Data Cart

Your data extract

0 variables
0 time use variables
0 samples
View Cart
CPSIDP
Unique Longitudinal CPS Identifier

Codes

CPSID is a 14-digit numeric variable linking individuals on ATUS files to CPS monthly data.

Description

CPSIDP is an IPUMS-CPS defined variable that uniquely identifies individuals across CPS samples; it is also useful for ATUS-X users who want to link individuals who appear in the ATUS either as respondents, non-respondents, or household members to their earlier observations in the CPS. All individuals in the ATUS except for those who entered the ATUS household after the final CPS interview may be located in the final month of the household's participation in the CPS as indexed by YEAR_CPS8 and MONTH_CPS8; see also PRESENCE for a quick way to identify cases that should link to CPS.

The first six digits of CPSIDP index the four-digit year and two-digit month that the household was first in the CPS. CPSIDP allows users to link a respondent appearing with a designated household roster line number (LINENO_CPS8) across samples, based on the 4-8-4 rotation pattern, by assigning a unique CPSID value to this line number. CPSIDP will only ever appear for a maximum of 8 times in the CPS, which is the number of times a household may be observed in the CPS survey (as indexed by MISH in the CPS), and one time in the ATUS. In some cases, individuals will appear in the CPS fewer than eight times due to migration, mortality, non-response, and recording errors. Extensive documentation about the creation of CPSIDP is available elsewhere.

Users should note that it is important to verify CPSIDP linkages with AGE_CPS8, SEX_CPS8, and RACE, accounting for differences between IPUMS-CPS and ATUS-X in RACE coding. In some cases CPSIDP will result in erroneous links, which are due to errors in the source data. Cases with the same CPSIDP value may also have inconsistent responses across samples due to errors on the part of the respondent or in recording the response.  Ultimately, it is up to the individual researcher to determine the acceptability of the linkages made using CPSIDP.

To get started using CPSIDP, users will need to create an extract from ATUS-X containing the CPSIDP variable and an extract from IPUMS-CPS containing CPSIDP and MISH. All ATUS-X cases have an implicit value of MIS=8 if they were also in the CPS (see PRESENCE). Note that if the ATUS user wants to link the ATUS record to all possible CPS observations, a one to many merge must be performed. If the user only wants to link the ATUS observation to one CPS observation, a one to one merge may be performed.

Users who want to link ATUS-X to the CPS Education, Food Security, or Volunteer supplements may also take advantage of pre-linked files that contain adjusted weights for analysis of linked ATUS-CPS data.

Comparability

This variable is comparable over time.

Universe

  • All persons.

Availability

  • 2003-2022

Flags

This variable has no flags.