National Longitudinal Surveys of Youth

• In Event: 3201 - Research Funding Opportunities and Data Resources Presentations: Session II

Abstract

NATIONAL LONGITUDINAL SURVEY OF YOUTH 1979 (NLSY79), NLSY97, AND CHILDREN OF THE NLSY79. The NLSY79, NLSY97, and Children of the NLSY79 are three cohorts of the National Longitudinal Surveys program, a rich set of surveys sponsored by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) of the U.S. Department of Labor. The NLSY79 cohort started interviewing in 1979 with 12,686 American youth age 14 to 22 (born 1957-64); data representing 27 rounds are currently available. The NLSY97 cohort follows a group of 8,984 individuals born between 1980 and 1984 (initially age 12-17 years), with 17 data rounds released. Finally, the Children of the NLSY79--sponsored by BLS with support from NICHD--are the offspring of NLSY79 females. Information has been gathered on these children since 1986. While the NLSY79 and NLSY97 surveys initially focused on youths’ school-to-work transitions, survey content now includes a wide range of life course topics, including job characteristics, labor market status, education, training, health, relationships, fertility, income and assets, attitudes, and military experiences. The NLSY79 and NLSY97 both include oversamples of Black and Hispanic respondents. The Children of the NLSY79 data effort profiles the development and achievement of the children of the NLSY79 mothers. These surveys follow the children’s health, physical and social development, activities, attitudes, behaviors, school progress, and home environment from birth through adolescence. Once these children reach age 15, they are known as NLSY79 Young Adults and are interviewed about their schooling, employment, training, family experiences, health, behaviors, and attitudes. The combined Child/Young Adult sample ranges in age from birth to mid-forties and contains significant numbers of minority respondents. The Child/Young Adult data can be merged with the NLSY79 mothers’ records, enabling intergenerational analyses. Data for all NLSY cohorts are available, at no cost, at http://www.nlsinfo.org/investigator, while Users Guides for each cohort can be found at www.nlsinfo.org. A listing of NLSY-related research can be accessed at http://www.nlsbibliography.org.

Authors

• Elizabeth C. Cooksey, Ohio State University

• Steve McClaskie, The Ohio State Univesity