Handbook of Methods National Longitudinal Surveys History
National Longitudinal Surveys: History
Since its inception in the 1960s, National Longitudinal Surveys (NLS) data have served as important tools for economists, sociologists, government analysts, and other researchers who are interested in the study of employment behavior and human capital investments.
The NLS of Labor Market Experience began in the mid-1960s, sponsored by the Office of Manpower Policy, Evaluation, and Research of the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL). The NLS was created to conduct longitudinal studies of the labor market experiences of four population groups, Older Men, Mature Women, Young Men, and Young Women, who are now collectively referred to as the Original cohorts. The initial plan called for 6 interviews over a 5-year period, with a nationally representative sample of approximately 5,000 individuals in each cohort. As the 5-year period ended, relatively high retention rates and the widespread interest generated by these data led to the decision to continue the surveys. The Older Men and Young Men (NLSM) cohorts were administered until 1990 and 1981, respectively. The Mature Women and Young Women (NLSW) cohorts were discontinued after the 2003 interviews.
In 1977, DOL decided to begin a new longitudinal study of young men and women. This study would replicate the surveys of young men and women that began in the 1960s. Conducted out of the Employment & Training Administration (ETA), the new longitudinal study would help policymakers and researchers evaluate the expanded employment and training programs for youths legislated by the 1977 amendments to the Comprehensive Employment and Training Act (CETA). In the mid-1980s, the ETA considered ending the survey, as the degree to which it fit ETA’s mission declined. However, Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Commissioner Janet Norwood noted the high value for research of continuing the survey and negotiated its transfer to BLS. In 1986, sponsorship of the NLS was taken over by BLS.
The National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1979 (NLSY79) began with a sample of 12,686 young men and women who were born in the years 1957 to 1964. The sample members were ages 14–21 as of December 31, 1978. Data collection for the NLSY79 was conducted annually from 1979 to 1994 and has been conducted biennially in even-numbered years since 1994. The original sample included supplemental samples of Black, Hispanic, and economically disadvantaged non-Black/non-Hispanic youth, and youth in the military. In other words, members of these four groups composed a larger share of the total NLSY79 sample than their share of the U.S. population that was born in the years 1957 to 1964 and living in the U.S. in 1979. Supplemental samples were selected to facilitate statistical analyses of these groups. Without these supplemental samples, the sizes of these four groups in the NLSY79 sample would not have been sufficiently large to conduct statistically reliable analyses. The military supplemental sample was discontinued after the 1984 survey, but members of the main NLSY79 sample who joined the military after the survey began in 1979 have continued to be interviewed during their military service. The economically disadvantaged non-Black/non-Hispanic supplemental sample was discontinued after the 1990 survey.
In 1986, the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) sponsored a separate survey of children born to female NLSY79 respondents. Adding to the wealth of information about the mothers obtained from the NLSY79, the NLSY79 Child survey included assessments of each child, as well as additional demographic and developmental information collected from either the mother or child. The NLSY79 Child survey was conducted biennially and included a battery of cognitive, social, emotional, and physiological assessments, as well as age-appropriate questions on attitudes, aspirations, and psychological well-being. Beginning in 1994, children ages 15 and older entered the NLSY79 Young Adults survey, and completed an interview modeled on the main NLSY79 questionnaire. These NLSY79 Young Adults were asked about topics such as their schooling, training, work experiences, expectations, health, dating, fertility, marital histories, and household composition.
In 1997, the newest NLS cohort was begun with the collection of data from a sample of 8,984 youths who were born in the years 1980 to 1984. The sample members were ages 12–16 as of December 31, 1996. This survey, called the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997 (NLSY97), was fielded annually through round 15 (2011) and has been fielding biennially since and includes supplemental samples of Black and Hispanic youths.
Over the course of the various NLS cohort studies, the survey has often been expanded or adapted to reflect the interests of other government agencies besides DOL. For example, support from the U.S. Department of Defense made possible the administration of the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) to youths in the NLSY79 in 1980 and, later, to the NLSY97 cohort. The NICHD has provided funds for assessments and surveys of the children of female respondents in the NLSY79 and the development of the fertility and childcare components of the NLSY79. The 1989 National Longitudinal Survey of Mature Women pension-matching project received funding from other agencies in DOL, and from the Social Security Administration and the National Institute on Aging. The National School-to-Work Office (which is jointly funded by the U.S. Departments of Education and Labor) both sponsored the 1996 and 2000 school surveys of the NLSY97 and provided funding for the collection of high school transcript data for the cohort. In addition, sections of the NLSY97 are funded by the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention and by NICHD. More recently, the NLSY79 has included sections on cognitive health that are sponsored by the National Institute on Aging.
The NLS program is currently developing a new youth cohort, the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 2027 (NLSY27). Following the NLSY27 Development Timeline, a pretest will be conducted in 2026 to prepare for the beginning of collection in 2027.
Timeline
Hover over the red dot to see historical information.
Key developments
1966 – National Longitudinal Survey of Older and Young Men (NLSM) began collection
1967 – National Longitudinal Survey of Mature and Young Women (NLSW) began collection
1979 – National Longitudinal Survey of Youth, 1979 (NLSY79) began collection
1981 – NLSM discontinued
1984 – NLSY79 military sample discontinued
1990 – NLSY79 economically disadvantaged, nonblack/non-Hispanic sample discontinued
1997 – National Longitudinal Survey of Youth, 1997 (NLSY97) began collection
2003 – NLSW discontinued
2027 – National Longitudinal Survey of Youth, 2027 (NLSY27) expected to begin collection
Last Modified Date: May 28, 2025
United States Department of Labor
