National Longitudinal Survey of Older Men, 1966-1990 (ICPSR 4675)

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The National Longitudinal Survey of Older Men is one of six surveys, designed by the United States Department of Labor, comprising the National Longitudinal Survey (NLS) Series. The original purpose of the survey was to study employment patterns among men in their 40s and 50s who were on the verge of making decisions about the timing and extent of their withdrawal from the labor force and their plans for retirement. The survey was first administered to 5,020 respondents by interviewers from the United States Census Bureau in 1966. The survey was repeated a further 12 times between the years of 1967 and 1983. An additional version of the survey was completed by living respondents or by the widows or other family members of deceased respondents in 1990, and afterward it was discontinued. The survey queried respondents on 14 main subjects: labor market experiences, work-related discrimination, training investments, schooling information, military experiences, retirement plans and experiences, volunteer work and leisure-time activities, income and assets, physical well-being, health care and health insurance, alcohol and cigarette use, attitudes, aspirations, and psychological well-being. Also collected were geographic and environmental data, demographic and family background data, marital history, and number of children and dependents. An important portion of the survey was dedicated to the respondent's labor market experiences. Respondents were asked to provide information regarding their occupation, their working class, hours worked per week, rate of pay, and attitude toward their current job. Respondents were also asked about a variety of job-related activities including shift worked, union membership, length of commute, tenure, employment benefits, and eligibility for retirement benefits. Respondents who were unemployed or temporarily out of the labor force were asked about their plans for seeking employment, number of weeks spent looking for work, number of weeks spent out of the labor force, and reasons for not seeking employment. Respondents were also asked about work-related discrimination. Specifically, there were questions aimed at determining whether the respondent had ever experienced discrimination based on age, race, religion, or gender. Respondents also were asked about training experiences. The survey included questions about vocational training completed in high school, enrollment in business or technical training programs, armed forces training programs, and other types of apprenticeships and training programs in which the respondent had participated upon completion of his regular schooling. Additional questions regarding training courses or educational programs completed on the job were also included. Respondents were asked to provide information on their educational status and attainment including highest grade completed, the last year the respondents attended college, whether they earned a degree, and the highest college degree attained. The data also contain information on the respondents' military service record, general periods of service, start and stop dates for periods of active duty, and income from armed forces pension plans. Retirement was another major theme addressed by the survey. Respondents were asked about retirement plans and expectations such as what age they expected to retire, what sorts of activities they planned to be involved with after retiring, eligibility for Social Security benefits, and expected income during retirement. Some surveys asked respondents what sorts of leisure activities they had participated in during the previous year. There were also questions regarding family assets and debts. Specifically, respondents were asked whether they or their spouses owned their own homes, other real estate, or automobiles, and the total worth of those assets. Respondents were also asked about other assets such as savings accounts, United States savings bonds, other bonds, stocks, and any personal loans. Respondents were asked to rate their overall health condition and their general satisfaction with their health. In addition, respondents were asked if they had experienced any of a variety of health-related problems including pain, fatigue, weakness, fainting spells, anxiety or depression, or shortness of breath. Alcohol and cigarette consumption during the past 12 months was also covered. The survey included a series of questions targeting respondents' attitudes, aspirations, and overall psychological well-being. Several geographic variables were included in the data, specifically place of residence including Census division, South or non-South differentiation, and residence in a metropolitan statistical area. Other geographic variables include data on the respondents' previous places of residence as well as characteristics about the size of the labor force and unemployment rates for their current residence. In addition, there are several demographic variables including the respondents' race, nationality, date of birth, birthplace, and parents' educational and life status. There are also variables relating to marital status, children, and dependents. They include current marital status, dates, duration, and reason for the end of previous marriages, total number of children, number of children living at home, ages of children, dates of birth, and gender of children.

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