# QEMPSTAT vs QLABFORC availability

**URL:** <https://forum.ipums.org/t/qempstat-vs-qlabforc-availability/3910>\
**Category:** CPS\
**Created:** [December 28, 2020, 7:32pm UTC](https://forum.ipums.org/t/qempstat-vs-qlabforc-availability/3910 "2020-12-28T19:32:48Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![rcragun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/71e660/32.png) [@rcragun](https://forum.ipums.org/u/rcragun)\
**Post date:** [December 28, 2020, 7:32pm UTC](https://forum.ipums.org/t/qempstat-vs-qlabforc-availability/3910/1 "2020-12-28T19:32:48Z")

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Can anyone explain why QEMPSTAT and QLABFORC are not available for the same samples? If, for instance, QLABFORC got priority from IPUMS’ use of limited resources, I would expect QEMPSTAT to be available in a strict subset of the samples for which QLABFORC is available, but that is not the case:

| QLABFORC | | | |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| | ASEC | March monthly | Other monthly |
| 1976 – 1988 | X | - | - |
| 1989 – 2019 | X | X | X |
| 2020 | X | X | X |

| QEMPSTAT | | | |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| | ASEC | March monthly | Other monthly |
| 1976 – 1981 | X | - | - |
| 1982 – 2010 | X | X | X |
| 2011 – 2013 | X | X | - |
| 2014 – 2020 | X | - | - |

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**Author:** ![Matthew\_Bombyk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/34f0e0/32.png) [@Matthew\_Bombyk](https://forum.ipums.org/u/Matthew_Bombyk)\
**Post date:** [January 8, 2021, 7:13pm UTC](https://forum.ipums.org/t/qempstat-vs-qlabforc-availability/3910/2 "2021-01-08T19:13:04Z")

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Thanks for pointing this out. The flags for these variables are based on the same underlying flag variable, so it does seem that these should be available for the same samples. The IPUMS CPS team is investigating why this is not the case. I’ll post again once I have an update.

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**Author:** ![Matthew\_Bombyk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/34f0e0/32.png) [@Matthew\_Bombyk](https://forum.ipums.org/u/Matthew_Bombyk)\
**Post date:** [January 26, 2021, 10:03pm UTC](https://forum.ipums.org/t/qempstat-vs-qlabforc-availability/3910/3 "2021-01-26T22:03:45Z")

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These variables will be added to the samples from which they are missing in the next data release, in February. Thanks again for pointing this out!

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**Author:** ![rcragun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/71e660/32.png) [@rcragun](https://forum.ipums.org/u/rcragun)\
**Post date:** [December 27, 2021, 6:43pm UTC](https://forum.ipums.org/t/qempstat-vs-qlabforc-availability/3910/4 "2021-12-27T18:43:34Z")

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Awkward question: is this mug-worthy?

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**Author:** ![Matthew\_Bombyk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/34f0e0/32.png) [@Matthew\_Bombyk](https://forum.ipums.org/u/Matthew_Bombyk)\
**Post date:** [December 29, 2021, 6:48pm UTC](https://forum.ipums.org/t/qempstat-vs-qlabforc-availability/3910/5 "2021-12-29T18:48:57Z")

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I’m afraid we don’t generally give mugs for missing variables.