NLSY97 USER’S GUIDE

A Guide to the Round 1 Data

National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997

• Table of Contents
• List of Tables and Figures
• Acknowledgments

Table of Contents

Chapter 1: Introduction

Chapter 2: Getting Started

Chapter 3: Sample Design & Fielding Procedures

Chapter 4: Topical Guide to the NLSY97

4.1 Aptitude, Achievement & Intelligence Scores

4.1.1 Achievement Tests
4.1.2 Administration of the CAT-ASVAB
4.1.3 PIAT Math Test

4.2 Education

4.2.1 College Experience
4.2.2 Educational Status & Attainment
4.2.3 School-Based Learning Programs
4.2.4 School Experience
4.2.5 School Survey (1997)

4.3 Employment

4.3.1 Employers & Jobs
4.3.2 Fringe Benefits
4.3.3 Gaps in Employment
4.3.4 Industry
4.3.5 Job Search
4.3.6 Labor Force Status
4.3.7 Occupation
4.3.8 Self-Employment Characteristics
4.3.9 Tenure
4.3.10 Time Spent at Work
4.3.11 Wages
4.3.12 Work Experience

4.4 Event History

4.5 Expectations, Attitudes, Behaviors & Time Use

4.5.1 Alcohol Use
4.5.2 Attitudes
4.5.3 Autonomy & Parental Control
4.5.4 Cigarette Use
4.5.5 Crime, Delinquency & Arrest
4.5.6 Drug Use
4.5.7 Expectations
4.5.8 Sexual Activity & Dating
4.5.9 Time Use

4.6 Family Background & Demographic Characteristics

4.6.1 Age of Respondent
4.6.2 Gender
4.6.3 Geographic Indicators
4.6.4 Household & Neighborhood Environment
4.6.5 Household Composition
4.6.6 Non-Resident Characteristics
4.6.7 Parent Characteristics
4.6.8 Race & Ethnicity
4.6.9 Youth History

4.7 Health

4.8 Income, Program Participation & Assets

4.8.1 Assets & Debts
4.8.2 Income
4.8.3 Program Participation

4.9 Marital History & Fertility

4.9.1 Fertility, Pregnancy & Children
4.9.2 Marital & Marriage-like Relationships

4.10 Training

Chapter 5: Accessing the Variables

Appendix: NLSY97 Glossary of Terms

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List of Tables and Figures

1.2 Table 1. The NLS: Survey Groups, Sample Sizes, Interview Years & Status

1.3 Table 1. Round 1 NLSY97 Sample Size by Subsample, Race/Ethnicity & Gender

1.3 Table 2. Round 1 Distribution of NLSY97 Respondents by Household Type

1.3 Table 3. Round 1 Distribution of Sibling Groups

1.4 Table 1. Content of the Youth Questionnaire

1.4 Table 2. Content of the Parent Questionnaire

1.5 Table 1. Data Releases

2.1 Table 1. List of NLS Documentation

2.2 Table 1. NLSY97 User’s Guide Topics

2.4 Figure 1. NLSY97 Areas of Interest

3.1 Table 1. Round I Interview Completion: NLSY97

3.1 Table 2. NLSY97 Sampling Status of Youths by Housing Arrangement

3.2 Figure 1. Priority for Choosing Responding Parent

3.3 Table 1. Racial, Ethnic & Gender Composition of NLSY97 Initial Sample

4.1 Table 1. Aptitude, Achievement & Intelligence Scores Subtopics and Universe Restrictions

4.1.2 Figure 1. Contents of the CAT-ASVAB

4.2 Table 1. Education Subtopics and Universe Restrictions

4.2.3 Table 1. Definitions of School-Based Learning Programs

4.3 Table 1. Employment Subtopics and Universe Restrictions

4.3.2 Figure 1. Fringe Benefits Available through Employer

4.3.5 Figure 1. Possible Job Search Actions

4.5 Table 1. Expectations, Attitudes, Behaviors & Time Use Subtopics and Universe Restrictions

4.5.2 Figure 1. Youth Descriptors

4.5.7 Table 1. Topics of Expectations Questions

4.6 Table 1. Family Background & Demographic Characteristics Subtopics and Universe Restrictions

4.6.2 Table 1. NLSY97 Composition by Gender and Sample Type

4.6.3 Figure 1. States by Census Region

4.6.5 Figure 1. Definitions of Relationships in Household Roster

4.6.6 Table 1. Data Collected for Non-Resident Relatives

4.6.7 Figure 1. Assets Held by the Responding Parent

4.7 Table 1. Health Subtopics and Universe Restrictions

4.7 Figure 1. Health Conditions

4.8 Table 1. Income, Program Participation & Assets Subtopics and Universe Restrictions

4.8.1 Figure 1. NLSY97 Asset and Debt Categories

4.8.3 Figure 1. Government Assistance Programs

4.9 Table 1. Marital History & Fertility Subtopics and Universe Restrictions

4.10 Table 1. Training Subtopics and Universe Restrictions

4.10 Figure 1. Types of Training Providers

5.2 Figure 1. Symbols in the Youth and Parent Questionnaires

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Acknowledgments

The National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997 Cohort is an expansive survey sponsored by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, and conducted by the National Opinion Research Center (NORC) at the University of Chicago with assistance from the Center for Human Resource Research (CHRR) at The Ohio State University. Additional funding has been provided by the U.S. Department of Defense and the Armed Services, the Department of Justice, and the National School-to-Work Office.

This document pays tribute to the initiators of the NLS, Herbert S. Parnes and Howard Rosen, who had the vision to see that the collection of longitudinal data on the labor force experience of men and women in the United States could provide a basis for policies fostering more efficient and equitable labor markets. Additional thanks are given to the NLSY97's current principal investigator, James Walker, and to its original principal investigator, Robert T. Michael, who have overseen the addition of this latest cohort to the National Longitudinal Surveys.

Special thanks go to Randy Olsen; the NLSY97 archival team, Frank Marino and Denise Mehlo; and the other members of the documentation team, Jean Haurin, Shawn Miller, and Linda White.

Rosella Gardecki
Jennifer Hering
Amanda McClain
Jay Zagorsky
Editors