Forces of Change Survey, United States, 2024 (ICPSR 39672)
The National Association of County and City Health Officials' (NACCHO's) Forces of Change Survey was developed as an evolution to NACCHO's Job Losses and Program Cuts surveys, which measured the impact of the economic recession on local health departments' (LHDs) budgets, staff, and programs.
Beginning in 2014, NACCHO began conducting the Forces of Change survey yearly in years that the National Profile Study of Local Health Departments (Profile) was not fielded. The Forces of Change Survey continues to measure changes in LHD budgets, staff, programs, and assess more broadly the impact of forces affecting change in LHDs.
More specifically, the survey collected information about staffing and budget changes, agency governance, engagement with fellowship/training programs, public health nursing activities, evaluation capacity, and services to address the infectious disease consequences of the opioid crisis.
Income in the Off-Season: Household Adaptation to Yearly Work Interruptions (ICPSR 238636)
Forces of Change Survey, United States, 2023 (ICPSR 39352)
Real-Time Population Survey (ICPSR 158081)
Dataset: U.S. Trends in Job Stability by Sex, Race, and Ethnicity from 1996 to 2020 (ICPSR 207601)
Data and Code for "Displaced Workers and the Pandemic Recession" (ICPSR 192026)
Forces of Change Survey, United States, 2018 (ICPSR 38307)
The National Association of County and City Health Officials' (NACCHO) Forces of Change Survey is an evolution of NACCHO's Job Losses and Program Cuts Surveys (also known as the Economic Surveillance Surveys) which measured the impact of the economic recession on local health departments' (LHD) budgets, staff, and programs. The Forces of Change Survey continues to measure changes in LHD budgets, staff, and programs and assess more broadly the impact of forces affecting change in local health departments, such as health reform and accreditation. The 2018 Forces of Change survey was distributed to a stratified random sample of 966 LHDs in the United States.
The survey included six topics: (1) Budget Cuts and Job Losses, (2) Response to Opioid Use and Abuse, (3) Population Health Activities, (4) Influenza Preparedness and Response, (5) Informatics Capacity, and (6) Environmental Health Activities.
Reason for job loss, 1968-1992 (ICPSR 101136)
Current Population Survey, November 2012: Voting and Registration Supplement (ICPSR 36383)
This data collection is comprised of responses from two sets of survey questionnaires, the basic Current Population Survey (CPS) and a survey on the topic of voting and registration in the United States, which was administered as a supplement to the November 2012 CPS questionnaire.
The CPS, administered monthly, is a labor force survey providing current estimates of the economic status and activities of the population of the United States. Specifically, the CPS provides estimates of total employment (both farm and nonfarm), nonfarm self-employed persons, domestics, and unpaid helpers in nonfarm family enterprises, wage and salaried employees, and estimates of total unemployment. Data from the CPS are provided for the week prior to the survey.
The voting and registration supplement data are collected every two years to monitor trends in the voting and nonvoting behavior of United States citizens in terms of their different demographic and economic characteristics. The supplement was designed to be a proxy response supplement, meaning a single respondent could provide answers for all eligible household members. The supplement questions were asked of all persons who were both United States citizens and 18 years of age or older. The CPS instrument determined who was eligible for the voting and registration supplement through the use of check items that referred to basic CPS items, including age and citizenship.
Respondents were queried on whether they were registered to vote in the November 6, 2012 election, main reasons for not being registered to vote, main reasons for not voting, whether they voted in person or by mail, and method used to register to vote. Demographic variables include age, sex, race, Hispanic origin, marital status, veteran status, disability status, educational attainment, occupation, and income.
CBS News/New York Times Poll, May #2, 2013 (ICPSR 36056)
ANES 2010 Panel Recontact Study (ICPSR 35155)
CBS News National Poll, March #2, 2013 (ICPSR 34996)
CBS News/New York Times National Poll, September #1, 2012 (ICPSR 34632)
CBS News/New York Times National Poll, April #1, 2012 (ICPSR 34612)
CBS News/New York Times National Poll, January #2, 2012 (ICPSR 34590)
Eurobarometer 76.2: Employment and Social Policy, Job Security, and Active Aging, September-November 2011 (ICPSR 34567)
The Eurobarometer series is a unique cross-national and cross-temporal survey program conducted on behalf of the European Commission. These surveys regularly monitor public opinion in the European Union (EU) member countries and consist of standard modules and special topic modules. The standard modules address attitudes towards European unification, institutions and policies, measurements for general socio-political orientations, as well as respondent and household demographics. The special topic modules address such topics as agriculture, education, natural environment and resources, public health, public safety and crime, and science and technology.
This round of Eurobarometer surveys covers the special topics of employment and social policy, and active aging. Questions pertain to opinions about job security, starting one's own business, as well as opinions of and participation in training courses and voluntary work. Also, opinions were collected on poverty, retirement age, and general perceptions and attitudes on aging and age groups.
Demographic and other background information collected includes age, gender, nationality, marital status and parental relations, occupation, age when stopped full-time education, household composition, ownership of a fixed or mobile telephone and other goods, difficulties in paying bills, level in society, and Internet use. In addition, country-specific data includes type and size of locality, region of residence, and language of interview (select countries).
CBS News/New York Times National Poll, October #2, 2011 (ICPSR 34472)
CBS News/New York Times National Poll, October #1, 2011 (ICPSR 34471)
CBS News/New York Times National Poll, September #1, 2011 (ICPSR 34458)
CBS News/60 Minutes/Vanity Fair National Poll, September #2, 2011 (ICPSR 34459)
Current Population Survey, January 2012: Displaced Worker, Employee Tenure, and Occupational Mobility Supplement (ICPSR 34435)
This data collection is comprised of responses from two sets of survey questionnaires, the basic Current Population Survey (CPS) and a survey administered as a supplement to the January CPS questionnaire on the topic of Displaced Workers, Employee Tenure, and Occupational Mobility in the United States.
The CPS, administered monthly, collects labor force data about the civilian noninstitutional population living in the United States. Moreover, the CPS provides current estimates of the economic status and activities of this population which includes estimates of total employment (both farm and nonfarm), nonfarm self-employed persons, domestics, and unpaid helpers in nonfarm family enterprises, wage and salaried employees, and estimates of total unemployment. Data from the CPS are provided for the week prior to the administration of the survey.
All persons eligible for the labor force items of the basic CPS were also eligible for the supplement. The supplement was designed to be a proxy response supplement, meaning a single respondent could provide answers for all eligible household members, provided the respondent was a household member 15 years of age or older. Persons 20 years of age and older, who lost or left a job involuntarily within the last three years (based on operating decisions of a firm, plant, or business in which the worker was employed) were eligible for the first part of the supplement, which consisted of the Displaced Workers items. Persons 15 years of age and older who were employed during the reference week were eligible for the second part of the supplement, which consisted of the Employee Tenure and Occupational Mobility items.
Respondents were queried on reasons for job displacement, industry and occupation of the former job, group health insurance coverage, job tenure, and weekly earnings. Additional data refer to periods of unemployment as well as number of jobs held, use of unemployment benefits, whether residence was changed to seek work in another area, current health insurance coverage, and current weekly earnings.
Although the main purpose of the survey was to collect information on an individual's employment situation, a very important secondary purpose was to collect information on demographic characteristics such as age, sex, race, Hispanic origin, marital status, veteran status, educational attainment, family relationship, occupation, and income.
Current Population Survey, February 2005: Contingent Work Supplement (ICPSR 4311)
This data collection is comprised of responses from two sets of survey questionnaires, the basic Current Population Survey (CPS) and a survey on the topic of Contingent Employment in the United States, which was administered as a supplement to the February 2005 CPS. In addition to administering the basic CPS, interviewers asked the supplementary questions in three-fourths of the sample households.
The CPS, administered monthly, is a labor force survey providing current estimates of the economic status and activities of the population of the United States, for the week prior to the survey. Specifically, the CPS provides estimates of total employment (both farm and nonfarm), nonfarm self- employed persons, domestics, and unpaid helpers in nonfarm family enterprises, wage and salaried employees, and estimates of total unemployment.
The Contingent Work Supplement questions were asked of all applicable persons age 15 years and older. The supplement data is comprised of information on contingent or temporary work that a person did without expecting continuing employment from the particular employer they happened to be working for. Also included is information about each worker's expectation of continuing employment, satisfaction with their current employment arrangement, current job history, transition into the current employment arrangement, search for other employment, employee benefits, and earnings. The supplement questions were not asked of unpaid family workers and persons not looking for work (this includes persons not in the labor force and unemployed persons on layoff who are not looking for work).
Demographic variables include age, sex, race, Hispanic origin, marital status, veteran status, educational attainment, occupation, and income.
Current Population Survey, 2005: Unemployment Insurance (UI) Non-Filers Supplement (ICPSR 4689)
This data collection is comprised of data from the January, May, July, and November iterations of the 2005 Current Population Survey (CPS). In each of these months, two sets of questions were administered: the basic CPS questions, and a supplemental survey questionnaire on the topics of unemployment insurance and unemployment compensation. The supplement interviews were conducted in two rotations of four separate months (January, May, July, and November) in 2005 then merged into one dataset.
The CPS, administered monthly, is a labor force survey providing current estimates of the economic status and activities of the population of the United States. Specifically, the CPS provides estimates of total employment (both farm and nonfarm), nonfarm self-employed persons, domestics and unpaid helpers in nonfarm family enterprises, wage and salaried employees, and estimates of total unemployment. Data from the CPS are provided for the week prior to the survey.
The supplement was designed for proxy responses, meaning a single respondent could provide answers for all eligible household members, provided the respondent was a household member and met the sampling universe criteria. The supplement was asked of persons in the labor force aged 16 years and older, who met one of the following specific labor force conditions: (1) unemployed individual on layoff, (2) unemployed job seeker who worked in the last 12 months, (3) unemployed job seeker who last worked more than 12 months ago, (4) unemployed job seeker who worked before beginning to search for a job, but responded with "refuse," "don't know," or "blank" to the CPS labor force item of when last worked, and (5) individual not currently classified as unemployed but has not worked in the last 12 months. If any person in a household was eligible for the supplement, then the entire household was included in the dataset.
The supplement contained person-level questions structured to determine whether or not an individual had applied for unemployment compensation. Individuals who had applied for compensation were asked if they had received the compensation. If they had not received any compensation, then the individuals were asked why they had not received the compensation. Data are also provided on the number of unemployed persons. Demographic variables include age, sex, race, Hispanic origin, marital status, veteran status, educational attainment, occupation, and income.
CBS News National Survey, February #1, 2011 (ICPSR 33485)
Current Population Survey, February 2001: Contingent Work Supplement (ICPSR 3302)
This data collection is comprised of responses from two sets of survey questionnaires, the basic Current Population Survey (CPS) and a survey on the topic of Contingent Employment in the United States, which was administered as a supplement to the February 2001 CPS. In addition to administering the basic CPS, interviewers asked the supplementary questions in three-fourths of the sample households.
The CPS, administered monthly, is a labor force survey providing current estimates of the economic status and activities of the population of the United States, for the week prior to the survey. Specifically, the CPS provides estimates of total employment (both farm and nonfarm), nonfarm self-employed persons, domestics, and unpaid helpers in nonfarm family enterprises, wage and salaried employees, and estimates of total unemployment.
The Contingent Work Supplement questions were asked of all applicable persons age 15 years and older. The supplement data is comprised of information on contingent or temporary work that a person did without expecting continuing employment from the particular employer they happened to be working for. Also included is information about each worker's expectation of continuing employment, satisfaction with their current employment arrangement, current job history, transition into the current employment arrangement, search for other employment, employee benefits, and earnings. The supplement questions were not asked of unpaid family workers and persons not looking for work (this includes persons not in the labor force and unemployed persons on layoff who are not looking for work).
Demographic variables include age, sex, race, Hispanic origin, marital status, veteran status, educational attainment, occupation, and income.
Current Population Survey, 2004: Cell Phone Supplement (ICPSR 4347)
This data collection is comprised of responses from two sets of survey questionnaires, the basic Current Population Survey (CPS) and a supplemental survey on the topic of cell phone use in the United States, which was primarily administered in February 2004. An additional sample of respondents was given the supplemental survey with the November 2004 CPS.
The CPS, administered monthly, is a labor force survey providing current estimates of the economic status and activities of the population of the United States. Specifically, the CPS provides estimates of total employment (both farm and nonfarm), nonfarm self-employed persons, domestics, and unpaid helpers in nonfarm family enterprises, wage and salaried employees, and estimates of total unemployment. The CPS is conducted in approximately 56,000-57,000 households.
The Cell Phone supplement contained household-level questions and provides data about household use of regular landline telephones and household use of cell phones. Respondents were specifically asked about the amount of cell phone usage, the number of landlines in the home, the different uses for the landlines (e.g., for computer lines or fax machines), how many members of the household had a working cell phone number, how many cell phones each member of the household had, whether the cell phones were answered by more than one household member, and the number of the calls the household received via cell phone.
Demographic variables include age, sex, race, Hispanic origin, marital status, veteran status, educational attainment, occupation, and income.
CBS News/New York Times Monthly Poll, June 2010 (ICPSR 31576)
CBS News/New York Times Monthly Poll, December 2009 (ICPSR 30407)
American National Election Studies (ANES) Panel Recontact Study, 2010 (ICPSR 30721)
CBS News/New York Times Monthly Poll, September 2009 (ICPSR 27805)
CBS News Call-Back Poll, September 2009 (ICPSR 27804)
Current Population Survey, February 2000: Displaced Workers, Employee Tenure, and Occupational Mobility Supplement (ICPSR 3169)
This data collection is comprised of responses from two sets of survey questionnaires, the basic Current Population Survey (CPS) and a survey administered as a supplement to the February CPS questionnaire on the topic of displaced workers, employee tenure, and occupational mobility in the United States.
The CPS, administered monthly, collects labor force data about the civilian noninstitutional population living in the United States. Moreover, the CPS provides current estimates of the economic status and activities of this population which includes estimates of total employment (both farm and nonfarm), nonfarm self-employed persons, domestics, and unpaid helpers in nonfarm family enterprises, wage and salaried employees, and estimates of total unemployment. Data from the CPS are provided for the week prior to the administration of the survey.
All persons eligible for the labor force items of the basic CPS were also eligible for the supplement. The supplement was designed to be a proxy response supplement, meaning a single respondent could provide answers for all eligible household members, provided the respondent was a household member 15 years of age or older. Persons 20 years of age and older, who lost or left a job in the last 3 years for selected reasons, were eligible for the first part of the supplement, which consists of the displaced workers items. Employed persons 15 years of age and older were eligible for the second part of the supplement, which consists of the employee tenure and occupational mobility items.
Respondents were queried on involuntary job loss within the last three years based on operating decisions of a firm, plant, or business, reasons for job displacement, industry and occupation of the former job, group health insurance coverage, job tenure, and weekly earnings. Additional data refer to periods of unemployment as well as number of jobs held, use of unemployment benefits, whether residence was changed to seek work in another area, and current health insurance coverage.
Demographic variables include age, sex, race, Hispanic origin, marital status, veteran status, educational attainment, family relationship, occupation, and income.
Current Population Survey, January 2006: Displaced Workers, Employee Tenure, and Occupational Mobility Supplement (ICPSR 4568)
This data collection is comprised of responses from two sets of survey questionnaires, the basic Current Population Survey (CPS) and a survey on the topic of displaced workers, employee tenure, and occupational mobility in the United States, which was administered as a supplement to the January CPS questionnaire.
The CPS, administered monthly, is a labor force survey providing current estimates of the economic status and activities of the population of the United States. Specifically, the CPS provides estimates of total employment (both farm and nonfarm), nonfarm self-employed persons, domestics, and unpaid helpers in nonfarm family enterprises, wage and salaried employees, and estimates of total unemployment. Data from the CPS are provided for the week prior to the survey.
All persons eligible for the labor force items of the basic CPS were also eligible for the supplement. The supplement was designed to be a proxy response supplement, meaning a single respondent could provide answers for all eligible household members, provided the respondent was a household member 15 years of age or older. Persons 20 years of age and older, who lost or left a job in the last three years for selected reasons, were eligible for the first part of the supplement, which consists of the displaced workers items. Employed persons 15 years of age and older were eligible for the second part of the supplement, which consists of the employee tenure and occupational mobility items.
Respondents were queried on involuntary job loss within the last three years based on operating decisions of a firm, plant, or business, reasons for job displacement, industry and occupation of the former job, group health insurance coverage, job tenure, and weekly earnings. Additional data refer to periods of unemployment as well as number of jobs held, use of unemployment benefits, whether residence was changed to seek work in another area, and current health insurance coverage. Near the conclusion of the supplement, the household was asked a few questions about job losses due to Hurricane Katrina, which struck the Gulf Coast area in August 2005.
Demographic variables include age, sex, race, Hispanic origin, marital status, veteran status, educational attainment, occupation, and income.
Current Population Survey, January 2004: Displaced Workers, Employee Tenure, and Occupational Mobility Supplement (ICPSR 4072)
This data collection is comprised of responses from two sets of survey questionnaires, the basic Current Population Survey (CPS) and a survey administered as a supplement to the January CPS questionnaire on the topic of displaced workers, employee tenure, and occupational mobility in the United States.
The CPS, administered monthly, collects labor force data about the civilian noninstitutional population living in the United States. Moreover, the CPS provides current estimates of the economic status and activities of this population which includes estimates of total employment (both farm and nonfarm), nonfarm self-employed persons, domestics, and unpaid helpers in nonfarm family enterprises, wage and salaried employees, and estimates of total unemployment. Data from the CPS are provided for the week prior to the administration of the survey.
All persons eligible for the labor force items of the basic CPS were also eligible for the supplement. The supplement was designed to be a proxy response supplement, meaning a single respondent could provide answers for all eligible household members, provided the respondent was a household member 15 years of age or older. Persons 20 years of age and older, who lost or left a job in the last 3 years for selected reasons, were eligible for the first part of the supplement, which consists of the displaced workers items. Employed persons 15 years of age and older were eligible for the second part of the supplement, which consists of the employee tenure and occupational mobility items.
Respondents were queried on involuntary job loss within the last three years based on operating decisions of a firm, plant, or business, reasons for job displacement, industry and occupation of the former job, group health insurance coverage, job tenure, and weekly earnings. Additional data refer to periods of unemployment as well as number of jobs held, use of unemployment benefits, whether residence was changed to seek work in another area, and current health insurance coverage.
Demographic variables include age, sex, race, Hispanic origin, marital status, veteran status, educational attainment, family relationship, occupation, and income.
Current Population Survey, January 2002: Displaced Workers, Employee Tenure, and Occupational Mobility Supplement (ICPSR 3665)
This data collection is comprised of responses from two sets of survey questionnaires, the basic Current Population Survey (CPS) and a survey administered as a supplement to the January CPS questionnaire on the topic of displaced workers, employee tenure, and occupational mobility in the United States.
The CPS, administered monthly, collects labor force data about the civilian noninstitutional population living in the United States. Moreover, the CPS provides current estimates of the economic status and activities of this population which includes estimates of total employment (both farm and nonfarm), nonfarm self-employed persons, domestics, and unpaid helpers in nonfarm family enterprises, wage and salaried employees, and estimates of total unemployment. Data from the CPS are provided for the week prior to the administration of the survey.
All persons eligible for the labor force items of the basic CPS were also eligible for the supplement. The supplement was designed to be a proxy response supplement, meaning a single respondent could provide answers for all eligible household members, provided the respondent was a household member 15 years of age or older. Persons 20 years of age and older, who lost or left a job in the last 3 years for selected reasons, were eligible for the first part of the supplement, which consists of the displaced workers items. Employed persons 15 years of age and older were eligible for the second part of the supplement, which consists of the employee tenure and occupational mobility items.
Respondents were queried on involuntary job loss within the last three years based on operating decisions of a firm, plant, or business, reasons for job displacement, industry and occupation of the former job, group health insurance coverage, job tenure, and weekly earnings. Additional data refer to periods of unemployment as well as number of jobs held, use of unemployment benefits, whether residence was changed to seek work in another area, and current health insurance coverage.
Demographic variables include age, sex, race, Hispanic origin, marital status, veteran status, educational attainment, family relationship, occupation, and income.
Current Population Survey, January 2010: Displaced Worker, Employee Tenure, and Occupational Mobility Supplement (ICPSR 29651)
This data collection is comprised of responses from two sets of survey questionnaires, the basic Current Population Survey (CPS) and a survey administered as a supplement to the January CPS questionnaire on the topic of displaced workers, employee tenure, and occupational mobility in the United States.
The CPS, administered monthly, collects labor force data about the civilian noninstitutional population living in the United States. Moreover, the CPS provides current estimates of the economic status and activities of this population which includes estimates of total employment (both farm and nonfarm), nonfarm self-employed persons, domestics, and unpaid helpers in nonfarm family enterprises, wage and salaried employees, and estimates of total unemployment. Data from the CPS are provided for the week prior to the administration of the survey.
All persons eligible for the labor force items of the basic CPS were also eligible for the supplement. The supplement was designed to be a proxy response supplement, meaning a single respondent could provide answers for all eligible household members, provided the respondent was a household member 15 years of age or older. Persons 20 years of age and older, who lost or left a job in the last 3 years for selected reasons, were eligible for the first part of the supplement, which consists of the displaced workers items. Employed persons 15 years of age and older were eligible for the second part of the supplement, which consists of the employee tenure and occupational mobility items.
Respondents were queried on involuntary job loss within the last three years based on operating decisions of a firm, plant, or business, reasons for job displacement, industry and occupation of the former job, group health insurance coverage, job tenure, and weekly earnings. Additional data refer to periods of unemployment as well as number of jobs held, use of unemployment benefits, whether residence was changed to seek work in another area, and current health insurance coverage.
Although the main purpose of the survey was to collect information on an individual's employment situation, a very important secondary purpose was to collect information on demographic characteristics such as age, sex, race, Hispanic origin, marital status, veteran status, educational attainment, family relationship, occupation, and income.
CBS News Monthly Poll, August 2009 (ICPSR 27803)
Current Population Survey, January 2008: Displaced Workers, Employee Tenure, and Occupational Mobility Supplement (ICPSR 24562)
This data collection is comprised of responses from two sets of survey questionnaires, the basic Current Population Survey (CPS) and a survey administered as a supplement to the January CPS questionnaire on the topic of displaced workers, employee tenure, and occupational mobility in the United States.
The CPS, administered monthly, collects labor force data about the civilian noninstitutional population living in the United States. Moreover, the CPS provides current estimates of the economic status and activities of this population which includes estimates of total employment (both farm and nonfarm), nonfarm self-employed persons, domestics, and unpaid helpers in nonfarm family enterprises, wage and salaried employees, and estimates of total unemployment. Data from the CPS are provided for the week prior to the administration of the survey.
All persons eligible for the labor force items of the basic CPS were also eligible for the supplement. The supplement was designed to be a proxy response supplement, meaning a single respondent could provide answers for all eligible household members, provided the respondent was a household member 15 years of age or older. Persons 20 years of age and older, who lost or left a job in the last three years for selected reasons, were eligible for the first part of the supplement, which consists of the displaced workers items. Employed persons 15 years of age and older were eligible for the second part of the supplement, which consists of the employee tenure and occupational mobility items.
Respondents were queried on involuntary job loss within the last three years based on operating decisions of a firm, plant, or business, reasons for job displacement, industry and occupation of the former job, group health insurance coverage, job tenure, and weekly earnings. Additional data refer to periods of unemployment as well as number of jobs held, use of unemployment benefits, whether residence was changed to seek work in another area, and current health insurance coverage.
Although the main purpose of the survey was to collect information on an individual's employment situation, a very important secondary purpose was to collect information on demographic characteristics such as age, sex, race, Hispanic origin, marital status, veteran status, educational attainment, family relationship, occupation, and income.
Eurobarometer 66.3: Social Reality, E-Communications, Common Agricultural Policy, Discrimination and the Media, and Medical Research, November-December 2006 (ICPSR 21523)
ABC News/Washington Post Monthly Poll, February 2009 (ICPSR 27762)
ABC News/Washington Post Monthly Poll, April 2009 (ICPSR 27764)
New York Times/Cornell University/NY1 News New York State Poll, May 2009 (ICPSR 26949)
CBS News/New York Times Monthly Poll #1, October 2008 (ICPSR 26822)
CBS News Federal Government Poll, February 1989 (ICPSR 9231)
New York Times Economic Insecurity Poll, December 1995 (ICPSR 4505)
Current Population Survey: Annual Demographic File, March Supplements 1973-1975 (ICPSR 4441)
Current Population Survey, February 1998: Displaced Workers and Employee Tenure (ICPSR 2574)
CBS News Monthly Poll #4, March 1996 (ICPSR 4478)
Early Years of Marriage (EYM) Project, Years 1-4, 1986-1989 (ICPSR 4557)
The purpose of the Early Years of Marriage (EYM) Project was to determine ways in which the early development of marriage for Black couples and White couples affect the mental and physical health of spouses, marital stability, long-term marital outcomes, patterns of family life and, for those who divorce, individual adjustment to family disruption. The EYM Project began in 1986 with 373 newlywed couples--174 White couples and 199 Black couples. The marriages were all intra-racial and it was the first marriage for both spouses.
Year 1 interviews, which queried the couples on various aspects of married life, began after four to nine months into the marriage. Very few respondents who originally participated in Year 1 of the study refused to participate in subsequent phases of the study. In 1986 (Year 1) and 1988 (Year 3) spouses were interviewed in their homes separately and together, with the interviews conducted by interviewers of the same race. In 1987 (Year 2) and 1989 (Year 4) shorter individual telephone interviews were conducted.
In all four years, respondents were queried on a wide variety of topics such as feelings and perceptions of their own family, spouse, in-laws, and their spouse's friends, family planning, how many children they should have, how the children should be reared, childcare, and household roles and responsibilities. A series of questions was asked about reasons for getting married, how satisfying married life was, what, if any, were the special pleasures and good feelings that came from being married, how often arguments and disagreements occurred, main reasons for arguments, and how they were eventually resolved. A series of questions were also asked regarding the mental and physical health of the spouse, job satisfaction, job security, and how the job affected the family. In Year 2 and Year 4 interviews (Parts 2-4), a series of questions regarding separation and divorce were also asked.
Demographic variables include race, gender, age, level of education, occupation, income, and religious preference.