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National Longitudinal Surveys

National Longitudinal Surveys Home Page

The National Longitudinal Surveys (NLS) are a set of surveys designed to gather information at multiple points in time on the labor market activities and other significant life events of several groups of men and women. For more than 4 decades, NLS data have served as an important tool for economists, sociologists, and other researchers.

Notices

  • Redesign of various National Longitudinal Surveys webpages Read More »

Graphics

nlsy97-cumulative

Click the graphic to enlarge chart: NLSY97 cumulative number of jobs held from age 18 through age 32 in 1998-2017, by age and sex.

nlsy97-percent

Click the graphic to enlarge chart: NLSY97 percent of weeks employed from age 18 through age 32 in 1998-2017, by educational attainment, race and Hispanic orLatino ethnicity.

nlsy79-cumulative

Click the graphic to enlarge chart: NLSY79 cumulative number of jobs held from age 18 through age 52 in 1978-2016, by age and sex.

nlsy79-percent

Click the graphic to enlarge chart: NLSY79 percent of weeks employed from age 18 to age 52 in 1978-2016, by educational attainment, race, and Hispanic or Latinoethnicity.

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Next Releases

  • The Number of Jobs, Labor Market Experience, and Earnings Growth: Results from a National Longitudinal Survey data are scheduled to be released on August 00, 2021, at 10:00 A.M. Eastern Time.
  • //NLSYTH Test 03222022//The Employment Experience of Youths: Results from a Longitudinal Survey data are scheduled to be released on March 22, 2022, at 10:00 A.M. Eastern Time.
read more »

Latest News Releases

//NLSOY QCT Resilio Test 10/05/2023// Persons born in the latter years of the baby boom...

10/05/2023

//NLSOY QCT Resilio Test 10/05/2023// Persons born in the latter years of the baby boom (1957-64) held an average of 12.4 jobs from ages 18 to 54
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//NLSYTH QCT Resilio Test 10/05/2023// Labor market experience, education, partner...

10/05/2023

//NLSYTH QCT Resilio Test 10/05/2023// A longitudinal study of Americans born in the early 1980s reveals that individuals held anaverage of 8.2 jobs.
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Publications

Beyond the Numbers

Beyond the Numbers article image

Men who do not work during their prime years: What do the National Longitudinal Surveys of Youth data reveal?

The labor force participation rate of prime-working-age men (ages 25 to 54) has been mostly falling since the late 1960s, with steeper declines during recessionary periods. Time spent not working has implications for future job and earnings potential, as well as for the well-being of the individual and his family. read more »

Monthly Labor Review

Monthly Labor Review article image

Occupational injuries and illnesses among registered nurses

This article examines the types and severity of workplace injuries and illnesses among registered nurses. read more »

The Economics Daily

The Economics Daily article image

Baby boomers with more education had higher growth rates in real earnings at every stage of life

The earnings of workers born in the later years of the baby boom (1957–64) increased most rapidly while they were young. At every stage of life, real wages grew at a higher rate for workers who held a bachelor’s degree or higher. read more »