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National Longitudinal Survey of Older and Young Men (NLSM)
NLSY97
NLSY79
NLSCYA
NLSW
NLSM

Asterisk Tables

Choose a sub-cohort to view tables summarizing selected variables from the Older Men and the Young Men surveys. The tables list individual items or groups of related items with asterisks in the year columns indicating the survey years in which the variable(s) are available.

Consult the NLSM Questionnaires in the Other Documentation section for exact question wording in each survey round.

Older Men Variables by Survey Year: Respondents Ages 45 to 59 in 1966

The selected variables for the Older Men asterisk tables are grouped into three main categories:

  1. Labor market experience variables
  2. Human capital and other socioeconomic variables
  3. Environmental variables

Important information: Viewing asterisk tables

  • Click a topic below to expand and collapse the corresponding asterisk table.
  • Scroll right to view additional table columns or click the link at the bottom of the table to open in a new window.

I. Labor market experience variables

Table 1. Older Men: Current labor force and employment status xx variables by year

Variable

 1966 1967 1968 1969 1971 1973 1975 1976 1978 1980 1981 1983 1990 1990 widow 1990 widow report on spouse
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 (time frames vary) * * * * * * * * * * * * *    
Spells of unemployment in past year * *   * *                    
Weeks out of labor force (time frames vary) * * * * * * * * * * * * *    

Table 2. Older Men: Characteristics of current or last job variables by year

Variable

 1966 1967 1968 1969 1971 1973 1975 1976 1978 1980 1981 1983 1990 1990 widow 1990 widow report on spouse
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 satisfaction                           *  
Years, weeks, or hours widow worked between R's last interview and R's death                           *  
Years, weeks, or hours widow worked since R's death                           *  

Table 3. Older Men: Work experience prior to initial survey variables by year

Variable

 1966 1967 1968 1969 1971 1973 1975 1976 1978 1980 1981 1983 1990 1990 widow 1990 widow report on spouse
Occupation, industry, class of worker, hours per week, start date, stop date, and reason for leaving both first job and longest job since leaving school *                            

Table 4. Older Men: Work experience since previous survey variables by year

Variable

 1966 1967 1968 1969 1971 1973 1975 1976 1978 1980 1981 1983 1990 1990 widow 1990 widow report on spouse
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

Table 5. Older Men: Early formative influences variables by year

Variable

 1966 1967 1968 1969 1971 1973 1975 1976 1978 1980 1981 1983 1990 1990 widow 1990 widow report on spouse
Nationality *                            
Type of residence at age 15 *                            
Person(s) R lived with at age 15 *                            
Occupation of head of household when R was 15 *                            
Highest grade completed by father *                            
If R lived with mother at age 15, did she work for pay         *                    
Foreign language spoken in home when R was 15         *                    

Table 6. Older Men: Migration variables by year

Variable

 1966 1967 1968 1969 1971 1973 1975 1976 1978 1980 1981 1983 1990 1990 widow 1990 widow report on spouse
Years at current residence *                       *    
Comparison of birthplace to current residence *                            
Geographic mobility (details vary)   *   * *     *       * *   *
Part-year residence                         *    

Table 7. Older Men: Education variables by year

Variable

 1966 1967 1968 1969 1971 1973 1975 1976 1978 1980 1981 1983 1990 1990 widow 1990 widow report on spouse
Highest grade completed *             *              
High school curriculum *                            
College (year last attended, earned degree, highest degree received)               *              

Table 8. Older Men: Training outside regular school variables by year

Variable

 1966 1967 1968 1969 1971 1973 1975 1976 1978 1980 1981 1983 1990 1990 widow 1990 widow report on spouse
Has R taken * *   * *     *     *        
Type of training * *   * *     *     *        
Sponsor of training   *   * *     *     *        
Duration * *   * *     *     *        
Hours per week attended   *   * *     *     *        
Did R complete * *   * *     *     *        
Reason decided to take   *   * *     *     *        
Does R use training on current job * *   * *     *     *        

Table 9. Older Men: Health and physical condition variables by year

Variable

 1966 1967 1968 1969 1971 1973 1975 1976 1978 1980 1981 1983 1990 1990 widow 1990 widow report on spouse
Self-rating of health *     *         * * * * *    
Comparison of R's condition with past   *     *     * * * * *      
Attitude toward health condition               * * * * * *    
Does health limit work *     * * * * * * * * * *    
Duration of health limitations *     * *     *     *   *    
Uses glasses, hearing aid, other special equipment                         *    
Problematic activities and working conditions         *     *     *   *    
Types of special health problems in past 12 months                         *    
Medical care (eligibility for insurance benefits)                     *        
Type and cost of health insurance coverage for R and for his wife                         *    
Accidents (on-the-job, how, when)               *              
Are R and his wife able to go outdoors, use public transportation, or do personal care without help         *     *     *   *    
Assistance needed by R and his wife in daily living                         *    
Height, weight           *             *    
Does wife's health limit her work *     * *     *     * * *    
Can wife go outdoors without help                         *    
Duration of wife's limitations *     * *     *     *   *    
Does health of family members limit R's work         *                    
Does health of wife limit R's work         *     *     *   *    
R ever smoked cigarettes, age at first and last use, quantity smoked per day                         *   *
Frequency and quantity of alcohol consumed by R during last 12 months of life and during adult life                         *   *
Use and frequency of use of medical care (hospitalization, nursing home, or doctors' care) during past 12 months (or prior to death)                         *   *
R ill before death and, if so, length of illness                             *
Widow provided nursing care for R, time required, impact on widow's employment status                           *  
Parties responsible for R's medical expenses                             *
Total cost of medical expenses in year before death                             *
Evaluation of health cost burdens in past year                         *    
Main cause of R's death                             *

Table 10. Older Men: Marital and family characteristics variables by year

Variable

 1966 1967 1968 1969 1971 1973 1975 1976 1978 1980 1981 1983 1990 1990 widow 1990 widow report on spouse
Marital status * *   * * * * * * * * * * *  
Marital history (details vary)               *     *   * *  
Number of dependents * *   * * * * * * * * * *    
Life status of R's and R's wife's parents * *   * *     *     *        
Number and ages of children in household * *   * * * * * * * * * * *  
Last household composition (relationship to R and his widow, age, highest grade attended, weeks worked, hours per week worked, occupation)                         * *  
Family members in household (relationship to R, sex, age, enrollment status, employment status) * *   * * * * * * * * * * *  
Unrelated household members (relationship to R, sex, age, enrollment status, employment status, reason living together)                     * * * *  
Frequency of contact with children                     *   *    
Wife's work experience (longest job, retirement expectations and plans)                     *        

Table 11. Older Men: Financial characteristics variables by year

Variable

 1966 1967 1968 1969 1971 1973 1975 1976 1978 1980 1981 1983 1990 1990 widow 1990 widow report on spouse
Total net family assets *     * *     *     *   * *  
Total family income * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  
Income from farm or business * *   * * * * * * * * * * *  
Wage or salary income * *   * * * * * * * * * * *  
Unemployment compensation income * *   * *     *     * * * *  
Income from supplemental unemployment benefits               *     *   * *  
Income from rent, interest, or dividends * *   * * * * * * * * * * *  
Public assistance income * *   * * * * * * * * * * *  
Disability income * *   * *     *     *   * *  
SSI income               * * * * * * *  
Total market value of Food Stamps received * *   * *     * * * * * * *  
Social Security income, pension income * *   * * * * * * * * * * *  
Insurance income                           *  
Amount of financial assistance received from others                 * * * * * *  
Income from other sources * *   * * * * * * * * * * *  
Sources and amounts of widow's death benefits                           *  
Evaluation of overall financial situation                         * *  

Table 12. Older Men: Military service variables by year

Variable

 1966 1967 1968 1969 1971 1973 1975 1976 1978 1980 1981 1983 1990 1990 widow 1990 widow report on spouse
Dates of service               *              

Table 13. Older Men: Attitudes and perspectives variables by year

Variable

 1966 1967 1968 1969 1971 1973 1975 1976 1978 1980 1981 1983 1990 1990 widow 1990 widow report on spouse
How does R feel about job * *   * *     *   * * * * *  
Evaluation of total work career                         *    
What R likes best and least about job * *   * *                    
Would R continue to work if had enough money to live on *                 *          
What is more important: high wages or liking work *                            
Rotter Internal-External Locus of Control score       * *     *     *        
Attitude toward women working   *     *                    
Attitude toward R's marriage                         *    
Attitudes toward selected aspects of life               * * * * * *    
Pfeiffer cognitive functioning scale                         * *  
CES-Depression Scale                         *    
Bradburn Affect Balance Scale                     * * *    
Discrimination (R ever experienced, type, way in which experienced)         *     *   *          
Has R progressed, held own, or moved backward         *     *              
Have job pressures increased, decreased, or remained the same         *     *              

Table 14. Older Men: Retirement variables by year

Variable

 1966 1967 1968 1969 1971 1973 1975 1976 1978 1980 1981 1983 1990 1990 widow 1990 widow report on spouse
Leisure activities                 *   *   *    
Expected age of retirement * *   * * * * * * * * * *    
R's plans after retirement * *   * *     * * *   *      
Compulsory retirement plan * *   * *     * * * * *      
Timing of retirement (reason retired, did employer encourage, would R continue to work if allowed)               * * * * * *    
R ever retired and, if so, year retired                         *   *
Attitudes toward retirement         *     * * * * * *    
Wife's attitude toward R's retirement         *                    
Friends' attitude toward R's retirement         *                    
Characteristics of current employer's pension plan         *     *              
Amount of expected retirement income         *     *     *        
Use of various community services in past 12 months                         *    
Type and frequency of contact and geographic proximity of R to children, other relatives, friends                         *    
Automobile usage of R and spouse                         *    
To whom R would turn for financial or other help                         *    
Geographic mobility since retirement                     * *      
Retirement preparation course taken                     *        

Table 15. Older Men: Hypothetical job offer variables by year

Variable

 1966 1967 1968 1969 1971 1973 1975 1976 1978 1980 1981 1983 1990 1990 widow 1990 widow report on spouse
Would R accept * *   * *     * * * * * *    
Hours per week would work         *     * * * * * *    
Rate of pay, kind of work required to accept * *   * *     * * * * * *    

Table 16. Older Men: Volunteer work variables by year

Variable

 1966 1967 1968 1969 1971 1973 1975 1976 1978 1980 1981 1983 1990 1990 widow 1990 widow report on spouse
Has R done any volunteer work                 *       *    
Number of weeks and hours per week performed                 *       *    

III. Environmental variables

Table 17. Older Men: Residence variables by year

Variable

 1966 1967 1968 1969 1971 1973 1975 1976 1978 1980 1981 1983 1990 1990 widow 1990 widow report on spouse
South or non-South * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  
Does R live in metropolitan statistical area * * * * * * * * * * * *      
Mover or nonmover status * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  
Comparison of State, county, metropolitan statistical area * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  

Table 18. Older Men: Environmental characteristics variables by year

Variable

 1966 1967 1968 1969 1971 1973 1975 1976 1978 1980 1981 1983 1990 1990 widow 1990 widow report on spouse
Size of local area labor force * * * * * * * * * * * *      
Local area unemployment rate * * * * * * * * * * * *