Interviews started in 1967 for the NLS mature women, a group of 5,083 women ages 20 to 44. Their longitudinal record encompasses, for many, the reentry into the labor market at middle age after child rearing as well as retirement decisions.
In 1968, interviews were initiated with the NLS young women, a cohort of 5,159 women ages 14 to 24. At that time, many were leaving their parent's home, making initial career and job decisions, and beginning families of their own. Now in their mid-forties to fifties, these women too are beginning to contemplate retirement issues. Others face choices regarding labor force attachments as, for many, their children leave the home.
A unique aspect of the original cohorts sample design allows for intrahousehold comparisons using members from different cohorts. At the time samples were drawn, half of the mature women's cohorts and a third of the men as well as three-quarters of both the young men and young women cohorts shared a household with another cohort member. This allows for intergeneration studies such as income and time transfers, economic linkages among family members, and the examination of how family stability affects socioeconomic success. [More about multiple respondent households.]
Surveys of the women's cohorts have collected three basic types of information: (1) Core data on each respondent's work and nonwork experiences, training investments, school, (including a separate survey of respondent's high schools,) family income and assets, physical well-being, and geographic residence; (2) Background information on her marital and fertility history; and (3) supplementary data specific to the age, stage of life or labor market attachment of the cohort (for example, household responsibilities, child care arrangements, retirement plans, volunteer work.)
The 1999 young women survey included a special set of questions for respondents who have a mother in the mature women cohort. These young women describe transfers of time and money to and from their mothers. Although the sample is not representative of all mothers and daughters, researchers can use these data to compare generation's perceptions about the amounts of time and money transferred.
In addition the mature women survey contains a wealth of retirement and pension data. All but two surveys since 1977 have sought information on respondents' retirement plans, expectations and eligibility for various pension plans. Since 1989, the mature women surveys have collected extensive pension plan information including characteristics of each pension provider and each plan. The Institute for Social Research (ISR) at the University of Michigan conducted a special pension-matching project with the Census Bureau where plans were coded and matched to specific pension plans. This matched data is also available to researchers.
Last Modified Date: March 01, 2002