# Variable Availability CPS ASEC

**URL:** <https://forum.ipums.org/t/variable-availability-cps-asec/4583>\
**Category:** CPS\
**Created:** [April 4, 2022, 3:11am UTC](https://forum.ipums.org/t/variable-availability-cps-asec/4583 "2022-04-04T03:11:41Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![sheldon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ad7895/32.png) [@sheldon](https://forum.ipums.org/u/sheldon)\
**Post date:** [April 4, 2022, 3:11am UTC](https://forum.ipums.org/t/variable-availability-cps-asec/4583/1 "2022-04-04T03:11:41Z")

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I wanted to check if the following variables ([INCUNEMP](https://cps.ipums.org/cps-action/variables/INCUNEMP#codes_section), [INCWKCOM](https://cps.ipums.org/cps-action/variables/INCWKCOM#codes_section), [INCVET](https://cps.ipums.org/cps-action/variables/INCVET#codes_section), [INCALIM](https://cps.ipums.org/cps-action/variables/INCALIM#codes_section), [INCDIVID](https://cps.ipums.org/cps-action/variables/INCDIVID#codes_section), [INCRENT](https://cps.ipums.org/cps-action/variables/INCRENT#codes_section), [INCSURV](https://cps.ipums.org/cps-action/variables/INCSURV#codes_section), [INCDISAB](https://cps.ipums.org/cps-action/variables/INCDISAB#codes_section), [INCCHILD](https://cps.ipums.org/cps-action/variables/INCCHILD#codes_section), [INCEDUC](https://cps.ipums.org/cps-action/variables/INCEDUC#codes_section)) are not available before 1988 in CPS IPUMS because these variables have not been harmonized or because these variables are not available in CPS in general.

[INCUNEMP](https://cps.ipums.org/cps-action/variables/INCUNEMP#codes_section), [INCWKCOM](https://cps.ipums.org/cps-action/variables/INCWKCOM#codes_section), [INCVET](https://cps.ipums.org/cps-action/variables/INCVET#codes_section) are only available aggregated as [INCGOV](https://cps.ipums.org/cps-action/variables/INCGOV#description_section) before 1988, [INCALIM](https://cps.ipums.org/cps-action/variables/INCALIM#codes_section) is only available as [INCALOTH](https://cps.ipums.org/cps-action/variables/INCALOTH#codes_section) before 1988, and [INCDIVID](https://cps.ipums.org/cps-action/variables/INCDIVID#codes_section) and [INCRENT](https://cps.ipums.org/cps-action/variables/INCRENT#codes_section) are only available aggregated as [INCDRT](https://cps.ipums.org/cps-action/variables/INCDRT#codes_section) before 1988.

[INCSURV](https://cps.ipums.org/cps-action/variables/INCSURV#codes_section), [INCDISAB](https://cps.ipums.org/cps-action/variables/INCDISAB#codes_section), [INCCHILD](https://cps.ipums.org/cps-action/variables/INCCHILD#codes_section), and [INCEDUC](https://cps.ipums.org/cps-action/variables/INCEDUC#codes_section) are not available at all before 1988 on IPUMS.

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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:** [April 6, 2022, 9:26pm UTC](https://forum.ipums.org/t/variable-availability-cps-asec/4583/2 "2022-04-06T21:26:59Z")

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There was a redesign of the ASEC income questions in 1988; the specific variables you mentioned are not available in those years in the original CPS data, though the income sources may be captured by other variables. You can see the list of pre-1988 income variables at the [CPS income topcoding page](https://cps.ipums.org/cps/topcodes_tables.shtml). While they are not hyperlinked in the table, these variables are available through IPUMS CPS.