# For what years does the new CPS sploc variable identify unmarried partners?

**URL:** <https://forum.ipums.org/t/for-what-years-does-the-new-cps-sploc-variable-identify-unmarried-partners/2298>\
**Category:** CPS\
**Created:** [April 18, 2018, 8:51pm UTC](https://forum.ipums.org/t/for-what-years-does-the-new-cps-sploc-variable-identify-unmarried-partners/2298 "2018-04-18T20:51:00Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![kls5734](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/forum.ipums.org/kls5734/32/208_2.png) [@kls5734](https://forum.ipums.org/u/kls5734)\
**Post date:** [April 18, 2018, 8:51pm UTC](https://forum.ipums.org/t/for-what-years-does-the-new-cps-sploc-variable-identify-unmarried-partners/2298/1 "2018-04-18T20:51:00Z")

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Hello,

For what years of the CPS ASEC does the sploc variable identify unmarried partners? Does it go back to the earliest ASEC sample? Back to the 1990s when the relate variable began to include unmarried partners? Some other year?

Thanks!

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**Author:** ![Michelle\_Pratt](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/forum.ipums.org/michelle_pratt/32/194_2.png) [@Michelle\_Pratt](https://forum.ipums.org/u/Michelle_Pratt)\
**Post date:** [April 18, 2018, 10:58pm UTC](https://forum.ipums.org/t/for-what-years-does-the-new-cps-sploc-variable-identify-unmarried-partners/2298/2 "2018-04-18T22:58:00Z")

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The SPLOC variable allows spouse links between unmarried partners if the unmarried partner is directly identified as such in the RELATE variable. “Unmarried partner” is available as a valid RELATE code from 1995 onward in IPUMS CPS. Therefore, you should be able to find the information you are looking for from 1995 onward.