Extending current population survey linkages: Obstacles and solutions for linking monthly data from 1976 to 1988

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Flood, Sarah^* | Rodgers, Renae | Pacas, José | Kristiansen, Devon | Klaas, Ben

Affiliations: Institute for Social Research and Data Innovation, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis and Saint Paul, MN, USA

Correspondence: [*] Corresponding author: Sarah Flood, Institute for Social Research and Data Innovation, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis and Saint Paul, MN, USA. E-mail: [email protected].

Abstract: The Current Population Survey (CPS) has been the nation’s primary source of information about employment and unemployment for decades. The data are widely used by social scientists and policy makers to study labor force participation, poverty, and other high-priority topics. An underutilized feature of the CPS is its short-run panel component. This paper discusses the unique challenges encountered when linking basic monthly data as well as when linking the March basic monthly data to the Annual Social and Economic (ASEC) Supplement in the 1976–1988 period. We describe strategies to address linking obstacles and document linkage rates.

Keywords: Data integration, linking, panel data, current population survey

DOI: 10.3233/JEM-210480

Journal: Journal of Economic and Social Measurement, vol. 46, no. 1, pp. 1-28, 2022