- Codes
- Description
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- Availability
- Flags
- Questionnaire Text
- UnHarmonized Variables
Codes and Frequencies
An 'X' indicates the category is available for that sample
| Code | Label |
Feb
25 |
Jan
25 |
Dec
24 |
Nov
24 |
Oct
24 |
Sep
24 |
Aug
24 |
Jul
24 |
Jun
24 |
May
24 |
Apr
24 |
ASEC
24 |
Mar
24 |
Feb
24 |
Jan
24 |
Dec
23 |
Nov
23 |
Oct
23 |
Sep
23 |
Aug
23 |
Jul
23 |
Jun
23 |
May
23 |
Apr
23 |
ASEC
23 |
Mar
23 |
Feb
23 |
Jan
23 |
Dec
22 |
Nov
22 |
Oct
22 |
Sep
22 |
Aug
22 |
Jul
22 |
Jun
22 |
May
22 |
Apr
22 |
ASEC
22 |
Mar
22 |
Feb
22 |
Jan
22 |
Dec
21 |
Nov
21 |
Oct
21 |
Sep
21 |
Aug
21 |
Jul
21 |
Jun
21 |
May
21 |
Apr
21 |
Code | Label |
ASEC
21 |
Mar
21 |
Feb
21 |
Jan
21 |
ASEC
20 |
ASEC
19 |
ASEC
18 |
ASEC
17 |
ASEC
16 |
ASEC
15 |
ASEC
14 |
ASEC
13 |
ASEC
12 |
ASEC
11 |
ASEC
10 |
ASEC
09 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 00 | NIU | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | 00 | NIU | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X |
| 10 | Less than 5 years ago | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | 10 | Less than 5 years ago | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · |
| 11 | In the last twelve months | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | 11 | In the last twelve months | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X |
| 12 | One to five years ago | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | 12 | One to five years ago | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · |
| 20 | More than I2 months ago, unspecified | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | 20 | More than I2 months ago, unspecified | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X |
| 30 | More than 5 years ago | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | 30 | More than 5 years ago | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · |
| 40 | Never worked | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | 40 | Never worked | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X |
| 41 | Never worked full-time 2+ weeks | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | 41 | Never worked full-time 2+ weeks | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · |
| 42 | Never worked at all | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | 42 | Never worked at all | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · |
Can't find the category you are looking for? Try the Detailed codes
Description
WNFTLOOK reports the amount of time that had passed since persons who were unemployed (i.e., who were actively looking for work or were on layoff) had last worked. For 1968-1993, WNFTLOOK records answers to the question, "When did [this person] last work at a full-time at a job or business lasting 2 consecutive weeks or more?" Beginning in 1994, the question was simply, "When did you last work at a job or business?"
Comparability
Because of the aforementioned difference in the question wording for 1968-1993 versus 1994 forward, this variable is not fully comparable across these two periods.
For 1968-1993, because of the stringent definition of work (full-time employment for 2 or more consecutive weeks), responses in WNFTLOOK are not necessarily synonymous with the last period of paid employment for those who were unemployed at the time of the survey. For example, a person who had worked a part-time job for most of the last year, and had worked a full-time job before that, would be coded as "one to five years ago" (code 12) in WNFTLOOK. By contrast, for 1994 forward, when individuals were simply asked when they last worked, responses in WNFTLOOK do indicate the last period of paid employment for the unemployed. The same pattern of employment (working a part-time job for most of the past year, and a full-time job before that) would be coded as "in the last 12 months" (code 11) under the more generous definition of work for 1994 forward.
Changes in the time periods coded for WNFTLOOK also limit the comparability of the variable over time. For 1968-1987, four responses (less than five years ago, more than five years ago, never worked full-time 2 weeks or more, and never worked at all) were coded. For 1988-1993, responses relating to work within the last five years were subdivided into two categories (in the last 12 months, 1-5 years ago). For 1994 forward, only two time periods for past employment were recognized (in the last 12 months, more than 12 months ago).
Universe
- 1968-1979: Civilians age 14+ who were actively looking for work or were on layoff during the preceding week.
- 1980-1994: Civilians age 15+ who were actively looking for work or were on layoff during the preceding week.
- 1995+: Civilans age 15+ who were actively looking for work during the preceding week.
Availability
| Years | Jan | Feb | ASEC | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1968 – 1993 | - | - | X | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1994 – 2024 | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X |
| 2025 | X | X | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
Flags
QWNFTLOOUnharmonized Variables
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