Rectype is a 1-character alphabetic variable.

H Household
P Person

Description

RECTYPE assigns all household records the alphabetic string "H" and all person records a "P". This allows researchers using the hierarchical data format to discriminate between household and person records. Each household record is followed by one or more person records, and all data pertaining to any household record usually pertain to all of the persons within it.

The original CPS data did not have household records until 1976. Because the IPUMS system is designed to handle hierarchical records consisting of a household record followed by person records, IPUMS-CPS created a new household record by copying the person record of the household head for earlier years.

Comparability

This variable is fully comparable across years.

Comparability with IPUMS-USA

Universe

Flags

Unharmonized Variables