Codes

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

Description

GOTELSE indicates whether, during the previous calendar year, the respondent received income from "anything else" not covered by more specific income questions. Earlier questions asked the receipt of income from the following sources: wages and salaries (see INCWAGE); self-employment in a business (see INCBUS); own farm (see INCFARM); Social Security (see GOTSS); Railroad Retirement (see GOTRRRP); Supplemental Security Income (see INCSSI); welfare (see INCWELFR); interest (see INCINT); dividends (see GOTDIVID); rents and royalties (see GOTRENT); estates and trusts (see GOTESTAT); veterans' payments (see GOTVETPA); unemployment compensation (see GOTUNEMP); workmen's compensation (see GOTWKCOM); other government programs (see INCGOV); private pensions and annuities (see GOTPVTRP); military retirement (see GOTMILRP); federal government employee pensions (see GOTFEDRP); state and local government employee pensions (see GOTSTLRP); alimony and child support (see GOTALCH); and regular contributions from persons outside the household (see GOTREGCT). For 1976-1987, the "anything else" in GOTELSE is thus a residual category for any sources of income not included in these other variables, such as income from hobbies, severance pay, and foster child payments.

For 1976-1987, the specific amount of income from "anything else" is summed with income from child support and/or alimony and from regular contributions from persons outside the household, with the total reported as "income from all other sources" (see INCALOTH). If respondents did not receive income from child support and/or alimony during the previous calendar year (i.e., they have a code of 1 in GOTALCH), they did not receive income from regular contributions during the previous calendar year (i.e., they have a code of 1 in GOTREGCT), and they did receive income from "anything else" during the previous calendar year (i.e., they have a code of 2 in GOTELSE), then the dollar amount in INCALOTH for 1976-1987 should indicate the amount of income specifically from "anything else." If individuals reported receiving income from alimony and/or child support or from regular contributions as well as from "anything else," then the amount of income specifically from "anything else" cannot be identified. Even in this case, however, researchers can use GOTELSE to analyze the characteristics of the recipients of income in this residual "anything else" category.

Comparability

The wording of this question changed over time. For 1976-1979, the interviewer asked if the individual had received any money income from "anything else" or from sources "which we have not yet talked about." Beginning in 1980, the interviewer provided examples of such income, including "hobbies, home businesses, or business interests not already covered" and "small amounts of unemployment compensation, welfare, or any other money income not already covered." Note, however, that earlier questions specifically collected information on income from most of these categories, including self-employment businesses, unemployment compensation, and welfare.

Beginning in 1988, separate variables report the amount of income received from alimony (INCALIM), child support (INCCHILD), and regular contributions from persons outside the household (INCASIST). For 1988 on, the INCOTHER variable reports the amount of income received, during the previous calendar year, from residual sources that roughly correspond to the "anything else" category in 1976-1987. Persons with income in INCOTHER (i.e., those with values between 1 and 99998 in that variable) for 1988-2004 can thus be compared to persons with a yes response (code 2) in GOTELSE for 1976-1987. Users should exercise caution in making such comparisons, however, because the number and precision of earlier questions related to income from specific sources affect the amount and types of income reported in the residual "anything else" category in these two periods.

The original public use data files for the ASEC CPS for 1969-1975 also include the GOTELSE variable, but the results are not reliable.

Universe

Flags

Unharmonized Variables

• UH_INCS13_A2