# Data at the individual level for migration flows

**URL:** <https://forum.ipums.org/t/data-at-the-individual-level-for-migration-flows/724>\
**Category:** USA\
**Created:** [November 24, 2014, 7:19pm UTC](https://forum.ipums.org/t/data-at-the-individual-level-for-migration-flows/724 "2014-11-24T19:19:00Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 4

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**Author:** ![Tim\_Moreland](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f1d935/32.png) [@Tim\_Moreland](https://forum.ipums.org/u/Tim_Moreland)\
**Post date:** [December 30, 2015, 8:18pm UTC](https://forum.ipums.org/t/data-at-the-individual-level-for-migration-flows/724/4 "2015-12-30T20:18:00Z")

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The combination of YEAR, MONTH, SERIAL, and PERNUM uniquely identifies a CPS respondent within a sample. YEAR and MONTH identify the person’s sample, SERIAL identifies the person’s household within the sample, and PERNUM identifies the person’s location within the household.

Unlike with IPUMS-USA, respondents in the CPS appear in multiple samples. Specifically, a household is in the CPS sample for four months, out for eight months, and then back in for four months. The variable [CPSIDP](https://cps.ipums.org/cps-action/variables/CPSIDP#description_section) can be used to identify respondents across samples. Please refer to this [previous answer](https://forum.ipums.org/t/matching-monthly-cps-surveys-to-create-a-panel-dataset/1045/1) for more information about using CPSIDP.

Hope this helps.

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