From 1994 on, Young Adult respondents who have worked at least 20 hours a week as a regular employee have answered questions about employer-provided fringe benefits. These benefits include paid vacation and sick days, health insurance, life insurance, dental insurance, maternity/paternity leave, retirement, flexible hours, profit sharing, training or educational opportunities, and subsidized child care. The 1994 to 1998 survey years asked these fringe benefit questions for all jobs lasting 10 weeks or more. Starting in 2000, respondents answered these questions only for Job #1, the current or most recent primary job.

Comparison to Other NLS Cohorts: Data have been collected during each NLSY79 survey on the availability of benefits provided by employers.  Questions on benefits for the NLSY97 cohort are only asked of respondents who report an employee job lasting at least 13 weeks that ended after the date of their 16th birthday, or who are age 16 and over and report an on-going employee job at which they have worked at least 13 weeks. Information on benefits has been collected for the Mature Women in 1977, 1982, 1987, 1989, and 1995-2003; for the Young Women in 1978 and each survey since 1983; and for the Young Men in 1976 and 1981. The exact categories of benefits for which information was recorded may vary; generally, less information was collected in earlier years. 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.