79 interim newsletter between Round 28 and 29

Your Continued Participation Matters
The COVID-19 virus is impacting people’s lives in many ways,
and it is challenging to focus on anything else. We understand
that, like most Americans, you are worried about your loved
ones, your health and your financial security.
In difficult times, such as what our country now faces, your
continued participation in the National Longitudinal Surveys
is vital both for informing immediate public policies and for
understanding the important long-term effects on the nation’s
general well-being.
The NLSY79 is fortunate to have moved to a telephone survey
well in advance of the current CDC recommendations for social
distancing, so you can expect to hear from us in
safe and secure ways including mailings, calls,
emails and texts. Your health and safety are
most important to us!
We thank you for sharing your life experiences.

Keep in
Touch

Update your contact information by
visiting us on the web, or by sending us
an email or text message.

Visit nlsy79.norc.org
Send email to [email protected]
Text your full name to 312-835-1905

NLSY79
BULLETIN
Spring 2020

NLSY79 findings reported in research on debts and assets
Student Loan Debt
and Relationship
Formation
In comparing the Baby Boomer and
Millennial generations, researchers
found that student loan debt was
associated with a delay in marriage
for Millennials, but not for Baby
Boomers. These findings provide
evidence that rising student debt
is reshaping relationship formation
among college-attending youth.

Parent-Child
Financial
Behaviors
Research investigated
links between parents’ and
their children’s financial
behaviors. It found that
parents who demonstrated
fiscal responsibilty were
more likely to have children
with good financial habits.

Debt Management and Trust
Research found that individuals in the
NLSY79 with higher levels of trust were less
likely to be in debt, miss payments, file for
bankruptcy, or go through a foreclosure.
Individuals with higher levels of trust were
also likely to have a higher net worth.

Intergenerational Households
Research examined how adult children living with their parents
affected the parents’ financial stability. The research found that
parental financial assets and savings were negatively affected in the
years the adult children lived in the household, even after accounting
for family size and other factors.

Homeownership and Unemployment
Research examined the effect of homeownership on
individuals’ unemployment. It found that due to higher moving
costs, homeowners tended to be less willing than renters to relocate
for work. This led homeowners to suffer longer unemployment spells
because of it.

Employment Benefits and Retirement Savings
A study evaluated the retirement savings of older male US
workers by their access to flextime, paid sick leave, and
vacation time. It found that workers with access to flexible work time
had higher retirement savings than those who did not have access to
flextime, as did workers with access to paid sick leave compared with
workers with no access to paid sick leave.

For more information, visit: NLSY79.NORC.ORG