Codes

This variable is not available for any of the currently selected samples.

Description

GOTDIVID indicates whether the respondent received income from dividends during the previous calendar year.

For 1966-1967, the amount of dividend income was combined with all other sources of unearned income in the INCUNERN variable. GOTDIVID in these samples simply identifies those who received dividend income. Of people who are coded as receiving dividend income in GOTDIVID in these samples, some (less than 20%) do not have unearned income in INCUNERN. Users should exercise caution when analyzing these cases.

For 1976-1987, the amount of income from dividends was combined with net rental income and income from royalties, estates, and trusts in the INCDRT variable. If respondents did not receive income from rent and/or royalties during the previous calendar year (i.e., they have a code of 1 in GOTRENT), they did not receive income from estates and trusts during the previous calendar year (i.e., they have a code of 1 in GOTESTAT), and they did receive income from dividends during the previous calendar year (i.e., they have a code of 2 in GOTDIVID), then the dollar amount in INCDRT for 1976-1987 should indicate the amount of income specifically from dividends. If individuals reported receiving income from rent, royalties, and/or estates and trusts in addition to receiving dividends, then the amount of income specifically from dividends cannot be identified. Even in this case, however, researchers can use GOTDIVID to analyze the characteristics of the recipients of dividend income.

Comparability

The wording of this question changed over time. For 1976-1979, the interviewer simply asked if the individual had received any money from dividends. Beginning in 1980, the interviewer first asked about ownership of "any shares of stock in corporations or any mutual fund shares" and then asked whether the person had received dividends.

Beginning in 1988, the amount of income received, during the previous calendar year, from dividends from the ownership of stocks and mutual funds is reported in the INCDIVID variable. Persons with income in INCDIVID (i.e., those with values between 1 and 99998 in that variable) for 1988-2004 can be compared to persons with a yes response (code 2) in GOTDIVID for 1976-1987.

The original public use data files of the ASEC CPS for 1969-1975 also include the GOTDIVID variable, but the results are not reliable. For 1969-1975, many persons coded as yes in GOTDIVID do not have income amounts recorded in INCIDR, which included interest from dividends for those years.

Universe

Flags

Unharmonized Variables

• UH_DUNERN_A2
• UH_INCS02_A2