NLSM -Older and Young Men

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

I. Labor market experience variables

II. Human capital and other socioeconomic variables

III. Environmental variables

• Income
• Assets
• Topcoding
• Nonresponse
• Created variables and summary statistics

Both the Older Men and Young Men cohorts have been asked numerous questions about their income, assets, and debts over the course of the surveys. While many researchers use income as the primary measure of the economic resources available to a respondent, users can draw a more complete picture of economic well-being by examining both income and wealth. Wealth, which is equal to a respondent's assets minus his debts, reflects the total financial resources available to the respondent.

Income

In every survey year, respondents were asked about their pretax income. Tables 1 and 2 present the broad range of income questions asked since 1966, including wages, business and farm income, rental income, interest and dividends, and public assistance support sources. In addition to the in-depth questions about the income of the respondent and his spouse, respondents also provided their estimate for total income of all individuals in the family in some years, while in other years they were asked to estimate the total income of all individuals except their wives and themselves. Finally, respondents have been asked in select years about their ability to get along on their family's income, with choices ranging from "always have money left over" to "can't make ends meet."

Assets

Respondents have periodically been asked a full set of asset and liability questions. Tables 3 and 4 depict the questions pertaining to assets by survey year; note that 1968 mail survey of Older Men and all telephone surveys are omitted from the table because no asset questions were asked in those surveys. When respondents were asked the full selection of questions, they provided information on the value and mortgage of their home, cash assets, business and farm activity, vehicles, and other debts. In several years, respondents were also asked to rate their overall financial position as better, worse, or about the same as the previous year.

Topcoding

To ensure respondent confidentiality, income variables exceeding particular limits were truncated each survey year so that values exceeding the upper limits were converted to a set maximum value. These upper limits varied by year, as did the set maximum values. From 1966 through 1980, upper limit amounts for both men's cohorts were set to maximum values of $50,000. For the 1981 surveys and 1983 Older Men interview, the maximum value was set to $50,001 so that researchers could distinguish between topcoded individuals and those reporting $50,000. In the 1990 Older Men survey income amounts exceeding $100,000 were converted to a set maximum value of $100,001.

Asset values were also topcoded. Beginning with the first surveys in 1966, asset variables exceeding upper limits were truncated to $999,999. Beginning in 1976, assets exceeding one million were converted to a set maximum value of $999,994. In 1981 the maximum was increased by three dollars to $999,997. For the 1990 Older Men survey, the Census Bureau topcoded selected asset items if it considered that release of the absolute value might aid in the identification of a respondent. This topcoding was conducted on a case-by-case basis, with the mean of the top three values substituted for each respondent who reported such amounts.

Nonresponse

One major concern when asking individuals about their income and wealth is nonresponse bias. While it is outside the scope of this chapter to fully investigate nonresponse bias, this section briefly describes nonresponse in the 1981 survey of both cohorts as an example of the issues raised. There are two primary types of questions on income and assets (or debts): general questions asking whether the respondent received income from a particular source or owned a particular asset, and specific questions asking about the amount of income or the value of the asset. Factors that are likely to contribute to nonresponse are suspicion, uncertainty, shared responsibility for family finances, and complex financial arrangements. The 1981 survey is examined because it was the last year in which both men's cohorts were interviewed.

Tables 5-8 provide information on response rates to questions on income and wealth in the 1981 surveys. Respondents who refused to answer, who responded with "don't know," or who are invalid skips are all counted as nonresponses. Both cohorts had high response rates on the receipt and ownership questions--generally around 99 percent. The percentages in the amount column are based only on individuals who reported receiving that type of income or having that type of asset or debt. These amount questions show much lower response rates. For example, business and farm income drops by 20 percent for the Older Men and 13 percent for the Young Men. Note: The universe for Tables 5-8 is restricted to individuals who received income from the relevant source or had the relevant asset or debt.

Created variables and summary statistics

Survey staff have created a small number of summary income and asset variables for both men's cohorts. The standard variable is 'Total Family Income' or 'Total Net Income of Family.' This variable is created by adding up all of the individual's income categories. Should any of the categories be unavailable, the created variable for that year is labeled "not available." A small number of cases each year have negative income; these individuals have business expenses that are larger than their business and other income. This variable is available in the following survey years:

• Older Men: 1966-69, 1971, 1976, 1981, 1990
• Young Men: 1966-71, 1976, 1978, 1980, 1981

The data sets also include a standard summary variable for wealth entitled 'Total Family Assets' or 'Total Net Family Assets.' This variable was created by adding up the individual's housing, savings, bond, IRA, insurance, and business assets and then subtracting mortgages, loans, and other debts. Users are cautioned that a number of respondents have negative net family assets. These variables are present for the following surveys:

• Older Men: 1966, 1969, 1971, 1976, 1981, 1990
• Young Men: 1966, 1970, 1971, 1976, 1981

• Older Men cohort
• Young Men cohort

Older Men cohort

Marital status

Questions on marital status have been asked of respondents in each survey year, except for the 1968 mail survey. In general, the resulting 'Marital Status' variable includes six coding categories: married--spouse present, married--spouse absent, widowed, divorced, separated, and never married. In some years, the raw variable contains only five categories (combining married--spouse present and married--spouse absent). Researchers are encouraged to use the revised marital status variables available for these years; these revised variables provide a six-category distribution comparable to other years.

A single question in 1990 assessed the sample person's attitude about his marriage. This interview asked the respondent whether he thought of himself and his wife as "two separate people" or "a couple."

Marital transitions

Limited marital transition information was collected in the later Older Men surveys. In 1976, the respondent reported the date of his first marriage and, if applicable, the date he was widowed or divorced. In 1981, the survey first asked if the respondent had been married more than once. He then provided the dates of his first and most recent marriage, as well as the date he was most recently divorced or widowed. The 1990 interview of sample persons was the same as the 1981 survey, except that the date of first marriage question was dropped. All of the marital history variables can be located in the data set by searching for the phrase "Marital Status & Background."

In 1990, if the widow of a deceased sample person was interviewed, she was asked to report the marital status of the respondent at the time of his death (e.g., whether she and the sample person were married, divorced, separated, etc.), as well as the year she and the sample person were first married.

Characteristics of the respondent's spouse

Information on the respondent's spouse was collected in the household roster during all interviews except the 1968 mail survey; these data are described in detail in the Household Composition section. In several of the early surveys, created variables are available that summarize the information on respondents' wives collected in the household record so that researchers do not need to sort through the roster data. In addition, the 1981 survey included a special set of questions about the work experience of the respondent's wife. Data collected include whether the wife had ever worked; the start and stop years, industry, and occupation of her longest job; whether she had worked in the previous 12 months; her plans for retirement; and whether she expected to receive retirement income from Social Security or an employer pension.

A large amount of information is available for widows of Older Men respondents interviewed in 1990. This questionnaire collected information about the widow's work experience, current marital status, household composition, income, assets, and residence in a long-term care facility.

Children

If the respondent's children resided in his household, data were collected in the household roster section of all questionnaires except 1968 regarding their age, education, and employment. This information is described in detail in the "Household Composition" section of this guide. In 1966-75, survey staff used the information from the household record to create variables providing the total number of the respondent's children in the household; in some years, additional created variables break this total down into groups based on age, education, and employment status. A second series of questions in the 1971 interview asked about the respondent's educational expectations for the youngest son and daughter living in his household and currently enrolled in school.

Every survey except 1968 asked the respondent how many dependents he had, excluding his wife. In personal interviews, the respondent stated his relationship to dependents outside his household. An additional series of questions in the 1981 survey asked the respondent if anyone was likely to become dependent on him in the future and, if so, their relationship to him.

More limited information was gathered about children who did not live with the respondent. The initial survey asked for the total number of such children, whether each was a son or daughter, and the highest grade completed by each child. A detailed data collection in 1976 recorded information about all children outside the household in a roster format. The respondent provided each child's age and relationship to the respondent. If the child was age 16 or older, the survey collected his or her highest grade completed, labor force status in the past year, and occupation. The respondent also reported the marital status of each daughter, as well as her husband's occupation.

The 1981 and 1990 interviews collected information about the frequency of contact between the respondent and children living outside his household. In 1981, the survey first recorded the total number of children living elsewhere; the 1990 survey gathered the total number of living children, regardless of residence. Both of these interviews asked a series of questions about how often the respondent visited, called, or corresponded with his children. In 1990, the respondent also stated how long it would take the closest child to get to the respondent's residence.

Young Men cohort

Marital status

Questions on marital status have been asked of respondents in every survey. In most years, the resulting variable uses the same six coding categories as the Older Men. The Young Men marital status variables for 1973 and 1975 contain only five categories, not differentiating married--spouse absent from married--spouse present. Additionally, a 'Marital Status and Family Status' variable, created during several early survey years, combined information about marital status and the presence of children.

Marital transitions

Marital history data were collected from the Young Men during the final four surveys of that cohort. The 1976 survey, the first to include marital history questions, recorded the total number of marriages the respondent had, the date (month and year) of his first marriage, how and when the first marriage ended, the date of his current or most recent marriage, and the date he was divorced, separated, or widowed after his most recent marriage. In 1978 and 1980, married respondents reported the date of their current marriage and respondents who were divorced, widowed, or separated provided the date that event occurred. The final survey of the Young Men recorded the dates and types of up to four changes in the respondent's marital status since the 1980 interview date (or the 1978 interview date if the respondent was not interviewed in 1980).

Characteristics of the respondent's spouse/partner

As with the Older Men, most information on the wives of Young Men was collected in the household roster. These data are described in the Household Composition section. Additionally, the 1981 interview contained a separate series of questions referring to the respondent's wife or partner. Data collected include birth date; whether the wife or partner had been enrolled in school since the 1980 interview date (or the 1978 interview date if the respondent was not interviewed in 1980); for enrolled wives and partners, the highest grade completed; weeks worked in the past 12 months; hours per week usually worked; occupation; and weeks spent looking for work. Researchers should note that the wife was not included on the household roster in 1981, so this series of questions replaces her roster data.

For surveys before 1981, the "Household Roster" is a possible additional source of partner information. Although the list of possible relationships to the respondent on the "Household Roster" section of the questionnaire did not include "partner" in the early years, the relationship codes were revised in later years to include this category.

Children

If the respondent's children resided in his household, age, education, and employment data about each were collected in the household roster section of each questionnaire. This information is discussed in the Household Composition section. In 1966, survey staff used the information from the household record to create variables providing the total number of the respondent's children in the household and the number in various age groups.

Very limited information was gathered about children who did not live with the respondent. The 1981 survey asked for the total number of children the respondent had ever had and the birth date of each child not residing in the household. Additionally, every survey asked the respondent how many dependents he had, excluding his wife. In all surveys except 1973 and 1975, the respondent stated his relationship to dependents outside his household; these answers can be used to obtain some information about the number of children supported by the respondent. The questions about dependents were not asked of respondents still living with their parents during the 1966-68 interviews.

The 1981 Young Men survey contained several questions related to fertility expectations and attitudes. The questionnaire first asked for the number of children respondents thought would be ideal and the number they wanted. After reporting how many children they had already, respondents stated how many more children they expected to have and when they expected to have their next child.

Household chores

The 1981 interview included a detailed series of questions regarding the respondent's participation in various household activities. The respondent was presented with a list of common chores (e.g., cooking, laundry, grocery shopping, household paperwork, child care) and asked whether he had none, some, about half, most, or all of the responsibility for each chore. He then stated the total number of hours per week that he spent performing household tasks.

• Household and family composition
• Household identification and linkages: Multiple respondent households

This section describes variables related to household and family composition, household identification, linkages between members of multiple respondent households, and household residence. Some familiarity with the following survey instruments which gather information on households is necessary: the Original Cohort Household Record Cards, the Original Cohort "Household Roster," and the household screeners that were used to select respondents for the various cohorts. The "Survey Instruments and Other Documentation" section provides detailed descriptions of each of these instruments. This section does not delineate variables pertaining to characteristics or experiences of household members, the presence of partners within the household, or geographical areas of residence. Those interested in information collected specifically on household members should explore the individual topic of interest, e.g., age, sex, educational status, etc. The availability of information on partners is discussed in the Marriage & Fertility section. Finally, those interested in information detailing respondents' geographic residence, e.g., state, county, or SMSA, should reference the Geographic Residence & Environmental Characteristics topical discussion.

Household and family composition

During each survey year except the 1968 Older Men mail survey, a complete listing of family or household members is available from the "Household Roster" or household enumeration section of the questionnaire. This household section listed household/family members and, for each member, specified information such as that member's relationship to the respondent, his/her age, school enrollment status, and highest grade completed, and work experience information such as number of weeks worked, hours worked per week, and occupation. In general, household record items were transcribed from the Household Record Cards, documents that were completed before the interview began. As an exception, certain telephone interviews did not update all information on the Household Record Cards; new information was collected directly on the household roster.

Older Men

Table 1 provides a list of the types of information collected in the household roster in each interview. In addition, it depicts whether the roster referred only to members related to the respondent or to all household members. During earlier survey years of the Older Men, only family members (i.e., related household members) were included on the household roster; in more recent years, all household members were listed. However, variable titles were not changed to reflect this difference. Thus, 'Household Record - Family Member # 5: Relationship to R,' may actually provide a relationship to the respondent of an unrelated household member. Users should examine the household roster section of the questionnaire to determine whether unrelated household members were listed in a given year.

In addition to the information depicted in the table, the 1981 Older Men household roster included a question asking whether the respondent and each household member were living together in 1976. If not, a follow-up question asked why they decided to live together (e.g., marriage, health, financial help, share expenses, etc.). These questions were repeated in 1983 with a reference date of 1981.

The 1990 survey design includes more than one household roster. In the sample person questionnaire, Older Men respondents living at home responded to roster questions as in past surveys. In addition to the data in Table 1, this roster asked whether the respondent and each household member were living together at the date of the last interview and, if not, why they decided to live together. If the Older Men respondent was living in a long-term care institution, a similar but separate roster asked him to report characteristics of the members of his household just before he entered the institution. An additional question inquired whether each member was still living in that household at the interview date. Finally, the respondent reported whether he had lived with each member at the date of his last interview, but the follow-up question was not asked of institutionalized respondents.

The same pattern was repeated in the widow questionnaire, addressed to widows of Older Men respondents. Widows living at home were asked about their current household, including the questions on whether they had lived with each member at their husbands' last interview date. Widows living in long-term care institutions answered the same questions about their former household that appeared in the sample person questionnaire.

Young Men

Table 2 lists the information gathered in the various Young Men household roster in each interview. In all surveys of the Young Men, the actual household roster included only family members. However, in later surveys, some information about unrelated household members was collected on a separate but similar roster. These data are included in the table below and can be located in the data set by searching for the phrase "household members not related to R" in variable titles.

Users should be aware that relationship codes for family and household members varied across survey years. Figure 1 below provides information about the relationship codes used in different surveys to classify relationships between the respondent and members of his household.

Household identification and linkages

The sampling design used to select respondents often generated more than one NLS respondent from the same household. More than three-quarters of the respondents from the Young Men cohort and one-third of the respondents from the Older Men cohort shared the same household with at least one other respondent from the same or another cohort at the time the screening was performed (see Tables 3 and 4). To facilitate use of this unique aspect of NLS data, constructed variables link respondents sharing the same household at the time of the 1966 screening.

Variables specifying common relationships are available within each Original Cohort data set. These variables provide the identification codes of other respondents originating from the same household by relationship and cohort, e.g., 'Identification Code of 1st Sister.' The following relationship linkages are available for the applicable cohorts: spouses, mothers/fathers and children, and siblings. Table 5 depicts the numbers and types of pairs among Original Cohort members during the initial survey years.

CHRR staff developed relationship codes based on a Census tape that included the identification numbers of all individuals who shared a household during the screening procedure. The following logic was used in assigning relationship codes: if a 47-year-old man from the Older Men cohort said he had a 38-year-old wife and a 38-year-old woman from the Mature Women cohort with the same household ID said she had a 47-year-old husband, husband-wife relationships were assigned. A one-year difference was allowed between the reported ages; three years of interview information were checked.

Although other types of relationships may have existed, only spouse, sibling, or parent/child relationship codes were assigned. However, identification of other relationship types is possible through use of created variables (R00003. to R00021.) that provide, by cohort, both the ID numbers of other respondents in the household (e.g., 'Identification Code of 1st Older Male in R's Household') and of the household ('Identification Code of R's Household'). To determine the nature of other relationships, users can match characteristics of household members from the first respondent's information (e.g., the age he claims for a cousin) with characteristics of household members on the second respondent's household roster (e.g., the age reported for a cousin), as was done for the development of the relationships described above.

Note that phrases such as "Younger Female," "Older Male," etc., within the variable titles refer to the cohort--not to the relative age to the respondent. For example, a 14-year-old male has a 17-year-old sister; both are respondents. On his record, she would be called a "Younger Female" because she is in the Young Women cohort.

The 1968 survey of schools attended by Young Men and Young Women respondents included two questions on whether school records indicated that the respondent had been committed to or was on probation from a correctional institution. Small numbers of respondents from the Young Men cohort were identified: 19 young men had been committed and 13 young men were on probation.

A related question, also asked as part of the school survey, collected information on whether school records indicated that the respondent had ever been expelled or suspended from school. Records of those schools surveyed indicated that 205 Young Men respondents (R01720.) had been expelled or suspended at some point in their schooling.

A variety of questions were asked of respondents in the men's cohorts that assessed both attitudes toward their own employment and attitudes about work in general.

Global job satisfaction

During most survey years, respondents described how they felt about either their current job or their current/last job. The basic question in this series asked respondents to rate their general attitude on a scale from "like it very much" to "dislike it very much." In some surveys, the general question was followed by an open-ended request for a description of the aspects of his job the respondent liked most and least. These responses were coded and included in the data set. Finally, data comparing respondents' attitude toward their current job with their attitude toward their job in a previous survey year were collected during certain early surveys of each cohort. Table 1 provides information about the years in which these questions were asked and Table 2 provides the reference numbers for each item.

Facet-specific job satisfaction scale

During the 1978 and 1981 surveys of Young Men, employed respondents (wage and salary workers or self-employed respondents) were asked a series of detailed questions relating to specific aspects of their jobs. On a scale from "very true" to "not at all true," respondents rated a series of descriptive statements about the pay, working conditions, chances for promotion, job security, competency of their supervisor, and friendliness of their coworkers. These variables can be located in NLS Investigator by searching for the phrase "Job Satisfaction Index."

Note: The job satisfaction questions were sometimes asked multiple times in a single survey, with each question addressed to a different universe of respondents. Similarly, the facet-specific scale was asked separately of self-employed Young Men and Young Men employed as wage and salary workers, with slight differences in the items included. To obtain a picture of job satisfaction for all respondents, it will be necessary to combine these items.

For the Young Men, a job satisfaction index can be constructed by combining (a) the global job satisfaction measures, (b) select items from the facet-specific job satisfaction ratings, and (c) responses to a question on whether the respondent would stay in his current job if he were free to take any job.

Work attitudes

Motivation and commitment to work

Both Older and Young Men respondents answered questions assessing their motivation for working and their commitment to their jobs. The motivation question asked the respondent whether liking his work or receiving high wages was more important. The commitment to work questions first asked whether the respondent would continue to work if he obtained enough money to live comfortably; open-ended follow-up questions asked the respondent to provide a reason for his answer. Finally, respondents in both cohorts were asked whether they would prefer to work more hours for more money, work fewer hours for less money, or maintain their current hours and compensation. The "other work attitudes" columns in Table 1 and Table 2 list the years in which these questions were asked of each cohort and the reference numbers for the various items.

Retrospective evaluation of work

Respondents were occasionally asked to look back over a period of time and assess changes in their employment. The first set of questions asked both Older and Young Men whether they felt that they had progressed, held their own, or moved backward in the past 5 years. If they had progressed or moved backward, respondents provided additional information about the specific ways in which that movement had occurred (e.g., changes in wages; hours; fringe benefits; status, level, or responsibility; job security). A second series asked whether the respondent felt that the pressures of his job had changed in the past 5 years, whether his ability to keep up with the pace of his job had changed, and whether the respondent felt more or less fatigued at the end of the day compared to 5 years earlier.

In the 1990 survey, several questions were addressed to Older Men sample persons evaluating their entire work life. This series asked about the respondent's general satisfaction with his career, whether his work was mainly a source of income or was enjoyable in itself, and what aspect of his work the respondent found most enjoyable. Years and reference numbers for the evaluation of work experience questions are found in the "other work attitudes" columns of Tables 1 and 2 above.

Retirement Attitudes and Experiences

Older Men respondents have regularly answered questions about when they intended to retire and what factors affected that decision. In every survey except 1968 and 1990, respondents reported the age at which they expected to retire. Five surveys (1967, 1969, 1971, 1980, and 1983) asked respondents whose plans had changed since the previous interview about the reason for the difference. Finally, every personal interview except 1990 asked employed respondents whether their employer had a compulsory retirement age, whether they would work longer than that age if they could, and whether they expected to retire earlier than the mandatory age.

Limited information was gathered about the retirement plans of the respondent's wife. In 1981 and 1983, married respondents stated their wife's expected retirement age. The 1981 survey further asked whether the respondent and his wife had made decisions jointly or separately about when to retire.

Respondents in the Older Men cohort answered questions in two surveys about training courses taken in preparation for retirement. In 1971, respondents who participated in any kind of training stated whether they expected to use the training after they retired. The 1981 interview asked a series of questions specifically tailored to retirement training courses, including whether the respondent had ever taken such a course, the duration of the course, and whether he had found it to be helpful.

Finally, respondents were asked several questions about financial obligations that might affect retirement plans. In 1971 and 1976, the respondent stated the year when he expected to have no dependents other than his wife. The 1971 survey also asked whether the respondent wanted to leave an inheritance to his children.

Timing of actual retirement

In later surveys, retrospective information was collected about the retirement decisions made by respondents. The final five surveys included a series of questions asking why the respondent retired, whether the respondent's employer encouraged him to retire, whether the respondent would change the age at which he retired in retrospect, and whether he would have continued to work if his employer had permitted it. In 1980-90, respondents reported whether they had ever retired and the year this occurred, even if they had subsequently reentered the work force.

Attitudes toward retirement

Older Men respondents were asked a number of questions about their attitudes toward retirement. The reference numbers for these questions and the years in which each was asked are provided in Table 3.

In addition, several questions in the 1971 survey were combined to create an index (R02528.) of the respondent's overall attitude toward retirement. Included in this index are the three 1971 questions in the above table, a question about the ages at which the respondent's retired friends left the workforce, and the question asking whether the respondent wanted to leave an inheritance to his children.

Social networks and activities

Respondents regularly provided information about their plans for retirement. The 1966 survey asked whether they intended to take another job after retiring from their current employer and the number of hours per week they would like to work. Seven subsequent surveys contained a more general question about plans after retirement; respondents were asked to select all that applied from a list including travel, relax, enjoy a hobby, volunteer, or work with or without pay. If the respondent planned to work, follow-up questions asked about the type of work he would like and the number of hours per week he would work.

Three interviews asked respondents about their leisure time activities. In 1978, these questions were addressed to all respondents; in 1981, they were asked only of respondents who were retired; and in 1990, these data were gathered from all respondents not living in an institution. Although the exact list of activities varied among surveys, it typically included sports or exercise, reading, working at hobbies, visiting friends or relatives, and volunteer work. Follow-up questions asked for the amount of time spent at each activity.

Respondents were asked about their social and familial relationships in 1981 and 1990. A series of questions in both of these interviews asked about sources of emotional support for the respondent other than his spouse. In addition to the total number of people with whom the respondent had a close emotional relationship, the surveys recorded the relationship of the closest confidante, the distance to his or her residence, and the frequency of contact between the respondent and this person. A similar series of questions asked to whom the respondent would turn if he had a serious financial problem. In 1990, an additional pair of questions gathered information about the person who most often helped the respondent with daily tasks like grocery shopping or housecleaning. Finally, both the 1981 and 1990 interviews asked the respondent to describe how often he visited or talked with children who did not live in his household.

Attitude toward women working

Respondents were periodically asked a series of questions regarding their attitude toward the employment of women, particularly married women with children. Reference numbers for these questions are provided in Tables 1 and 2. In 1967, the Older Men responded to a single question that asked which of five statements best described their feelings about a married woman with children ages 6-12 taking a full-time job outside the home. The statements were as follows: she should never work, it's okay only if absolutely necessary to make ends meet, it's okay if family would like extra income, it's okay if she prefers to work, or she should work.

In the 1971 survey of Older Men, these attitudes questions were changed into a three-statement series. On a five-point scale from "definitely all right" to "definitely not all right," respondents were asked how they felt about a married woman with children ages 6-12 taking a full-time job outside the home if it was absolutely necessary to make ends meet, if she wanted to work and her husband agreed, and if she wanted to work but her husband did not like the idea.

This same series of three statements was read to Young Men respondents in 1971, 1976, and 1981. However, the Young Men questions referred to a married woman with preschool-aged children rather than older children. In 1981, a second set of questions was added to the Young Men survey about the employment of wives in general, without the presence of children specified. On a five-point scale from "strongly agree" to "strongly disagree," respondents reported how they felt about eleven statements (e.g., a woman's place is in the home, not in the office or shop; employment of both parents is necessary to keep up with the high cost of living; men should share the work around the house with women).

Other work-related attitudes

In every survey through 1976, Young Men respondents were asked what type of work they hoped to be doing at age 30. These occupations were coded using the Census Bureau coding system; in addition, some surveys include codes for the occupation using the various indices described in the "Occupations & Occupational Prestige Indices" section of this guide. Desired occupation at age 30 questions are not included in Table 2; these variables can be easily located by searching on "Age 30" in the Young Men data set.

Finally, two surveys asked Young Men respondents who had moved between interviews whether they were more or less satisfied with their employment now compared to their employment before the move.

Reference

Andrisani, Paul J.; Appelbaum, Eileen; Koppel, Ross; and Miljus, Robert C. "Work Attitudes and Labor Market Experience: Evidence from the National Longitudinal Surveys." Philadelphia, PA: Center for Labor and Human Resource Studies, Temple University, 1977.

• Older Men cohort
• Young Men cohort

Older Men cohort

Work-related variables

Each survey except 1968 asked respondents whether their health limited the kind or amount of work they could do. A supplemental series of questions, fielded during 1966, 1969, 1976, 1981, and 1990, gathered information on the duration of the respondent's limitation and on whether his health prevented him from working altogether. The 1976 survey determined whether any of the respondent's reported health problems were the result of an accidental injury and whether the most serious injury occurred on the job. Finally, in 1976 and 1981, retrospective questions asked whether the respondent had ever been prevented from working for 6 or more months due to a health problem and the duration of this limitation.

A series of questions, shown in Figure OM1 below, asked respondents to describe the types of physical activities which their job regularly involved. In several surveys, respondents were also asked to identify specific workplace characteristics that would cause them trouble because of their health.

General physical health

A comprehensive set of health-related variables is available for all respondents. This data collection includes information on the respondent's health status, perceived health changes over time, and the types of health-related problems and specific health conditions experienced. To provide a general overview of his health, each respondent was asked during the 1966, 1969, and 1978-90 surveys to rate his health as excellent, good, fair, or poor compared to other men his age. Questions were fielded in 1967, 1971, and 1976-83 on whether the respondent considered his health to have remained about the same, improved, or worsened over a set period of time (e.g., the past five years). Self-reported height and weight data are available for respondents interviewed during 1973 or 1990.

Several interviews included question series assessing the respondent's overall physical condition. These series, and the years when they were included, are described in Figure OM1.

Because the respondents were in their 70s and early 80s at that time, the 1990 survey collected significantly more health information than previous years' questionnaires. In addition to the questions described elsewhere in this section, the sample person questionnaire asked Older Men who were still living about the topics outlined in Figure OM2.

If the respondent was deceased at the time of the 1990 interview, the widow questionnaire gathered information about the last year of the respondent's life. The widow reported whether and how long the respondent had been ill before his death, the amount of nursing care she provided for the respondent, and the main cause of death. Widows also answered questions, somewhat less detailed than those in the sample person questionnaire, about use of medical services in the year before the respondent's death. Finally, the widow estimated the total cost of her husband's medical care in the year before his death, reported the amount paid by the sample person and widow, and described sources of payment for remaining bills (Medicare, private insurance, employer/union, veteran's benefits, relatives, etc.).

In conjunction with this survey, up to four causes of death of deceased respondents were recorded from death certificates on file at state vital records departments. These administrative data supplement the cause of death information collected on 2,166 deceased respondents directly from the widows or next-of-kin. Table OM1 compares the causes of death as reported by widows or next-of-kin and as listed on the death certificate.

Family member health

Limited information was collected about the health of the respondent's family members. In most personal interviews, the respondent reported whether his wife was limited in the amount or kind or work or housework she could do and the duration of this limitation. In personal interviews beginning in 1971, the respondent also stated whether his wife's health problem limited his own work or activities. In 1971, 1976, 1981, and 1990, respondents answered the series of questions about assistance with daily life (see Figure OM1) with respect to their wives. In 1990, interviewed sample persons reported whether their wife was in a long-term care institution; interviewed widows who lived in long-term care institutions (or their proxies) answered the same series of questions as sample persons about the length of and payment for their current stay (see Figure OM2). Finally, the 1981 survey and 1990 sample person questionnaire asked the respondent about his wife's Medicare coverage and health insurance.

In the 1971 survey only, respondents were asked whether any family members were unable to work or go to school due to a health condition. If so, the respondent then stated whether the family member's health affected his own employment.

Young Men cohort

Work-related variables

Each survey except 1967 and 1969 asked respondents whether their health limited the kind or amount of work they could do. In the early years, when some respondents had not yet entered the labor force, they were also asked whether their health limited their schooling or other activities. In most years, the respondents provided information on the duration of the limitation. The 1976 survey determined whether any of the respondent's health problems were the result of an accidental injury and whether the most serious injury occurred on the job. Finally, in 1976 and 1981, retrospective questions asked whether the respondent had ever been prevented from working for 6 or more months due to a health problem and the duration of this limitation.

A series of questions that were also asked of the Older Men asked respondents to describe the types of physical activities that their job regularly involved. In several surveys, respondents were also asked to identify specific workplace characteristics that would cause them trouble because of their health.

General physical health

This data collection includes information on the respondent's health status, perceived health changes over time, and the types of health-related problems and specific health conditions experienced. To provide a general overview of his health, each respondent was asked during the 1971, 1976, and 1981 surveys whether he considered his health to have remained about the same, improved, or worsened over a set period of time (e.g., the past five years). Self-reported height and weight data are available for respondents interviewed during 1973.

Several interviews included question series assessing the respondent's overall physical condition. The years in which these series were included are provided in Figure YM1.

Family member health

Limited information was collected about the health of the respondent's family members. In most personal interviews, the respondent reported whether his wife was limited in the amount or kind of work or housework she could do and the duration of this limitation. In 1971, 1976, and 1981, the respondent also stated whether his wife's health problem limited his own work or activities. In 1971, respondents answered the series of questions about assistance with daily life (see Figure OM1) with respect to their wives. In the 1971 survey only, respondents were asked whether any family members were unable to work or go to school due to a health condition. If so, the respondent then stated whether the family member's health affected his own employment.

• Older Men cohort
• Young Men cohort

Older Men cohort

The Older Men surveys provide researchers with a variety of family background data, collecting information on parents and respondent's family background at age 14 or 15.

Parents

In the 1966 interview, each respondent was asked about the birth countries of his parents and grandparents; Table OM1 depicts the results. In addition, the respondent reported the life status of both his parents and his wife's parents in each personal interview except 1990.

Respondent's background

The 1966 survey asked respondents where they were born and how long they had lived at their current residence. Of the 5,020 respondents interviewed, 267 (5.3 percent) were born outside the United States. The data also include a comparison of the respondent's birthplace and his residence at the 1966 interview date (e.g., same state; different state, same region; different region; born outside U.S.).

Information was also collected during the initial interview about the living arrangements of Older Men respondents when they were 15 years old, including with whom the respondent lived and whether the residence was in a large or small city or in the country. In addition, the survey collected the occupation and the highest grade completed of the head of the respondent's household.

If the respondent had lived with his mother when he was 15, the 1971 interview asked whether she worked for pay at that time. This survey also gathered information about whether a language other than English was spoken in the home when the respondent was 15 years old. If so, the language was recorded; in the data, this information is grouped as follows: Spanish; German, Dutch, Scandinavian (Swedish, Norwegian, etc.); French, Italian, Portuguese; Slavic; and other. Finally, in 1971 the respondent reported the state in which he last attended high school.

Young Men cohort

The Young Men surveys provide researchers with a variety of family background data. The surveys have collected information on three primary topics: parents, siblings, and the respondent's family background at age 14 or 15.

Parents

In the 1966 interview, each respondent was asked about the birth countries of his parents and grandparents; Table YM1 depicts the results.

In the 1966 interview, the respondent reported the life status of both his parents and his wife's parents. For all respondents who did not live in their parents' household, the first four surveys asked about the number of weeks worked by the respondent's parents, whether they usually worked full- or part-time, and their occupation. This information is available in the "Household Roster" for respondents still residing with their parents.

Siblings

The Young Men provided information about their siblings in two different surveys. The 1966 interview asked respondents how many brothers and sisters lived outside their home. It also collected the age, highest grade attended, and highest grade completed of the oldest sibling. In 1976, a full collection of information about siblings was included in the survey. Respondents were asked to state the total number of siblings they had and to provide the sex, birth date, and highest grade completed of up to 10 siblings who were not living in their home at the interview date. Information about siblings in the respondent's household is available in the "Household Roster."

Respondent's background

The 1966 survey asked respondents where they were born and how long they had lived at their current residence. Of the 5,225 respondents interviewed, 124 (2.4 percent) were born outside the United States. As with the Older Men, the data include a comparison of the respondent's birthplace and his residence at the 1966 interview date.

Information was collected during the initial interview about the living arrangements of respondents when they were 14 years old, including with whom the respondent lived and whether the residence was in a large or small city or in the country. The survey then collected the occupation of the head of the respondent's household, as well as the highest grade attended and completed by his mother and father. The 1966 survey also asked whether magazines and newspapers were available in the respondent's home at age 14 and whether anyone in the household had a library card. Finally, the 1971 interview gathered information about whether a language other than English was spoken in the home when the respondent was 15 years old; answers were grouped in the same categories as the Older Men.

• Older Men cohort
• Young Men cohort

Older Men cohort

A nearly complete work history for weeks worked and a complete listing of the most important or longest held jobs are available for respondents in the Older Men cohort.

• Older Men cohort
• Young Men cohort

Older Men cohort

Because the Older Men had already been in the work force for a number of years, schooling was not a major focus for this cohort. The surveys collected basic data on educational attainment, but detailed questions like those asked of the Young Men were not included. In addition to the respondent-specific data, schooling and educational attainment variables are available for select survey years for household members and children of Older Men.

Most information was gathered during the initial survey. Information was collected during 1966 on the highest grade that each respondent had attended and whether that grade had been completed. Follow-up questions, also asked during the 1966 survey, gathered information on whether respondents had been enrolled in a vocational or commercial curriculum during high school, and if so, the primary type of training, e.g., secretarial, bookkeeping, mechanics, woodworking, etc., that they had received. Finally, a created variable reporting each respondent's highest grade completed is available in 1966.

Some additional data were collected in later surveys of the Older Men. The state in which respondents last attended high school was identified during the 1971 survey. The 1976 interviews gathered information on the highest grade of school that had been completed, the year of graduation from high school, the year last attended college, whether or not a college degree had been received and, if so, the type of highest college degree earned ("associate," "bachelors," "masters," "Ph.D./LL.B./M.D./etc."). College enrollment during the past year was measured at four survey points: 1973, 1975, 1978, and 1980.

Young Men cohort

Due to the fact that schooling, particularly the school-to-work transition process, was a primary focus of the surveys of the Young Men, questions on education were fielded more frequently and the data collection was more comprehensive than with the Older Men. Commonly used educational status and attainment variables available for Young Men respondents are summarized by subject area below. Descriptions of the various standardized test scores available for respondents in the Young Men cohort can be found in the Aptitude, Achievement, & Intelligence Scores section. Data from the separately administered school survey and the constructed college variables are described in the High School & College Surveys section.

Current School Enrollment Status

Enrollment Status--Is R Currently Enrolled?

Asked during each survey year.

Grade Attending

For those attending regular school, data were collected during each survey year on the specific grade within elementary/high school or the year of college he was attending.

Educational Attainment

Highest Grade Completed as of XX--Revised

A series of edited educational attainment variables were created by survey staff for the first nine survey years (1966-76). These are summary variables, available for most respondents, in which each respondent's record has been longitudinally edited and crosschecked against information gathered during other years. Derivations for most of these revised variables appear within the codebook. Post-1976 highest grade completed variables provide update information for only those respondents attending school since the date of last interview. The user notes below include a discussion of these variables.

Date of Diploma

Information on the month and year that a high school diploma was received was collected in 1976 for those respondents who had completed high school but who had never been enrolled in college.

Ever Attended College

A single question fielded in 1981, the last interview, provides summary information for those respondents not currently attending college (or who reported that they had attended since the last interview) on whether they had ever attended a college or university.

Type of College Degree

The information collected in 1966 on type of college degree ("associate," "bachelors," "masters," "doctorate") was updated during each survey year except 1976 for those respondents who received a degree since the previous interview. The 1976 interview provides information on the highest degree ever received for those in at least the second year of college.

School Experiences

High School Experiences

The 1966 survey fielded a set of questions designed to assess each respondent's overall high school experiences. The high school series included questions on (1) whether or not a respondent participated in extracurricular activities, the number of hours per week and favorite activity (e.g., sports, music, other clubs, etc.); (2) number of hours per week he spent on homework, where he studied, and if there were distractions to his homework efforts; (3) which high school subjects he liked most/least and the reasons; (4) the kinds of non-school-related activities that took up most of his time (e.g., sports, working for pay, a hobby, etc.); and (5) the respondent's general attitude toward his high school years.

College Experiences

A similar set of 1966 questions assessed the respondent's overall college experiences. This series collected information on (1) how he felt about his college experience; (2) the field of study liked most/least and the reasons; and (3) for those respondents currently enrolled who would like more education, information was collected on how many years of education he would like to complete, how much education he thought he would actually get, what college he would like to attend, and what field he would like to study.

Comparable sets of questions were asked of respondents in the Young Women cohort. Information collected on the names and locations of up to four colleges was used in construction of the college survey variables; see the "High School & College Surveys" section of this guide for more information.

High School & College Curricula

Type of High School Curriculum

Type of high school curriculum, i.e., "vocational," "commercial," "college preparatory," or "general," in which a respondent was enrolled during his last year of high school was collected during the initial 1966 interview. These data were updated during the 1967-71 surveys for respondents enrolled in school during those years.

Type of College Curriculum

Information on the type of college curriculum that respondents were pursuing is available for the 1967-71 survey years. The universe for this series is those respondents currently attending college. Coding categories are the same as those used for the 'Field of Study' variables.

Field of Study

Data collected in 1966 on the area of concentration of respondents' most recent college degree were updated during subsequent interviews for those who received a degree between survey dates. A series of variables were created that summarize the field of study of respondent's most recent undergraduate/graduate college degree as of the 1966-71 interviews. The 1976 questionnaire asked those respondents enrolled in at least the second year of college for information on the field of study of highest college degree received. The classification system(s) utilized through 1975 included such disciplines as the "Humanities," "Education," "Mathematics," "Business/Commerce," "Social Science," "Science," "Law" while the post-1975 field of study schema were expanded to include such fields as "Computer & Information Sciences," "Health Professions," "Public Affairs and Services," as well as specific disciplines leading to an associate degree, e.g., "Mechanical & Engineering Technologies," "Health Services and Paramedical Technologies," etc.

College financial information

Tuition

Full-time annual tuition amounts were collected during 1966 for the most recent college attended and during 1967-71 and 1976 for the college the respondent was attending that year.

Financial Aid

Comprehensive information on financial aid received in connection with college attendance was gathered during all surveys except 1973 and 1975. Data are available on whether a respondent enrolled in college received financial assistance, the type(s) (scholarship, assistantship, loan, GI Bill, etc.), and, for most years, the dollar amount. Users should note that the set of financial aid questions fielded during most survey years as part of the "Assets and Income" section, i.e., whether relatives provided financial aid, which relative(s), and the dollar amount received, did not have as their universe only those respondents attending college.

Type and location of schools

Is School Public?

Information on whether the current or last school attended was public or private was collected during the 1966-71, 1976, and 1981 surveys.

Census Division of School Currently or Last Attended

Census division of last high school attended is provided for the 1966 interview. This information was updated during all but the 1978 and 1980 survey years for the school the respondent was currently attending.

Comparison of Residence While in High School with Current Residence & with College Location

A series of comparison variables have been created for the 1966-70 survey years that provide information on whether the respondent resided in that year within the same or different county, state, or Census division as that in which his high school or college was located. A second set of variables is present for 1966, 1973, and 1975 that compares the location of, for example, the most recent college attended with other colleges attended. The user note below contains a cautionary explanation on the address information used to construct these variables.

Presence & Type of Accredited Two- & Four-Year Colleges in Labor Market of Current Residence

A discrete set of variables was created for the 1966 survey year that provide information on whether there existed within the respondent's labor market various types of colleges, e.g., two-year public colleges, four-year women's colleges, both public and private four-year colleges, etc.

Educational attitudes and expectations

As discussed under School Experiences above, in 1966 a series of questions asked respondents to report their overall attitude toward their high school and college, as well as their favorite and least liked courses. In addition, during five subsequent surveys, Young Men respondents who were still enrolled were asked to report their overall attitude toward school and explain any change relative to the previous survey.

Because the Young Men's survey was developed to examine the transition from school to work, significant effort was devoted to collecting information on future educational plans. From 1966 to 1976, questions were asked about the respondent's goal for his completed education (categories range from less than high school to 7 or more years of college), the actual amount of education he expected to receive, and the reason for any change in his educational plans between surveys. For generational comparisons, the respondent's report of his parents' goal for his education was collected in 1971 and the respondent's perception of parental and teacher encouragement for educational goals was gathered in three surveys. Table YM1 provides the reference numbers for these data and indicates universe limitations as applicable.

In addition to these general aspiration and expectation questions, surveys between 1966 and 1976 asked a number of questions of select universes regarding dates the respondent planned to go back to high school, start college, and return to college. Respondents also reported reasons they planned to end or continue their education, as well as reasons their specific plans changed since the last interview. Finally, a series of created variables assesses the congruity of the respondent's educational goal with the educational requirements for his occupational goal.