9999999 = N.I.U. (Not in Universe).

The Census Bureau applies different disclosure avoidance measures across time for individuals with high income in this variable. Detailed explanations of these methods, topcodes, and replacement value and swap value thresholds are available here.

Description

OINCBUS reports net earnings from self-employment in a non-farm business, if this self-employment did not constitute the respondent's longest-held job during the previous calendar year. The amount earned (in wages, salary, or earnings from self-employment in a business or farm) from the longest-held job during the preceding calendar year is reported in INCLONGJ.

Imagine that a self-employed individual worked in one non-farm own business for eight months, netting $10,000 in earnings, and worked in two other non-farm own businesses for the remaining 4 months, netting an additional $12,000 in earnings. The $12,000 in "other" net self-employment earnings (from work outside the person's primary, or longest-held, job) would be reported in OINCBUS; the $10,000 in net earnings from the individual's longest-held job would be reported in INCLONGJ; and the total amount of net self-employed non-farm business earnings from the previous calendar year ($22,000) would be reported in INCBUS.

Imagine, instead, that as reported in SRCEARN, an individual worked as an employee earning wages for the primary job, but earned additional income working part of the year in their own non-farm businesses. In such a case, wage income from the primary job would be reported in INCLONGJ; all self-employed non-farm net business earnings would be reported in OINCBUS; and the value of OINCBUS and INCBUS would be the same.

Amounts are expressed as they were reported to the interviewer; users must adjust for inflation using Consumer Price Index adjustment factors.

Comparability

Along with the effects of inflation, OINCBUS may be affected by changes in reporting practices. Beginning in 1994, individuals could report their earnings in monthly, weekly, or bi-weekly amounts, together with the number of such pay periods, rather than as an annual sum. This change in reporting practices probably increased the precision and accuracy of the income figures for OINCBUS beginning in 1994, by reducing rounding and estimation.

Just as OINCBUS reports net non-farm self-employment earnings from employment other than the longest-held job, OINCFARM and OINCWAGE report income from self-employment on a farm and from wages or salary as an employee of a business, respectively, if such work did not constitute the longest-held job during the previous calendar year.

Universe

Flags

Unharmonized Variables

• UH_INCSE1_A1
• UH_INCSE1_A2
• UH_INCSE1_A3