OI_OFF Variable Missing

CPS
1

I am working on a project that requires me to distinguished between sources of market and non-market income. To do this, I need to make use of the various source variables for different income components. This includes INCOTHER. In the past, INCOTHER used to have its own source variables as well as corresponding amounts for these sources; I believe the source variable was called ‘OI_OFF’. When I search through the CPS IPUMS database in the process of creating my data extract, I was unable to find OI_OFF, but I located this entry in the user forum that makes reference to it.

Forgive me if I am simply overlooking it, but is this variable still available for download? I see that the variables designating sources of other forms of income still exist, for example survivors benefits. Is it still necessary to distinguish between other sources of income, or have the amounts of other income that correspond to these different sources just been merged into other income variables? (e.g. other income from social security merged into the INCSS variable) What was the reasoning for the discontinuation of this variable and is there still a way to access it? A reply to this this post from an IPUMS staff member suggests merging original NBER data with ASEC data extracts. Is this the only option? Any help would be appreciated.

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This variable is available in the original PUMS files that can be found at the NBER website: Current Population Survey (CPS) Supplements: March/April Match: Child Support | NBER

IPUMS does not include this variable directly, though it is possible to merge it in from the NBER files. This procedure is detailed in this blog post.

The existing IPUMS CPS income variables however are fully inclusive so I don’t think you will gain much from adding this variable.

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Okay, great - this is very helpful. Thank you!

4

Matthew, could you actually clarify what you mean when you say the income variables are ‘fully inclusive’? I am curious as to whether the values that correspond to sources of OI_VAL (different sources as designated by the OI_OFF variable) are simply lumped into other IPUMS CPS variables that correspond with the OI_OFF source. For example, OI_OFF = 10 is disability payments, so rather than have a variable OI_VAL of some value when OI_OFF = 10, this income just goes into INCDISAB, the income component that takes the value of disability insurance payment.

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I was just informed by the IPUMS CPS Team that OI_VAL corresponds to INCOTHER in IPUMS CPS. So this is not added into the other income categories.

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6

Thank you, Matthew!