Hello,
Is there a reason the harmonized variable for hours worked last week (AHRSWORKT) is not available for 1976-1988? The unharmonized source variable (UH_HOURS_B1) is available for that time period. I’d appreciate knowing if there is an issue with UH_HOURS_B1 that led to IPUMS not including it in AHRSWORKT, so I avoid using it in my analysis.
Thanks in advance
The source variable underlying the AHRSWORKT variable is available in the BMS from 1976-1988. However, IPUMS has not yet harmonized or integrated the variable for these samples, so AHRSWORKT is currently only available in ASEC data from IPUMS CPS in those years. While this work is on our radar and we plan to determine whether this variable can be expanded to be available for the BMS from 1976-1988 on our platform, I do not have a timeline to share right now for when that work may occur. I will pass your interest in this variable along to our IPUMS CPS team in the hopes they can move the work up on their list of priorities.
You may consider using UH_HOURS_B1, which we do offer on IPUMS CPS for BMS samples from 1976-1988. I am not aware of comparability issues or other reasons this variable has not been incorporated for these samples; however, I cannot definitely say there are not issues or considerations when using the data. The distributions of UH_HOURS_B1 in 1988 versus UH_HOURS_B2 in 1989 look the same to me; the age restrictions on the universe also appear to be the same (14+), despite the universe of AHRSWORKT being 15+ in 1989-onward. I might consider using the variable while examining results from this time period more closely and noting the different variable source for these earlier years in on any publication that results from your analysis.