R22 Job Conversion Brochure

COVER

Your work
journey
matters

We’re listening.

DRAFT

TWO FLAPS CLOSED: TOP LEFT INSIDE FLAP

Your experiences in the job world matter —
They’re not only unique to you, but they’re also part
of a larger story about American workers. The NLSY97
interview asks about factors such as what job sector you
work in, the length of time spent in a job, and the impact
of your work on your health. When you share your
thoughts and experiences, you help shape initiatives
and policies for your generation — and all Americans.

Share your

employment story

Here’s a quick
look at NLSY97
work evolution,
comparing what
people told us in 2001 &
then 20 years later in 2021.

Careers
over the years
When we started this survey, you
might have been imagining how
you could apply your favorite school
subjects to a future career. Several
years later, many of you were getting
your first official jobs and learning
about real-world topics like direct
deposit and taxes. We’ve kept track of
how your jobs change over time, and
we’ve seen you mature professionally,
shaping the workforce in new ways.

BOTTOM LEFT INSIDE FLAP

16
% points

14
% points

An increase

in people working in
executive, admin,
and managementrelated roles

A decrease in

people working
in sales-related
positions, along
with restaurant jobs 1

RIGHT INSIDE

Looking back: Your very first “job”!
Do you remember the first time you earned money regularly? If you were a teen
in 1997, chances are you earned your first few bucks mowing lawns, babysitting
the neighbor’s kids, or delivering newspapers before school. It wasn’t glamorous,
but it was the start of learning how to be a part of the workforce — and feeling
just a little more grown up. For your very first survey in 1997, we recorded any kind
of work that you mentioned, even if it wasn’t with an official employer.2 Let’s take
a trip back in time and look at your answers. Some of these “jobs” are pretty
unique, while others are timeless classics.
CHOPPING WOOD

BUSSING TABLES

CARNIVAL WORK

PET SITTING

Some other work mentioned: House cleaning,
mowing, carpentry, car repair, farm work, modeling,
life guarding, food prep work, and, of course, “chores.”

TRIVIA TIME:

Test your skills on job topics
Answers at bottom right of page.

Q: Which American
fashion brand sent a
casual business wear
“guide” to companies’
HR departments, fueling the rise
of Casual Fridays in the 90s?

1

Q: After peaking at
340,000 people in the
1950s, about how many
telephone operators
were working in the U.S. by 2019?

2

A) 100

B) 1,500 C) 4,500

A) Levi Strauss & Co. B) Tommy Hilfiger
C) Abercrombie & Fitch D) Gap
Q: What year did
the dot-com bubble
burst, accompanied
by a crash in the stock
market, collapsing internet
businesses, and layoffs?

3

B) 1998
D) 2002

1. A) Levi Strauss & Co.
2. B.) 1,500 3. C) 2000

A) 1996
C) 2000

LEFT, FULLY-OPEN INSIDE

TRENDING TOPIC:
Does frequent job hopping
lead to better wages?
You’ve probably seen the claims
on social media that workers
make more money over time
by switching their jobs often
(compared to sticking
with the same job).
But is this actually true?
A 2022 study looked
to your cohort
for answers.

The study findings show that this
is partially true.3 Workers who
pursue moderate job-changing
in their first two years working,
but then taper off, actually
end up earning more over
time when compared to
both persistent job
changers and
workers who
stick around.

Check out some additional jobs-related
research and info, directly from NLSY97 —

NUMBER OF JOBS
OVER TIME
Individuals held an
average of 9 jobs from
ages 18 through 36,
with over of them
(about 5) held between
the ages of 18 and 23.4

½

18

5
JOBS

23

PERFORMANCE PAY
AND LONGER HOURS
Performance pay is
associated with clocking
3 extra hours of work
per week.
It also increases the chances
of working more than
a 50-hour
week.5

Your cohort
has informed
federal policy
efforts!
‘Noncompetes’
are under review
Non-compete
agreements (NCAs)
have been under
the microscope in
recent years, as some
policymakers have
voiced concerns
about the potential
for job seekers to be
negatively impacted.
Recently, the federal
government cited noncompete data from
NLSY97 workers to
help inform discussions
around non-competes.
A pending Federal
Trade Commission rule
specifically references
data from NLSY97
that shows that 18%
of U.S. workers
have employer
non-compete
agreements.6

You’re contributing to an effort
that informs the nation
The National Longitudinal Surveys (NLS) program
you’ve participated in for years has interviewed
more than 50,000 people since it started in the
’60s and continues to add new survey groups
(also known as cohorts).
The federal agency that sponsors the NLS is
called the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). It’s
been around for more than 140 years, gathering
key data related to the economy and labor.
BLS is one of the main agencies of the U.S.
Department of Labor (DOL). The graphic at
right shows how the groups are organized.
NLS is one of many important surveys that BLS
conducts. More than two dozen BLS programs
gather information from Americans, including the
Consumer Price Index, and the Current Population
Survey (CPS) and the Current Employment
Statistics (CES) survey which together generate
the monthly jobs report.
BLS data, including the NLS survey data,
are highly trusted across industries,
communities and the government and
are often cited in proceedings of the U.S.
Congress and Supreme Court. We hope
you wear this important role with pride
when you participate in the next round
of the survey.

DOL
U.S. Department of Labor

BLS
Bureau of Labor Statistics

NLS
National Longitudinal Surveys

Please
keep
in touch
Update your contact
information by
calling, or by sending
us an email so that
we can reach you to
set an appointment
later this year. (Contact
information below.)
You also can
complete the card
at the right, remove
it along the marked
perforations, and
mail it to us using
the postage-paid
envelope included
in this mailing.

BACK

Detach and return this portion

My name, address, email, or phone number has changed.
Are you moving? When & where?

Name
Address
City/State/Zip
Email
Phone (Home)
Phone (Cell)

Phone (Work)
May we text your cell phone? Yes No

Best way for us to reach you:
In Person
Home Phone
Email
Work Phone
Text
Cell Phone

Best time to call:
Days
Times

We always want to hear from you.
Here’s how to reach out!
Call: 877.504.1086
Text with your full name to: 312.835.1905
Email: [email protected]
Visit: www.bls.gov/nls/nlsy97.htm

Sources/Citations:

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor. National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997 cohort, 2001-2021 (rounds 5-20).
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor. National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997 cohort, 1997 (round 1).
3
Yankow, Jeffrey Jon. (2022). The effect of cumulative job mobility on early-career wage development: Does job mobility actually
pay? Social Science Quarterly published online. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/ssqu.13161
4
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2 April 2024). Labor Market Experience, Education, Partner Status, and Health for those Born 1980-1984
News Release published online. https://www.bls.gov/news.release/nlsyth.htm
5
Artz, Benjamin, Heywood, John S. (August 2023). Performance pay and work hours: US survey evidence. Oxford Economic Papers
published online. https://academic.oup.com/oep/article/76/3/609/7238459
6
Rothstein, Donna S., Starr, Evan. (June 2022). Noncompete agreements, bargaining, and wages: Evidence from the National
Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997. Monthly Labor Review, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics published online.
https://doi.org/10.21916/mlr.2022.18
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