Source Annotation

Appendix 1

Item Source Annotation for Extant Census and BLS Data Collections

Question 1. Was not derived from existing federal person-level income surveys, but is needed to verify that the respondent matches existing frame information.

Question 2. This leading “No/Yes” item summarizes several pages of employment questions that precede earnings questions in the March CPS. This is the same approach as used in the National Youth Longitudinal Survey income questions (please see https://www.nlsinfo.org/content/cohorts/nlsy97/other-documentation/questionnaires, under round 16 income – item YINC – 1400).

Question 2a asks about earnings from the job held the longest during a calendar year and was derived from March CPS items Q47a (instruction to focus on the job held the longest), and Q48aa and Q48aad (request for all earnings from the longest job)(please see http://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/cps/techdocs/cpsmar14.pdf, appendix D).

Question 2b asks about earnings from all other jobs and was derived from March CPS items Q49b1d and Q49B1A.

Questions 3 and 3a ask specifically about self-employment earnings. The items were derived from parallel items in NSLY, particularly items YINC-2000 and YINC-2100. The approach to asking about earnings is also similar to item Q48b in the March CPS. Note that in concordance with recommendations from expert reviewers, the concept of ‘net earnings’ was clarified for item 3a in the current survey.

Questions 4 and 4a ask about earnings from other jobs outside of regular jobs. It is based on items Q73A1 T and Q731 in the March CPS. Wording modifications were needed to fit the population of interest for the current earnings survey.

Questions 5 and 5a ask about any other earnings and are based on item Q731 in the March CPS. An adjustment was made because the March CPS item focuses on income and the items in the earnings survey focuses on earnings as opposed to overall income.