# Weights in Regressions

**URL:** <https://forum.ipums.org/t/weights-in-regressions/5061>\
**Category:** CPS\
**Created:** [January 12, 2023, 9:31pm UTC](https://forum.ipums.org/t/weights-in-regressions/5061 "2023-01-12T21:31:32Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Chantal\_Pezold](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b5e925/32.png) [@Chantal\_Pezold](https://forum.ipums.org/u/Chantal_Pezold)\
**Post date:** [January 12, 2023, 9:31pm UTC](https://forum.ipums.org/t/weights-in-regressions/5061/1 "2023-01-12T21:31:33Z")

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Dear All,

I would like to learn about what predicts the duration of unemployment (time it takes people who got laid off to find a new job), using monthly CPS data.

To that end, in a nutshell, I am planning to regress the duration of unemployment (DURUNEMP) on variables like AGE, SEX, OCC, IND, and especially EARNWEEK (and other variables from the Earner Study/Outgoing Rotation Groups).

Could someone please point me toward the correct weight I should use in such a regression exercise?

Thank you very much!

Best wishes,  
Chantal

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**Author:** ![Ivan\_Strahof](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/forum.ipums.org/ivan_strahof/32/626_2.png) [@Ivan\_Strahof](https://forum.ipums.org/u/Ivan_Strahof)\
**Post date:** [January 20, 2023, 9:46pm UTC](https://forum.ipums.org/t/weights-in-regressions/5061/2 "2023-01-20T21:46:51Z")

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Cross-sectional analyses using any outgoing rotation group (ORG) variables should use [EARNWT](https://cps.ipums.org/cps-action/variables/EARNWT#codes_section) even when other non-ORG variables are included. Researchers should use the weights that correspond to the strictest sampling universe in their analysis. Since ORG variables are drawn from a universe of respondents in month-in-sample 4 and 8, they are more restrictive than the universe of all basic monthly respondents or that of any monthly supplement. Since [DURUNEMP](https://cps.ipums.org/cps-action/variables/DURUNEMP#codes_section) is available in all basic monthly surveys, you can run this analysis without needing to link respondents across their time in the panel. If you are not using the data cross-sectionally and are leveraging the panel aspect of the CPS, you will instead need to use [longitudinal weights](https://cps.ipums.org/cps/cps_linking_documentation.shtml#linked_weights) since this represents a further restriction on your sampling universe.