Hi-
I’m interested in aggregating some employment characteristics at the occupational level in the CPS data then I would like to merge this information with NHIS using occupational codes. I noticed the CPS and NHIS have different occupational classification systems. Do I need to convert the occupational codes to the same system or how would I merge these datasets? Thank you.
Since the NHIS uses a broader occupation (OCC) classification system, you will need a crosswalk that maps the detailed CPS occupation codes into their correct NHIS code.
These crosswalks appear in the appendices to the NHIS sample adult codebooks. The 2020 NHIS codebook (the first year to code occupations based on the 2018 Census Bureau system) provides this crosswalk on page 621. You can additionally find the 2010 vintage crosswalk (for recoding occupations in samples from 2010-2018) in the 2010 NHIS sample adult codebook.
I just have a few follow-up questions. If I’m using the CPS OCC2010 variable to map CPS occupational codes to NHIS occupational codes for sample years 2012-2018, Would I need to use the 2010 NHIS codebook on pg 362 occupation appendix ?
Also, is there a difference between using the NHIS OCC vs OCC1995 variable to map the CPS codes to NHIS codes ? If I want to merge CPS data with NHIS from 2012-2018, which NHIS occupation var should I use?
OCC2010 is a harmonized coding scheme created by IPUMS to facilitate analyses of occupations across different Census Bureau occupation classification vintages. If you are not working across different vintages, it is not necessary to use this harmonized measure and I would recommend that you use the unharmonized IPUMS CPS variable OCC as those codes directly correspond to the occupation codes listed in the 2010 NHIS codebook; the CPS uses the 2010 occupation codes for 2011-2019 samples and the NHIS uses (an aggregated version of) the 2010 occupation codes for 2010-2018.
As for which variable to use in IPUMS NHIS – if you are not working with more than one vintage of the occupation coding scheme (it sounds like you are not based on your description of working with sample years 2012-2018), there is no need to use the harmonized variable OCC1995; I would again recommend that you use the unharmonized IPUMS NHIS variable OCC. I am linking to the IPUMS NHIS user note on occupation and industry variables in case it is of use of interest to you.
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Thank you!