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The PSID is the world's longest-running nationally representative household panel survey. With over 50 years of data on the same families and their descendants, the PSID is a cornerstone of the data infrastructure for empirically based social science research in the U.S. PSID gathers data on the family as a whole and on individuals residing within the family, emphasizing the dynamic and interactive aspects of family economics, demography, and health. PSID data were collected annually from 1968-1997 and biennially after 1997.

In the Main Interview, one person per family is interviewed on a regular basis. Information about each family member is collected, but much greater detail is obtained about the reference person and, if married/cohabitating, the spouse or long-term cohabitor. Survey content changes to reflect evolving scientific and policy priorities, although many content areas have been consistently measured since 1968. Information includes employment, income, wealth, expenditures, time use, health, dementia screener, insurance, education, marriage, childbearing, philanthropy, and numerous other topics. Additional types of PSID data are available only under a restricted contract. These include but are not limited to: geospatial data below the level of state; mortality data; Medicare claims; and educational characteristics from the National Center for Education Statistics.

With low attrition and high success in following young adults as they form their own families, the sample size has grown from roughly 5,000 families in 1968 to more than 9,000 families and 24,000 individuals by 2021. Over the course of the study, the PSID has distributed data on more than 84,000 individuals. The long panel, genealogical design, and broad content of the data offer unique opportunities to conduct generational and life-course research.

The PSID now contains thousands of inter- and intragenerational relationships over 50 years of data, including (as of the 2021 wave):

• "Paired" generational relationships, with each family in the pair providing independent interviews
  • Parent-Adult Child pairs: ~4,300
  • Sibling pairs: ~5,200
  • Cousin pairs: ~5,400
• "Tripled" generational relationships, with all three generations providing independent interviews
  • Grandparent-Parent-Adult Child triplets: ~1,000

For information about earlier data collections, see Panel Study of Income Dynamics (PSID): Main Interview, 1968-2015.

In 2021, the main interview was updated to include questions about the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, including: loss of earnings, US government stimulus payments, charitable giving, participants' exposure to COVID-19, and vaccination status.

This study features Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) policy and enrollment data organized in three datasets. The data were originally collected for a companion paper, Pukelis, K. (2024). "SNAP Policies and Enrollment following the COVID-19 Pandemic."

The SNAP COVID Policy Data (DS1) provides monthly data on states' adoption of policies to adjust SNAP enrollment requirements and benefits during the COVID-19 federal public health emergency, from March 2020 through June 2023. This dataset features information from all 50 states regarding policy waivers that were requested to simplify SNAP application and recertification requirements, temporarily waive recertification requirements, and provide emergency supplemental benefits. SNAP implementation procedures data from 2019 are also available for comparison.

The SNAP County Enrollment Data (DS2) contains county-month level data on SNAP enrollment numbers, total benefits issued, applications, and recertifications, as well as a handful of measures on the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program and Medicaid.

The SNAP State Enrollment Detail Data (DS3) includes state-month level data on SNAP enrollment details, including applications, recertifications, enrollment by demographic group, and information about office walk-in visits and calls to the assistance line. TANF and Medicaid state-month level data is also provided. The state enrollment file also features 62 variables detailing Louisiana case closures.

County and state enrollment files contain demographic information for a limited number of states, including SNAP, TANF, and Medicaid enrollment by age group, and state-month SNAP enrollment by gender, race, and ethnicity.