SIPP 2014 Panel

SIPP

Why Measure
Employment and
the Labor Force?

Employment and Labor Force

Since America’s founding, the labor force has
been fundamental to our country’s development and success. Therefore, it is impossible
to measure the true well-being of the country
without measuring all aspects of the labor
force and employment.
In order for the country to know what is
needed—how folks are doing and where
they need help—we must conduct surveys
such as the Survey of Income and Program
Participation (SIPP) to produce that information.

Mission and Purpose

Because our country is so populous (over
300 million people), we can only survey a
scientific sample of the whole population.
Thus, your answers to this survey represent
thousands of Americans!

Data from the Survey of Income and Program
Participation (SIPP) are used to evaluate
changes in:

•

Income

Americans work hard everyday, achieving
triumphs and facing struggles. By studying
both our successes and setbacks, we can
help our nation make informed decisions.
By law, all personal information collected for
this study is kept strictly confidential.

•

Movement into and out of
government assistance programs

•

Effects of our changing family and social
situations for individuals and households.

Thank you for participating in this survey,
and for helping represent our nation’s most
important asset…

For more information, visit SIPP online at:

People Just Like You.

Issued August 2013

U.S. Department of Commerce
Economics and Statistics Administration
U.S. CENSUS BUREAU

census.gov

Unemployment Duration

Labor Force Status

From 2004–2007, there were 66.4 million
spells of unemployment.

•

From 1999–2009, married women with
more education than their husbands had
an increase in labor force participation
from 70 percent to 73 percent.

•

During the same years, married women
with less education than their husbands
decreased their labor force participation
from 57 percent to 54 percent.

•

The median unemployment spell lasted
1.8 months.

•

Persons who attended at least some
college had shorter unemployment
spells than those who did not.

Employment History

Median Duration of Unemployment by Educational
Attainment for People 21 and Older: 2004–2007
(in months)
Less than
high school
graduate

2.6

•

College graduates earn more at the start of
their employment.

•

Graduates also increase earnings faster as
they accumulate experience.

100

80

73%

70%

Median Monthly Earnings by Experience and Education: 2008
60

Earnings by Month

2.39

High school
graduate

6000

1.88

At least
some college

57%

Less than high school graduate
High school graduate
At least some college
College degree or more

54%

40

Married women w/ more education

20

Married women w/ less education
5000
0

0.5

1.0

1.5

2.0

2.5

0

3.0

1999

2009

Months

Employment Status

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Survey of Income and Program Participation,
2004 Panel.

Unemployment Compensation
•

•

In the first quarter of 2011, approximately
32 percent of households with someone
looking for work had received some type
of unemployment compensation.
In the second quarter of 2011, only 26.8
percent of the same type of households
received unemployment compensation.

4000

3000

2000

1000

0-4

5-9

10-14 15-19 20-24 25-29 30-34

35+

Experience by Years

–5.2%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Survey of Income and Program Participation,
2008 Panel, Wave 1.

•

The two main reasons given for not working
are retirement (38 percent) and schooling
(19 percent).

•

From January through June 2011, roughly
11 percent of all households in SIPP had
one or more persons on layoff or looking
for work.