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MEPS HC 237: 2022 Jobs FileFebruary 2024 Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
A. Data Use Agreement Appendices 1 Sample SAS Program A. Data Use AgreementIndividual identifiers have been removed from the micro-data contained in these files. Nevertheless, under Sections 308 (d) and 903 (c) of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 242m and 42 U.S.C. 299 a-1), data collected by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) and/or the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) may not be used for any purpose other than for the purpose for which they were supplied; any effort to determine the identity of any reported cases is prohibited by law. Therefore in accordance with the above referenced Federal Statute, it is understood that:
By using these data you signify your agreement to comply with the above stated statutorily based requirements with the knowledge that deliberately making a false statement in any matter within the jurisdiction of any department or agency of the Federal Government violates Title 18 part 1 Chapter 47 Section 1001 and is punishable by a fine of up to $10,000 or up to 5 years in prison. The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality requests that users cite AHRQ and the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey as the data source in any publications or research based upon these data. B. Background1.0 Household ComponentThe Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) provides nationally representative estimates of health care use, expenditures, sources of payment, and health insurance coverage for the U.S. civilian noninstitutionalized population. The MEPS Household Component (HC) also provides estimates of respondents’ health status, demographic and socioeconomic characteristics, employment, access to care, and satisfaction with care. Estimates can be produced for individuals, families, and selected population subgroups. The panel design of the survey includes five rounds of interviews covering 2 full calendar years. Additional rounds were added to Panel 24 in 2021 and 2022, covering the third and fourth years, respectively, to compensate for the smaller number of completed interviews in later panels. These extra rounds provide data for examining person-level changes in selected variables such as expenditures, health insurance coverage, and health status. Information about each household member is collected through computer assisted personal interviewing (CAPI) technology, and the survey builds on this information from interview to interview. All data for a sampled household are reported by a single household respondent. The MEPS HC was initiated in 1996. Each year, a new panel of sample households is selected. Because the data collected are comparable to those from earlier medical expenditure surveys conducted in 1977 and 1987, it is possible to analyze long-term trends. Each annual MEPS HC sample consists of about 15,000 households. Data can be analyzed at either the person, the family, or the event level. Data must be weighted to produce national estimates. The set of households selected for each panel of the MEPS HC is a subsample of households participating in the previous year’s National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) conducted by the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS). The NHIS sampling frame provides a nationally representative sample of the U.S. civilian noninstitutionalized population. In 2006, the NCHS implemented a new sample design for the NHIS, to include households with Asian persons in addition to households with Black and Hispanic persons in the oversampling of minority populations. In 2016, NCHS introduced another sample design that discontinued the oversampling of these minority groups. 2.0 Medical Provider ComponentWhen the household CAPI interview is completed, and permission is obtained from the household survey respondents to contact their medical provider(s), a sample of these providers is contacted by telephone to obtain information that household respondents cannot accurately provide. This part of the MEPS is called the Medical Provider Component (MPC), and it collects information on dates of visits, diagnosis and procedure codes, and charges and payments. The Pharmacy Component (PC), a subcomponent of the MPC, does not collect data on charges or diagnosis and procedure codes, but it does collect detailed information on drugs, including the National Drug Code (NDC) and medicine name, as well as amounts of payment. The MPC is not designed to yield national estimates. It is primarily used as an imputation source to supplement/replace household-reported expenditure information. 3.0 Survey Management and Data CollectionMEPS HC and MPC data are collected under the authority of the Public Health Service Act and under contract with Westat, Inc. (MEPS HC) and Research Triangle Institute (MEPS MPC). Datasets and summary statistics are edited and published in accordance with the confidentiality provisions of the Public Health Service Act and the Privacy Act. The NCHS provides consultation and technical assistance. As soon as the MEPS are collected and edited, they are released to the public in stages of microdata files, and tables via the MEPS website and datatools.ahrq.gov. Additional information on MEPS is available from the MEPS project manager or the MEPS public use data manager at the Center for Financing, Access, and Cost Trends, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, 5600 Fishers Lane Rockville, MD 20857 (301-427-1406). C. Technical and Programming InformationSection C of this document offers a brief overview of the data provided in MEPS Jobs Public Use File HC 237 (hereafter referred to as the Jobs PUF), a detailed description of the content and structure of the codebook, reserved code values, and variable naming conventions. It is followed by Section D containing the Variable-Source Crosswalk, Appendix 1 containing sample SAS program code, and Appendix 2 containing sample Stata program code. A copy of the survey instrument used to collect the information on this file is available on the MEPS website. 1.0 General InformationThis file is being released as a research file and has undergone the standard quality control procedures usually performed on MEPS data files. The file includes 40,074 records, with each record representing a unique job for a person by round. This file presents information about jobs starting on or before December 31, 2022 only. This Jobs PUF contains job records from three MEPS panels and includes information collected in Rounds 7 through 9 for Panel 24, Rounds 3 through 5 for Panel 26, and Rounds 1 through 3 for Panel 27. The 2023 Jobs PUF will provide data for Panel 27 jobs that start in 2023. In the Employment section of CAPI, MEPS collects complete job-related information in the round in which a job is first reported. While the details collected vary by job type (see Section C2.0 “Data File Information”), the data reported for a job in its first survey round may include earnings by type (gross salary, tips, etc.), start and stop dates, hours and weeks worked, establishment size, industry and occupation codes, presence of retirement and other benefits, self-employment versus other status, temporary or seasonal situations, and health insurance availability. Minimal data updates are collected for later rounds in which the job continues.
Due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on MEPS collection methods and lower response rates in previous calendar years, AHRQ extended fielding in 2022 for Panel 24 persons to include three additional rounds. Panel 24 Rounds 7 through 9 collected information about 2022. As a result, the 2022 MEPS includes three panels of data: Panel 27 Rounds 1, 2, and 3; Panel 26 Rounds 3, 4, and 5; and Panel 24 Rounds 7, 8, and 9. For 2022 data collection, Panel 24 Round 9 and Panel 26 Round 5 are treated as terminal rounds, referring back to the period between the Round 8 interview and December 31, 2022 for Panel 24, and to the period between the Round 4 interview and December 31, 2022 for Panel 26. Alternatively, Round 7 from Panel 24 was collected as a cross-year round, covering the entire period between the current interview date and the prior interview date (regardless of calendar year and no truncation at December 31). Panel 24 Round 7 records were collected and coded the same as Round 3 data from the first panel. Panel 25 persons are not included in this file. Panel 25 persons were followed for five rounds, with coverage ending December 31, 2021. In order to obtain complete information for a job, users must note the round in which the job is first reported. This is because MEPS collects complete Jobs information in that round only, as noted above. For the first year panel, jobs from Panel 27 Rounds 1, 2, and 3 are included in the 2022 Jobs PUF. Complete information for any Panel 27 job is available for jobs that started before January 1, 2023, whether that job was first reported in Round 1, 2, or 3. This is the case for any first year panel (the panel that began its first year of interviewing in the given year) in a Jobs PUF. For the second year panel (the panel that continued with its second year of interviewing in the given year), jobs from Panel 26 Rounds 3, 4, and 5 are included in the 2022 Jobs PUF. If the Round 3, 4, or 5 job continued from Round 1 or Round 2, users must look back to the Jobs PUF from the previous year (2021) to obtain complete information for the job. This file does not contain a third year panel; Panel 25 persons were not followed in 2022 (Panel 25 Round 5 ended December 31, 2021). For the fourth year panel (the panel that continued with its fourth year of interviewing in the given year), jobs from Panel 24 Rounds 7, 8, and 9 are included in the 2022 Jobs PUF. If the Round 7, 8, or 9 job continued from Round 5 or Round 6, users must look back to the Jobs PUF from the previous year (2021) to obtain complete information for the job. If the Round 7, 8, or 9 job continued from Round 3 or Round 4, users must also look back to the Jobs PUF from two years prior (2020) to obtain complete information for the job. If the Round 7, 8, or 9 job continued from Round 1 or Round 2, users must also look back to the Jobs PUF from three years prior (2019) to obtain complete information for the job. Appendix 1 includes sample SAS code and Appendix 2 contains sample Stata code to assist users in obtaining information from previous Jobs PUFs. Users should note that, because of differences in sample composition between the current year and the previous year files (i.e., a person was included in the previous year’s delivery but not the current year or vice versa), or because more accurate information was received in subsequent round comments following the delivery of the Jobs records in the previous year, there occasionally may not be a corresponding job in the previous year file. 2.0 Data File Information2.1 File ContentsEach record in the 2022 Jobs PUF represents one job reported by a person in a round. In the MEPS, all persons whose reported age is 16 years or older are asked to report on jobs held. Depending on an individual’s job history, these reported jobs may be held:
Only those persons reporting a job in a round who have either a positive person-level or family-level weight on the Populations Characteristics PUF (hereafter referred to as the PC PUF) will have a record in the 2022 Jobs PUF. Job records may appear on the 2022 Jobs PUF where the person’s edited age contained in the PC PUF is younger than 16. In these cases, the full year person-level variables on the PC PUF will indicate no employment, even though the Jobs PUF records for these individuals will continue to contain valid employment information. While this typically occurs in the second panel of a full year delivery, it may, in rare instances, occur in the first panel as well. Record Identifiers The unique record identifier is the variable JOBSIDX, which is composed of a person identifier (DUID + PID), a round identifier (RN), and a job number (JOBNUM). The similarly named variable JOBIDX (without “S”) has the same structure as JOBSIDX but without the round identifier (RN). JOBIDX allows users to easily select all rounds of the same job for the same person. The DUID identifier in this data release is composed of a 2-digit code to identify the panel and a 5-digit dwelling unit identifier. A panel indicator (PANEL) is included on the file to distinguish Round 3 jobs held by Panel 27 persons from Round 3 jobs held by Panel 26 persons. The variable OrigRnd indicates the round in which a job was first created. Therefore, it may or may not contain the same value as RN. ESTBIDX is an establishment identifier composed of DUID + “an establishment number” and can help data users to (a) determine potential duplication of job records (i.e., a person reports multiple jobs to the same establishment in the same round with many or all of the same characteristics), and (b) better understand job changes, since job holders may leave an establishment and return to the same establishment in any round. ESTBIDX was added to MEPS in 2021, so users pooling data from before 2021 are encouraged to refer to prior years’ documentation files to ensure correct and consistent treatment of data over time. Each identifier variable (JOBSIDX, JOBIDX, ESTBIDX, DUID, DUPERSID) begins with the 2-digit panel number. This allows analysts to easily identify records delivered in a previous year Jobs PUF (when panel is used in conjunction with other variables, such as RN and OrigRnd). In addition, CAPI assigns a unique job number that may not be used in subsequent rounds on different jobs. This 3-byte number, JOBNUM, is unique to the reporting unit (RU) and is set to a value that corresponds with the RU in which a person’s job was first reported (e.g., A RU is ‘1’, B RU is ‘2’, C RU is ‘3’, etc). Initial Reporting Round Most persons held only one job at the first interview date - their “Current Main Job.” For persons who held more than one job at the round’s interview date (a current job), respondents were asked to identify the main job. This job was classified as the “Current Main Job” and any other simultaneously held job was classified as a “Current Miscellaneous Job.” The MEPS also obtained some information on any former jobs (Former Main Job or Former Miscellaneous Job) held in the reference period but not at the interview date. For those persons neither working at the interview date nor earlier in the reference period, limited information on the last job the person held was collected. Additionally, for those persons aged 55 or older who were identified as having retired from a job, the MEPS obtained some job-level information (Retirement Job). The variable SUBTYPE indicates the type of job record - current main (1), current miscellaneous (2), former main (3), former miscellaneous (4), last job outside reference period (5), or retirement job (6). When a job is initially reported, MEPS asks for detailed information about any “Current Main Job” and basic information about other job types. Refer to the questionnaire to see which information was asked for each job type. The following variable list identifies when a variable could be set based on the job SUBTYPE. Self-employed and wage-earner status at a job also defines when a variable may be set. (Note: wage-earner is used to describe workers who are not self-employed.) The last column indicates if the variable is populated in the round in which the job is first reported (collection only), when the job is reviewed (review only), or both (collection and review).
For last jobs outside of reference period and retirement jobs that ended more than two years before the beginning of the reference period, certain questions (HHMEMBER_M18 and TOTLEMP_M18) are not asked. The precise calculation of the two-year cut-off date was not possible for some persons due to allowed negative values on stop year, stop month, and reference period start month. Therefore, HHMEMBER_M18 and TOTLEMP_M18 may be collected for some jobs that ended more than two years before the reference period. Skip Patterns Due to the complexity of many skip patterns, it is recommended that users of the 2022 Jobs PUF become familiar with the Employment (EM) section in the MEPS questionnaire. To aid users, a crosswalk between variables and MEPS questionnaire numbers is provided in this release. The following examples of variables involved in skip patterns are presented to be illustrative; these examples do not represent the full range of variables affected by questionnaire skip patterns. In one example of a skip pattern, the MEPS does not obtain job-related benefits such as vacation, sick leave, and pension information for self-employed jobs, so those variables were coded as Inapplicable (-1) for those types of jobs. Nor does the MEPS attempt to obtain wage, salary, and information regarding whether the job was in the private sector, federal or local government (TYPEEMPL) for the self-employed. So again, due to the skip pattern, TYPEEMPL was coded as Inapplicable (-1) for self-employed jobs. Conversely, the questions relating to business organization type (BUSINC, PROPRIET) are asked only of the self-employed, so those variables were coded as Inapplicable (-1) for jobs performed by wage earners. Job Updates and Inapplicable (-1) Values The MEPS used dependent interviewing in Rounds 7, 8, and 9 for Panel 24, Rounds 3, 4, and 5 for Panel 26, and in Rounds 1, 2, and 3 for Panel 27 (see Review of Employment [RJ] section in the EM section of the questionnaire). In these rounds, the MEPS asked about current main and current miscellaneous jobs held at the previous round interview date to determine whether the job holder continued to work at these jobs. For other job types (former, last, or retirement) reported in the previous round, the MEPS does not ask any follow-up questions. These jobs, by definition, are no longer held by the person and therefore are not included on the file except in the round they were first reported or ended. With dependent interviewing, if a person still held a Current Main Job from the previous round, the MEPS asked whether the job was still the main job. For most job holders, it was reported that they still worked at the same job and it was still their main job. If, in a subsequent interview, a job was no longer held, it was designated as a former job for that follow-up round. It is also possible, although unusual, for a job to change from main to miscellaneous (or vice versa) in a round subsequent to the initial report. If job status remained the same for a continuing job (either main or miscellaneous), the MEPS asked only a subset of the employment questions as a review. Because the MEPS asked only this subset of questions if job status for a person did not change in later rounds, many job-level variables on the subsequent round’s job records were coded as Inapplicable (-1); the complete information for a continued job is located on the record for the job in the first round in which it was reported. Thus, it is important to determine whether a job continues from the previous round when working with the job records. In rounds when this applies, the variables STILLAT (for jobs that were current main in the previous round) and STILLWRK (for jobs that were current miscellaneous in the previous round) indicate whether a person still holds the job at the subsequent round interview date. The variable SUBTYPE on the subsequent round record indicates whether the job is main or miscellaneous in that subsequent round. Note that if a Panel 26 job included in this 2022 Jobs PUF is continued from a job first reported in Round 1 or 2, or a Panel 24 job included in this 2022 Jobs PUF is continued from a job first reported in Round 5 or 6 (in the 2021 file), much of the information will be contained in the 2021 jobs PUF (HC-227). Likewise, if a Panel 24 job included in this 2022 file is continued from a job first reported in Round 3 or 4 (in the 2020 file), much of the information will be contained in the 2020 jobs file (HC-218). Finally, if a Panel 24 job included in this 2022 file is continued from a job first reported in Round 1 or 2 (in the 2019 file), much of the information will be contained in the 2019 Jobs file (HC-211). Users should access these prior year files to obtain the desired job characteristics. Appendix 1 provides a sample SAS program showing how to do this, and Appendix 2 provides a sample Stata program showing how to do this. Any new job reported in a round following the initial interview was collected the same way as in the first interview round. Variables that relate only to the review of a job reported in a previous round (DIFFWAGE, ESTBTHRU, INSESTB, MAIN_JOB, NOWTAKEI_M22, OFFTAKEI, STILLAT, StillWorkFTPT, STILLWRK, RvwTotNumEmp, WHY_LEFT_M18, WhyChngPTToFT, WhyChngFTToPT) were not asked in Round 1, and these variables were coded as Inapplicable (-1) on a Jobs record for the round in which the job was initially reported. Another type of job update pertains to situations where a reviewed current miscellaneous job becomes the current main job in the round. The flag variable TYPECHGD indicates whether a job changed from a current miscellaneous job to a current main job. For these types of jobs, questions that were asked when the job was first reported as a current miscellaneous job were not re-asked, with three exceptions.
Exceptions to the Inapplicable (-1) Rule Unlike the situation explained above (applicable for most variables on the file), for certain variables a value other than Inapplicable (-1) does not necessarily mean that a job is newly reported. For a small subset of variables, previous round variables were carried forward to the next round, even if there were no updates to the variables since they were originally reported. There are two distinct situations in which this special treatment was used, due to internal processing needs. The first exception occurs when questions related to the affected variables were skipped over as Inapplicable (-1) during the interview in rounds subsequent to the one in which the job was initially reported, but the originally reported response was carried forward from round to round. This group includes the following 15 variables: EMPLINS, HRSPRWK, HRS35WK, JOBTYPE, JSTRTY, JSTRTM, MORELOC, NUMEMPS, OFFRDINS, PROVDINS (in applicable rounds), EmplUnionProv (in applicable rounds), TYPEEMPL, JOBHASHI, HRSALBAS, and RETIRJOB. Note that HRSALBAS and RETIRJOB may also be updated in subsequent rounds. The second exception occurs for certain questions that were asked during the review of a job in rounds following the round in which the job was initially reported. If there was no change based on the review, the value for the affected variable was carried forward from the previous round. If there was a change, the variable was updated to reflect the new information. These five variables are: JSTOPY, NOWTAKEI_M22, OFFTAKEI, SUBTYPE, and TOTLEMP_M18. Variables related to earnings (such as HRLYWAGE, GROSSPAY, SALARIED) were treated similarly to the six variables just discussed. In the RJ section, the MEPS attempted to obtain information regarding changes in wages for the same job from round to round. If there were no wage changes (indicated by the DIFFWAGE variable), then the most recent round’s information was carried forward. If changes were recorded, then the relevant variables were updated. For every new main job reported for a person, the MEPS attempted to obtain current wage information. Top-Coding, Bottom-Coding, Editing, and Confidentiality Outlier Wage Editing on Current Main Jobs In 2022, wage information on current main job records was logically edited for consistency using established rules and guidance from AHRQ. Outliers were checked for persons who reported a wage change and the new reported wage (a) was substantially different from prior wage (change >=100%), (b) was no different than prior wage, (c) was low in value ($0 < wage < $1) or, (d) had a value higher than prior year’s top code value. There are numerous sources for these types of errors, including keystroke or respondent error. In 2022, approximately 110 wages were reviewed per panel, resulting in approximately 60 wage edits (overall). Wage Top-Coding Wage information reported during the interview is delivered in the 2022 Jobs PUF. The earnings variables include HRLYWAGE, BONSAMT, COMMAMT, TIPSAMT, DAYWAGE, WKLYAMT, GROSSPAY, and MAKEAMT. For reasons of confidentiality, earnings variables on the 2022 Jobs PUF were top-coded. A value of Top Coded (-10) for one of these variables on a record indicates that the variable had a positive value and that the hourly rate for that earnings variable for the record was greater than or equal to $119.23. The process by which the top-code value for the Jobs PUF was derived incorporates the wage top-code process used in the PC PUF top-coding process. The purpose of coordinated top-coding is to ensure confidentiality for each person across files. In order to top code wage amounts delivered in the Jobs PUF using the hourly wage top code value identified in PC PUF processing, calculated hourly wage variables were created by converting a wage from ‘annual,’ ‘monthly,’ ‘bi-weekly,’ ‘weekly,’ and ‘daily’ to ‘hourly.’ If an earnings amount is missing, no ‘hourly’ value is assigned to the job. When an earnings unit is needed to calculate the hourly wage variable and the unit is missing, a value is assigned based on a 2,080 hour work year. For example, if an annual wage is reported but the number of weeks per year a person works is missing, a value of ‘52’ is used to calculate the hourly wage. In other cases, such as when earning units were reported as Other (91), no substitution is made and an hourly wage is not calculated for top coding purposes. In these cases, wage amounts are left as reported. These calculated hourly variables and assignment of missing unit values are for internal use and are not delivered in the Jobs PUF. Unlike the PC PUF, no wage variables were imputed in the Jobs PUF. Instead, the earnings information remains as reported (e.g., don’t know). In addition to using wages from the first report of a current main job, updated wages from that job reported in any subsequent round were also included in deriving the wage top-code value. On the 2022 PC PUF, any person who has a wage for any job in any 2022 round that is greater than or equal to the top-code value had all 2022 wages for all jobs top-coded, in all 2022 rounds. Any person whose wages are top-coded on the 2022 PC PUF also has all wages on all jobs top-coded in the 2022 Jobs PUF. There are some jobs included on the 2022 Jobs PUF that are not summarized in the 2022 PC PUF, specifically newly reported former main jobs and current/former miscellaneous jobs. When reported wages at these specific types of jobs exceed the current year top-code value on the 2022 Jobs PUF, the wages for that job are top-coded on the 2022 Jobs file, along with all other wages for that job holder on all other jobs in the file. All wages for that job holder are top-coded in the 2022 PC PUF as well. Users should note that there are other wages appearing only on the 2022 Jobs PUF that are top coded on the 2022 Jobs PUF but do not prompt top coding of all other wages on all files. There are some jobs where respondents indicate that a supplemental wage, such as a commission, tip, or bonus, is greater than or equal to the wage top-code value but, at that same job, the base wage such as the annual salary is not. For these cases, only the tips, commissions, or bonus amounts were top-coded on the job when they are greater than or equal to the wage top-code value (note, these supplemental wages reside on the 2022 Jobs PUF but not on the 2022 PC PUF). All other wage amounts for all jobs for these persons were left as reported. (This applies to wages and jobs on both the 2022 PC PUF and 2022 Jobs PUF.) Wages can be top-coded to -10 on the Jobs PUF for four less common situations. These situations are:
Wage Confirmation in CAPI To improve the quality of wage reports, CAPI prompts the respondent to confirm wages reported in the Employment Wage section if a wage amount falls outside a specified wage range. Ranges vary depending on the unit of pay.
To calculate the hourly rate for earnings types not reported on an hourly basis, the number of hours per week worked and, in some cases, the number of weeks worked were used in conjunction with the various amounts. These hours and weeks are included in the Jobs PUF along with the reported earnings amounts, but the calculated hourly rates are not included. (Earnings variables were not reconciled with income data collected elsewhere in the MEPS.) Establishment Size Information The establishment size variable for the self-employed is TOTLEMP_M18. In addition, two variables contain the individual responses collected at RJ110 and EM740 (number of employees at a self-employed job). They are RvwTotNumEmp (establishment size at continuing self-employed job) and TotNumEmp (establishment size at newly reported self-employed job), respectively. The establishment size for wage-earners can be found in NUMEMPS (establishment size at non-self-employed job); this value is collected at EM430 (number of employees). Respondents who did not know the actual establishment size (NUMEMPS) were asked in question EM440 (ESTIMATE1_M19) to choose approximate establishment size from a number of size ranges (e.g., 2-9, 10-25). The value Cannot Be Computed (-15) is not an allowed value for ESTMATE1_M19. For confidentiality reasons, NUMEMPS, TOTLEMP_M18, RvwTotNumEmp and TotNumEmp were top coded to “-10 # OF EMP >= 18,000” for establishment sizes greater than or equal to 18,000 employees. Job Start/Stop Year In addition to top coding wages and establishment size, the start year of job (JSTRTY) and the stop year of job (JSTOPY) were bottom-coded. This was done because a person’s age may be calculated using the job start or stop year and that age may indicate that the job holder is older than 85 years, the age top-code value used across MEPS PUFs. The bottom-code year value was calculated by taking the delivery year in which the job is first reported (e.g., 2022), subtracting the age top-code value (i.e., 85 years of age), then adding back 15 (i.e., the age of a person in the year before entering the work force as defined in MEPS). For the 2022 Jobs file, the bottom code value for the job start and stop year on jobs first reported in Panel 27 Round 1, Round 2, or Round 3; Panel 26 Round 4 or Round 5; Panel 24 Round 8 or Round 9 is 1952. Jobs that were first reported in Panel 26 Round 1, Round 2, or Round 3; or Panel 24 Round 6 or Round 7 were delivered in the 2021 Jobs file and have a bottom code value of 1951. Jobs that were first reported in Panel 24 Round 4 or Round 5 were delivered in the 2020 Jobs file and have a bottom code value of 1950. Lastly, jobs that were first reported in Panel 24 Round 1, Round 2 or Round 3 were delivered in the 2019 Jobs file and have a bottom code value of 1949. Temporary and Seasonal Jobs Two variables in this Jobs PUF pertain to the temporary and seasonal nature of a person’s main or miscellaneous job. The variable TEMPJOB indicates whether a main or miscellaneous job is temporary (i.e., is a current main job for a limited amount of time or until the completion of a project). The variable SESNLJOB indicates either that a main or miscellaneous job is available only during certain times of the year or that the individual is working throughout the entire year at that job. Teachers and other school personnel who work only during the school year are considered to work year round. These questions are asked of newly reported jobs only. These variables were set to Inapplicable (-1) for all subsequent rounds. These questions are not asked of newly reported former miscellaneous jobs, last jobs outside of reference period, and retirement jobs. Reason No Longer at Place of Employment In cases where a former job is newly reported, questions were asked regarding why the person is no longer at that place of work. For wage earners, this information is stored in YLEFT_M18. For self-employed persons, this information is stored in YNOBUSN_M18. When a main or miscellaneous job ends in the round, the variable WHY_LEFT_M18 indicates the reason for leaving the place of employment in the round. This variable is helpful in understanding job changes, as well. It is included in the PC PUF when describing a person’s job change from one CMJ to another in the variable YCHGrrrr. In order to ensure consistent interpretation of selection values for these variables, the MEPS provides accessible guidance for interviewers regarding the analytic construct of each value. Refer to Appendix 3 for further information. Retirement from a Job/Workforce MEPS reflects the complex status of “retired” in several ways. For persons aged 55 or older who either (a) worked at some point in the round, or (b) are in their first MEPS interview and did not work in the round but worked prior to MEPS, the question EM350 probes for instances of retirement in the round. The respondent may select an existing former job at question EM380 or create a new retirement job whose SUBTYPE is set to Retirement Job (6) at question EM390. More than one job may be selected, as well. In the case of persons who worked in the round (i.e., person has a former main job [SUBTYPE=3] or former miscellaneous job [SUBTYPE=4]), a setting of Yes (1) on the Jobs PUF variable RETIRJOB indicates the job holder was actively employed at the job in the round but stopped working due to retirement. This information is represented in the PC PUF variable EVRETIRE if the person is in scope and aged 55 or older in the round. These persons may continue to work in the round and have current job records, that is, jobs with SUBTYPE values of Current Main Job (1) and Current Miscellaneous Job (2). Jobs reported by persons in their first interview who worked prior to MEPS but not in the round, where SUBTYPE is Last Job Outside Reference Period (5), may also be selected at EM380 and RETIRJOB will be set to Yes (1). The designation is automatic when a new retirement job is reported instead of selected at EM390. These persons will have EVRETIRE set to Yes (1) in the PC PUF where the person is in scope and edited age of 55 years or older in the round. As long as CAPI conditions are met, a person may report any number of retirement jobs in any round. When a person aged 55 or older is not employed in a round (i.e., not actively employed at any point in the round), the retirement question EM350 is skipped. Instead, the MEPS collects information for periods of unemployment at question EM750 where a workforce status of “retired” can be selected. This question is also asked in a person’s first MEPS round when the person was employed prior to MEPS but not in the current round, or never employed at all. The response selected at EM750 to indicate why the person is not employed is captured in the PC PUF variable NWK. Lastly, the construction logic of the PC PUF variable EVRETIRE also impacts how “retirement” is reflected. Beginning with the 2022 PC PUF, EVRETIRE prioritizes persons indicating “retirement” at EM750 over whether “retirement” is indicated in the current round at EM350. With this change, along with improved response rates, users will notice an increase of almost 8% of persons who have ever retired reflected in the variable EVRETIRE. It is important to note that the retirement job classification is independent of any retirement response in the following variables:
Responses to these questions and to EM750 (reflected in NWK) are not age-dependent. Therefore, users may also derive information regarding retirement status for persons aged 55 or younger using YNOBUSN_M18 and WHY_LEFT_M18 from the Jobs PUF and NWKrr from the PC PUF. Health Insurance Data Questions about employment-related health insurance are asked both when any type of job is newly reported and when any continuing job is reviewed. For main jobs, either newly reported or changing from miscellaneous, the variable that indicates whether insurance is held through that establishment is EMPLINS. For all non-main jobs, including current miscellaneous jobs and all newly reported former jobs, the variable JOBHASHI indicates whether insurance is held through that establishment. For a newly reported job, depending on whether employment-related insurance is held or not, there may be follow-up information gathered which is contained in the following variables:
If a job holder holds insurance at the employer (Yes [1] at EM660, EMPLINS or JOBHASHI) and that person belongs to a union (Yes [1] at EM700, INUNION), and the job is first reported in the round, respondents are asked to indicate whether the health insurance is from the employer/business or the union at EM710. Either or both establishments may be the source of insurance. Through Panel 23 Round 8, Panel 24 Round 6, Panel 25 Round 4, and Panel 26 Round 2, both establishments could be selected at EM710 (PROVDINS), and two sets of private insurance coverage were created in the Health Insurance (HX) section of MEPS. 1 EMPLOYER 2 UNION 3 BOTH EMPLOYER AND UNION Beginning in Panel 23 Round 9, Panel 24 Round 7, Panel 25 Round 5, and Panel 26 Round 3, response options at EM710 changed. Respondents are required to identify the primary source of health insurance - either the employer/business or the union - if the respondent indicates both provide insurance at EM710 (PROVDINS renamed EmplUnionProv for these cases). 1 EMPLOYER 2 UNION 3 BOTH EMPLOYER AND UNION (EMPLOYER IS PRIMARY) 4 BOTH EMPLOYER AND UNION (UNION IS PRIMARY) Only the primary source of insurance coverage is created in the HX section. The result is that persons who reported insurance via both union and employer sources no longer have the secondary source insurance coverage recorded in HX. The variable set at EM710 was renamed from PROVDINS to EmplUnionProv beginning in Panel 26 Round 3, Panel 25 Round 5, Panel 24 Round 7, and Panel 23 Round 9 to reflect this change. EmplUnionProv is Inapplicable (-1) in prior rounds. Note that PROVDINS was constructed for all rounds of 2021 and 2022 using responses collected in EmplUnionProv for jobs newly reported in the delivery year. When EmplUnionProv = Both Employer and Union (Employer is Primary) (3) or Both Employer and Union (Union is Primary) (4), PROVDINS = Both (3). Beginning in 2023, PROVDINS will no longer be constructed for the Jobs PUF. It will only contain EmplUnionProv. Users should be mindful that 2021 was a transition year, since jobs in the 2021 file report primary/secondary union/employer insurance differently depending on which panel/round the job was first reported. Such jobs continue to exist in the 2022 Jobs PUF because jobs first reported prior to Panel 26 Round 3 and Panel 24 Round 7 may have been reviewed in 2022. There are 1,055 job records reported prior to those rounds on this 2022 Jobs PUF that used the former CAPI EM710 insurance logic in the first interview of the job. These records may be identified as follows: PROVDINS <> -1 and EmplUnionProv = -1 Users combining multiple years of MEPS should also be mindful that prior years in MEPS contained separate insurance records of both primary and secondary private insurance in the Person Round Plan Public Use File (hereafter referred to as the PRPL PUF). Like job records in the Jobs PUF, insurance may continue to be reviewed in the 2022 PRPL PUF. The PRPL PUF will contain insurance through both sources (employer and union) where each source provides unique coverage. Otherwise, the union coverage is removed as duplicate coverage. For a continuing job, when no health insurance was held through the job in the round in which the job was first reported but health insurance was offered through the job, the question RJ70 OFFTAKEI is asked in later rounds to determine whether the employee now holds the health insurance that is offered through the job. (Note: if health insurance through this job was reported as being held via RJ70 in the prior round, RJ70 is not asked in the current round.) Similarly, the insurance status question RJ80 (responses stored on NOWTAKEI through Panel 26 Round 2, Panel 25 Round 4, Panel 24 Round 6, and Panel 23 Round 8, and on NOWTAKEI_M22 beginning in Panel 26 Round 3, Panel 25 Round 5, Panel 24 Round 7, and Panel 23 Round 9) is asked to determine whether health insurance is now held through the job in the following cases:
Beginning in 2021 Panel 26 Round 3, Panel 25 Round 5, Panel 24 Round 7, and Panel 23 Round 9, RJ80 is asked if the respondent reports new employer-sponsored health insurance in the prior round but that coverage was not active at the interview date, that is, a response of No (2) in the Health Insurance Time Period Covered Detail (HQ) section of MEPS at HQ01 “Was {PERSON} covered the whole time from {START DATE} until {END DATE}” and at HQ02 “Is {PERSON} covered now?” Before this change, persons for whom health insurance was not active at the interview date in the prior round skipped RJ80. To reflect the new CAPI flow, the variable set at RJ80 was renamed from NOWTAKEI to NOWTAKEI_M22 in the 2021 Jobs PUF. The 2021 Jobs PUF contained both variables since data reflected both the old and new CAPI flow. Starting in the 2022 Jobs PUF, NOWTAKEI is no longer delivered since all records in the delivery used the new CAPI flow. The MEPS then includes several clarifying questions regarding health insurance availability at an employer. When the person does not report, does not know, or refuses to indicate the insurance coverage status through the job at RJ70 or reports no insurance coverage through the job at RJ80, the respondent is asked whether the person was offered insurance through the job at RJ90 (ESTBTHRU). Lastly, when a respondent indicates that the job holder of a reviewed job neither holds insurance through the job nor was offered health insurance at the job, the respondent is asked whether any other employees were offered health insurance through the job at RJ100 (INSESTB). The Panel 26 Round 3, Panel 25 Round 5, Panel 24 Round 7, and Panel 23 Round 9 CAPI change at RJ80 means that more persons could be asked whether the person was offered insurance at RJ90 (ESTBTHRU) or whether other employees were offered insurance at the employer establishment at RJ100 (INSESTB), discussed below. In some cases, respondents indicate in the HX section that health insurance reported in the EM section was reported in error. This is referred to as insurance being “disavowed.” If newly reported health insurance through the job is disavowed in the HX section, follow-up questions (HX21, HX22, HX23) regarding whether health insurance is offered at the job, whether more than one plan is available, and whether health insurance is offered to any employees are asked in the HX section. This information was used in an editing process whereby responses in the HX section were transferred into the EM or RJ section. As a result, the disavowal process may result in a change to values originally collected in the EM or RJ section (wherever the health insurance was initially reported). The complete list of variables potentially impacted includes: EMPLINS, JOBHASHI, OFFRDINS, DIFFPLNS, ANYINS, PROVDINS, and EmplUnionProv, collected in the EM section, and NOWTAKEI_M22, OFFTAKEI, ESTBTHRU, and INSESTB, collected in the RJ section. In some cases, a disavowal may result only in a change to the value of PROVDINS/EmplUnionProv. Through Panel 26 Round 2, Panel 25 Round 4, Panel 24 Round 6, and Panel 23 Round 8, health insurance through an employer could be disavowed in the MEPS based on a respondent’s answer to one of four questions (HX14, HX15, HX20, HP70). Beginning in Panel 26 Round 3, Panel 25 Round 5, Panel 24 Round 7, and Panel 23 Round 9, disavowal is possible at one of two questions (HX20 and HP70). To help users understand the source of the disavowal, the variable HIDISAVW indicates which of the following questions resulted in the disavowal. HIDISAVW includes only one source among these options. Please note, however, that through Panel 26 Round 2, Panel 25 Round 4, Panel 24 Round 6, and Panel 23 Round 8, it was possible for a respondent to disavow one source of coverage at HX15 and then later disavow the second source of coverage at HP70. In these cases, HIDISAVW was set to HP70.
Industry and Occupation Coding Industry and occupation codes were assigned by professional coders at the Census Bureau based on verbatim descriptions provided by respondents during the survey interview. The codes were determined at a detailed 4-digit level and then collapsed into broader groups on the file to ensure the confidentiality of the records. INDCODEX contains industry information and OCCCODEX contains occupation information. Appendices 4 and 5 contain crosswalks between the detailed and collapsed codes for industry and occupation. With the 2010 file, the Census Bureau began using 2007 Industry and 2010 Occupation codes, which were developed for the Bureau’s Current Population Survey and American Community Survey. These updated coding schemes incorporate minor changes from the 2003 industry and occupation codes used for the 2002-2009 files; therefore, INDCODEX and OCCCODEX for 2010 and later files are comparable to those variables on the 2002-2009 files. (Industry and occupation variables for pre-2002 files are not comparable to those for later files.) 2.2 Other 2022 File ConsiderationsRound-to-Round Changes to Job Rosters As seen starting in 2020, COVID-19 continues to greatly impact response rates, increasing the likelihood that job characteristics of MEPS job holders vary more than typical MEPS round-to-round changes. Job holder gender, race, educational attainment, industry, occupation, establishment size, and job place flexibility all impact employment stability more so since the advent of COVID-19. Non-responding households produce a drop-off in jobs available for review in subsequent rounds. For instance, in Panel 27 between Round 1 and Round 2, there was a 45% drop-off in job records available for review in Round 2 and beyond. Panels impacted by COVID-19 show a higher rate of job drop-offs than panels not impacted by COVID-19. In 2022, the drop-off rates continue at a high rate but show improvement toward resembling pre-pandemic rates.
Users should also note that the proportion of new jobs reported in Panel 27 Round 1 as compared to all new jobs reported in Panel 27 Rounds 1-3 is comparable to other panels. In a typical year, over 80% of all jobs in a panel are reported in the first round of the survey. This is true for Panels 24, 26, and 27. For these reasons, it will be important for users to compare job holder and job characteristics in their analysis. Given the low response rates in Panel 26 Round 1 and continuing drop-off of reviewed jobs, COVID-19 continues to have a sustained impact on Panel 26 employment data. Questions where Respondents Noted COVID-19 Impacts Users of the 2022 Jobs file may find it helpful to know where in Employment sections field interviewers documented COVID-related impacts from respondent comments. Although a smaller subset of respondent comments than those noted in 2020 and 2021, this list demonstrates the continuing impact of COVID-19 on employment data:
2.3 Person-Level EstimatesThis 2022 Jobs file does not include any weights necessary to extrapolate these data to the U.S. population. To make person-level estimates, link to any of the 2022 MEPS files and use the person-level weight for the appropriate panel. The link should be made through the variable DUPERSID. Note that not all persons in the MEPS have positive weights and job records; only those persons who have either a positive person-level or family-level weight in the 2022 PC PUF are included in the 2022 Jobs file. 2.4 Codebook StructureFor each variable on the 2022 Jobs PUF, an unweighted frequency is provided in the accompanying codebook file. 2.5 Reserved CodesThis Jobs PUF includes several reserved code values.
The value Cannot be Computed (-15) was assigned to the MEPS constructed variables when there was not enough information from the instrument to calculate the constructed variable. Not having enough information is often the result of skip patterns in the data or of missing information stemming from the responses Refused (-7) or Don’t Know (-8). Note that, in addition to Don’t Know, reserved code -8 also includes cases for which the information from the question was Not Ascertained. 2.6 Codebook FormatThis codebook describes an ASCII dataset (with related SAS, SPSS, R, and Stata programming statements and data user information), although the data are also provided in a SAS data set, SAS transport file, Stata data set, and Excel file. The file contains 85 variables and has a logical record length of 280 with an additional 2-byte carriage return/line feed at the end of each record.
2.7 Variable Source and Naming ConventionsAs the collection, universe, or categories of variables were altered, the variable names have been appended with “_Myy” to indicate the collection year in which the alterations took place. These alterations are described in detail throughout this document. In general, the variable names reflect the content of the variable. Due to system changes, variable names are no longer restricted to 8 characters. Variables contained on this file were derived from the questionnaire itself or from the CAPI. The source of each variable is identified in Section D. Variable-Source Crosswalk. Sources for each variable are indicated in one of two ways:
3.0 Longitudinal AnalysisPanel-specific longitudinal files can be downloaded from the data section of the MEPS website. For all three panels (Panel 24, Panel 26, and Panel 27), the longitudinal file comprises MEPS data obtained in all rounds of the panels and can be used to analyze changes over the entire length of the panel. Variables on the file pertaining to survey administration, demographics, employment, health status, disability days, quality of care, health insurance, and medical care use and expenditures were obtained from the MEPS Consolidated PUF from the 2 years covered by that panel. For more details or to download the data files, please see Longitudinal Weight Files. 4.0 Using MEPS Data for Trend AnalysisFor analysts using the MEPS data for trend analysis, we note that there are uncertainties associated with 2020, 2021, and possibly 2022 data quality for reasons discussed throughout Section 3 of the PC PUF. Preliminary evaluations of a set of MEPS estimates of particular importance suggest that they are of reasonable quality. Nevertheless, analysts are advised to exercise caution in interpreting these estimates, particularly in terms of trend analyses, since access to health care was substantially affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, as were related factors such as health insurance and employment status for many people. The MEPS began in 1996, and the utility of the survey for analyzing health care trends expands with each additional year of data; however, when examining trends over time using the MEPS, the length of time being analyzed should be considered. In particular, large shifts in survey estimates over short periods of time (e.g., from one year to the next) that are statistically significant should be interpreted with caution unless they are attributable to known factors such as changes in public policy, economic conditions, or the MEPS methodology. With respect to methodological considerations, changes in data collection methods, such as interviewer training, were introduced in 2013 to obtain more complete information about health care utilization from MEPS respondents; the changes were fully implemented in 2014. This effort likely resulted in improved data quality and a reduction in underreporting starting in the second half of 2013 and continuing throughout 2014 full-year files; the changes have also had some impact on analyses involving trends in utilization across years. The changes in the NHIS sample design in 2016 and 2018 could also potentially affect trend analyses. The new NHIS sample design is based on more up-to-date information related to the distribution of housing units across the United States. As a result, it can be expected to better cover the full civilian noninstitutionalized population, the target population for MEPS, as well as many of its subpopulations. Better coverage of the target population helps to reduce the potential for bias in both NHIS and MEPS estimates. Another change with the potential to affect trend analysis involved major modifications to the MEPS instrument design and data collection process, particularly in the events sections of the instrument. These were introduced in the spring of 2018 and thus affected data beginning with Round 1 of Panel 23, Round 3 of Panel 22, and Round 5 of Panel 21. Since the full-year 2017 PC PUFs were established from data collected in Rounds 1-3 of Panel 22 and Rounds 3-5 of Panel 21, they have reflected two instrument designs. To mitigate the effect of such differences within the same full-year file, the Panel 22, Round 3 data and the Panel 21 Round 5 data were transformed to make them as consistent as possible with data collected under the previous design. The changes in the instrument were designed to make the data collection effort more efficient and easy to administer. In addition, expectations were that data on some items, such as those related to health care events, would be more complete with the potential of identifying more events. Increases in service use reported since the implementation of these changes are consistent with these expectations. Data users should be aware of the possible impacts of these changes on the data and especially on trend analyses that include the year 2018 because of the design transition. Process changes, such as data editing and imputation, may also affect trend analyses. For example, users should refer to Section 2.5.11: Utilization, Expenditures, and Sources of Payment Variables in the Consolidated PUF (HC-232) and, for more detail, to the documentation for the prescription drug file (HC-229A) when analyzing prescription drug spending over time. As always, it is recommended that, before conducting trend analyses, users should review relevant sections of the documentation for descriptions of these types of changes that might affect the interpretation of changes over time. To smooth or stabilize trend analyses based on the MEPS data, analysts may also wish to consider using statistical techniques such as comparing pooled time periods (e.g., 1996-1997 versus 2011-2012), working with moving averages or using modeling techniques with several consecutive years of the data to test the fit of specified patterns over time. Finally, statistical significance tests should be conducted to assess the likelihood that observed trends are not attributable to sampling variation. In addition, researchers should be aware of the impact of multiple comparisons on Type I error. Without making appropriate allowance for multiple comparisons, the use of numerous statistical significance tests of trends will increase the likelihood of concluding that a change has taken place when one has not. D. Variable-Source CrosswalkFOR MEPS HC 237: 2022 JOBS DATA FILE
Appendix 3 Reasons for Leaving EmploymentInterviewers use the following information to guide selection of values regarding reasons for leaving employment. Former jobs selected as retirement jobs at EM380 will not be asked EM520 or EM530. Numeric response values are included parenthetically next to the label. The most current version of this language may be found online in the MEPS Survey Questionnaire section Medical Expenditure Panel Survey Survey Questionnaires (ahrq.gov). YLEFT_M18 (EM520) JOB ENDED, TEMPORARY, SEASONAL, CONTRACT, ETC. (1) Voluntary or involuntary termination of employment based on the completion or cancellation of a predetermined task or work order. For example, construction workers may no longer be employed due to the fact that a specific project has been completed and no subsequent projects have begun. BUSINESS CLOSED OR SOLD (2) Voluntary or involuntary cessation of operations by the owners of the business. ILLNESS, INJURY, HEALTH PROBLEM (3) Inability to work due to impairments, or physical or mental health conditions. The impairment or condition should be of such severity that it incapacitates the individual and prevents him/her from doing any kind of gainful employment. TERMINATED, FIRED, DISMISSED (4) Employer ends job against the will of the employee. This can be due to issues with the employee’s performance but it also may be due to factors outside the employee’s control, such as company restructuring or the elimination of a position. LAID OFF, LET GO (5) Persons are on layoff if they are waiting to be recalled to a job from which they were temporarily separated for business-related reasons, such as temporary drops in demand, business downturns, plant remodeling, material shortages, and inventory taking. They must have either been given a date to report back to work or, if not given a date, must expect to be recalled to their job within six months. QUIT - FAMILY REASON, MATERNITY LEAVE (6) This answer category includes cases where an RU member ceases employment in order to be in the household to take care of household duties, children, and/or spouse. It also includes cases where an RU member may quit in order to be available to care for another family member who is ill, either in the RU member’s home or elsewhere. Maternity leave allows a pregnant RU member voluntarily terminates employment due to the birth of her child or quits to take care of an adopted child. QUIT - SCHOOL (7) RU member is no longer employed in order to attend classes at any kind of public or private school, including trade or vocational schools in which students receive no compensation in money or kind, or only minimal educational stipends (fellowship, scholarship). QUIT - JOB RELATED REASON (8) RU member voluntary leaves employer directly due to job related conditions. Examples may include a difficult work environment, inconsistency or dissatisfaction with scheduling or hours, change in position expectations or responsibilities, or relocation. This includes quitting due to taking another job. QUIT - ANY OTHER REASON (9) RU member voluntary leaves employer for any other reason. This may include wanting time off from working or time off to pursue other interests such as volunteering or personal hobbies. YNOBUSN_M18 (EM530) BUSINESS CLOSED OR SOLD (1) Voluntary or involuntary cessation of operations by the owners of the business. RETIRED (2) Voluntary termination of employment usually the result of reaching a specified age and tenure. Also include situations in which the person is no longer seeking main employment due to a retirement decision. ILLNESS OR INJURY (3) Inability to work due to impairments, or physical or mental health conditions. The impairment or condition should be of such severity that it incapacitates the individual and prevents him/her from doing any kind of gainful employment. WHY_LEFT_M18 (RJ130) JOB ENDED, TEMPORARY, SEASONAL, CONTRACT, ETC. (1) Voluntary or involuntary termination of employment based on the completion or cancellation of a predetermined task or work order. For example, construction workers may no longer be employed due to the fact that a specific project has been completed and no subsequent projects have begun. BUSINESS CLOSED OR SOLD (2) Voluntary or involuntary cessation of operations by the owners of the business. RETIRED (3) Voluntary termination of employment usually the result of reaching a specified age and tenure. Also include situations in which the person is no longer seeking main employment due to a retirement decision. ILLNESS, INJURY, HEALTH PROBLEM (4) Inability to work due to impairments, or physical or mental health problems. The impairment or problem should be of such severity that it incapacitates the individual and prevents him/her from doing any kind of gainful employment. TERMINATED, FIRED, DISMISSED (5) Employer ends job against the will of the employee. This can be due to issues with the employee’s performance but it also may be due to factors outside the employee’s control, such as company restructuring or the elimination of a position. LAID OFF, LET GO (6) Persons are on layoff if they are waiting to be recalled to a job from which they were temporarily separated for business-related reasons, such as temporary drops in demand, business downturns, plant remodeling, material shortages, and inventory taking. They must have either been given a date to report back to work or, if not given a date, must expect to be recalled to their job within six months. QUIT - FAMILY REASON, MATERNITY LEAVE (7) This answer category includes cases where an RU member ceases employment in order to be in the household to take care of household duties, children, and/or spouse. It also includes cases where an RU member may quit in order to be available to care for another family member who is ill, either in the RU member’s home or elsewhere. Maternity leave allows a pregnant RU member voluntarily terminates employment due to the birth of her child or quits to take care of an adopted child. QUIT - SCHOOL (8) RU member is no longer employed in order to attend classes at any kind of public or private school, including trade or vocational schools in which students receive no compensation in money or kind, or only minimal educational stipends (fellowship, scholarship). QUIT - JOB RELATED REASON (9) RU member voluntary leaves employer directly due to job related conditions. Examples may include a difficult work environment, inconsistency or dissatisfaction with scheduling or hours, change in position expectations or responsibilities, or relocation. This includes quitting due to taking another job. QUIT - ANY OTHER REASON (10) RU member voluntary leaves employer for any other reason. This may include wanting time off from working or time off to pursue other interests such as volunteering or personal hobbies. Appendix 4. MEPS Industry Codes Condensing Rules
MEPS uses the 4-digit Census occupation and industry coding systems developed for the Current Population Survey and the American Community Survey. For industry coding, MEPS uses the 2007 4-digit Census industry codes. Descriptions of the 4-digit Census industry codes and their cross-walk to North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) can be found at the U.S. Census Bureau website. See Census IO Index for more information on the Census coding systems used by the MEPS. Appendix 5. MEPS Occupation Codes Condensing Rules
MEPS uses the 4-digit Census occupation and industry coding systems developed for the Current Population Survey and the American Community Survey. For occupation coding, MEPS uses the 2010 4-digit Census occupation codes. Descriptions of the 4-digit Census occupation codes and their cross-walk to Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) system can be found at the U.S. Census Bureau website. See the Census IO Index for more information on the Census coding systems used by the MEPS. |
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