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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. NLS data have served as an important tool for economists, sociologists, and other researchers for more than 50 years. Learn about the different NLS cohorts.

Notices

Graphics

nlsy79-cumulative-jobs-ages-18-54

Click the graphic to enlarge chart: NLSY79 cumulative number of jobs held from age 18 to age 56 in 1978-2020, by sex and age.

nlsy79-percent-employed-ages-18-56

Click the graphic to enlarge chart: NLSY79 percent of weeks employed from age 18 to age 56 in 1978-2020, by educational attainment, race, and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity.

nlsy79-percent-not-in-labor-force-ages-18-56

Click the graphic to enlarge chart: NLSY79 percent of weeks not in the labor force from age 18 to age 56 in 1978-2020, by sex and age.

nlsy79-marital-status-at-24-34-44-56

Click the graphic to enlarge chart: NLSY79 marital status at age 24, age 34, age 44, and age 56 by educational attainment.

nlsy79-health-limit-at-24-34-44-56

Click the graphic to enlarge chart: NLSY79 percent of individuals whose health limited the kind or amount of work they performed by age and educational attainment.

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Latest News Releases

//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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//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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Publications

Monthly Labor Review

Monthly Labor Review article image

Patterns of marriage and divorce from ages 15 to 55: Evidence from the NLSY79

The timing and frequency of marriage and divorce varied by race, ethnicity, sex, education, and work history. read more »

The Economics Daily

The Economics Daily article image

People born between 1980 and 1984 held an average of 9.0 jobs from ages 18 through 36

People born in 1980–84 and living in the United States in 1997 held an average of 9.0 jobs from age 18 through age 36. These adults held more jobs at younger ages: they held an average of 5.1 jobs from ages 18 to 23 compared with 2.5 jobs from ages 30 to 36. Men held an average of 8.9 jobs from ages 18 to 36 and women held an average of 9.1 jobs. read more »