# Universe of LABFORCE in CPS samples

**URL:** <https://forum.ipums.org/t/universe-of-labforce-in-cps-samples/1426>\
**Category:** CPS\
**Created:** [October 4, 2016, 9:04pm UTC](https://forum.ipums.org/t/universe-of-labforce-in-cps-samples/1426 "2016-10-04T21:04:00Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Gray](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/forum.ipums.org/gray/32/209_2.png) [@Gray](https://forum.ipums.org/u/Gray)\
**Post date:** [October 4, 2016, 9:04pm UTC](https://forum.ipums.org/t/universe-of-labforce-in-cps-samples/1426/1 "2016-10-04T21:04:00Z")

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I am examining labor force participation in 25-34 year olds using CPS ASEC samples from 1962-2016. In all years, several hundred of these respondents have a value of 0 (NIU) for LABFORCE.

But according to the documentation, the universe of this variable is either persons 14+ or persons 15+, depending on the year. Is that in fact not the correct universe?

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**Author:** ![JeffBloem](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/forum.ipums.org/jeffbloem/32/40_2.png) [@JeffBloem](https://forum.ipums.org/u/JeffBloem)\
**Post date:** [October 7, 2016, 2:28pm UTC](https://forum.ipums.org/t/universe-of-labforce-in-cps-samples/1426/2 "2016-10-07T14:28:00Z")

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Besides age restrictions, which don’t apply to your sample of 25-34 year olds, the [LABFORCE](https://cps.ipums.org/cps-action/variables/LABFORCE#description_section) variable is restricted to only those who make up the civilian labor force. Thus all those who are employed by the armed forces, identified as “Armed Forces” in [EMPSTAT](https://cps.ipums.org/cps-action/variables/EMPSTAT#codes_section), are NIU in LABFORCE. In fact, in your restricted sample, all of the NIUs in LABFORCE are identified as being employed by the Armed Forces.