toward total tenure.
CV_WKSWK_JOB_YR.xx. Lists the number of weeks the respondent worked at each employee job in each calendar year. Gaps within jobs are not counted toward total tenure.
CV_JOB<13_WKS.xx. Indicates jobs with a tenure of 13 weeks or less as of the interview date. If a respondent works for the same employer during more than one interview, the cumulative tenure variable will report the respondent's total tenure with that employer from the job's start date through the current interview date. For example, the total tenure reported in the round 2 interview will be added to the tenure previously calculated for the same employer as of the round 1 interview date.
Respondents provide the start and stop dates of each employee and freelance job, as well as military service. The survey also collects information about periods of a week or more when the respondent was not working at a given job (see Gaps in Employment).
Important Information for Using Tenure Data
- The raw interview questions asking about dates of employment are not released in the data set. Instead, the answers to these questions become part of the employer roster. More information about this process can be found in Employment: An Introduction.
- If a respondent reported an employer in a later round that he or she also reported in a previous round, that employer will retain the original ID code to permit linking across rounds. In this type of situation (where a respondent quit a job and then returned to it), the start date information contained in the second round's employer roster reflects the new start date reported in the current round.
Comparison to Other NLS Surveys: Information on tenure is presented in a set of created variables for the NLSY79. As with the NLSY97, if the employer was reported in the previous survey, the total weeks from each interview are added together to create a total tenure variable. For the Mature and Young Women, users may be able to create tenure variables for the later survey years by combining start and stop dates and data on within-job gaps. Consult the appropriate cohort's User's Guide for details.
Survey Instruments: These questions are found in the employment section of the Youth Questionnaire. Question names begin with YEMP- and roster items begin with YEMP_.
| Related User's Guide Sections | Gaps in Employment Hours Spent at Work |
| Main Area of Interest | Employment: Tenure w/ Employer |
| Supplemental Areas of Interest | Employment: Time Spent at Work |