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INCOME AND EARNINGS
NATIONAL SURVEY OF AMERICA’S FAMILIES
Measure: Income and earnings items from the 1997 National Survey of America’s Families questionnaire
Source
The National Survey of America’s Families (NSAF) is a part of the Urban Institute’s Assessing the New Federalism project and was developed and conducted in partnership with Child Trends, Inc. The first round of the study was funded by 16 different foundations, and data collection was administered by Westat.
Population Assessed
The NSAF is a representative survey of the noninstitutionalized, civilian population of persons under age 65 in the nation as a whole and in 13 specific states: Alabama, California, Colorado, Florida, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, New Jersey, New York, Texas, Washington, and Wisconsin. The combined populations of these states compose more than one-half of the U.S. population. Study states are representative of a broad range of characteristics, such as fiscal policy, approaches to government, and child well-being indicators. They also varied in terms of geographic location, size, and dominant political tradition.
In 1997, 50,355 phone and in-person interviews were done in 45,996 households. Interviews were conducted in 42,973 telephone households and in 1,488 non-telephone households. Information was obtained for children under the age of 17. The national NSAF response rates for adults with at least one child and other sampled adults were 65.4 percent and 61.7 percent, respectively. The sample of focal children was 49 percent female. Thirty-four percent of the children were under 6, 34 percent were 6 through 11, and the remaining children were adolescents 12 through 17. White children comprised 66 percent of the sample; Blacks, 15 percent; and Hispanics 14 percent. Based on weighted data, 43 percent of the children live in households with incomes 200 percent below poverty level.
The sample was weighted to be representative of the country as a whole and the specific state in which the respondent lived.
Periodicity
Three rounds of data have been collected: 1997, 1999, and 2002.
Components
The majority of income and earnings questions in the 1997 NSAF appear in one of two sections: Section I (Employment and Earnings) and Section J (Family Income). Section I inquires about the earnings (or income from business ownership) and health insurance coverage the respondent and his/her spouse/partner receive from their main jobs. Questions also look at their total yearly earnings obtained from other jobs, as well as the annual earnings of other members of the household. Section J focuses on other sources of income, asking what different kinds of sources were received, who in the household received it, and what was the dollar amount from that source for each household member. These specific amounts of income are obtained from AFDC, state general assistance, emergency assistance, vouchers or coupons from the welfare office, food stamps, child support, foster care payments, financial assistance from friends or relatives, unemployment compensation, worker’s compensation or veteran’s payments, Supplemental Security Income program, social security, pensions or annuities, interest or dividends, rental properties, and other sources specified by the respondent. Amount questions were for the yearly total, although the respondent could provide this amount in monthly or weekly figures for certain sources of income. In the case of emergency assistance and financial assistance from friends or relatives, the specific amount of each payment is also inquired about. A question on total household income is never asked, although the questionnaire does ask about the income range (e.g., below or above the poverty line computed for the whole family) if the respondent’s household income appears to be below 200 percent of the poverty line, but missing data prevent knowing the household’s exact relationship to the poverty line.
Other sections of the survey ask other questions related to cash and non-cash forms of income. Section E (Health Care Coverage) asks extensive questions about the types and characteristics of health insurance that the respondent’s household possesses. Section G (Child Care) asks about the amount paid for child care in the last month, as well as what types of financial assistance were received for child care. (These questions are asked only if the most knowledgeable adult was at work or school or looking for a job while the sampled child was in care.) Section H (Nonresidential Parents) questions the respondent about the nature of any child support payments received. Section K (Welfare Program Participation) inquires about the nature and extent of the respondent’s participation in welfare programs and about receipt of several non-cash forms of income, specifically food stamps, WIC, free or reduced-price school breakfast, and free or reduced-price school lunch. Section L (Education and Training) asks if the recipient received any vouchers to help pay for education or training. Section M (Housing and Economic Hardship) asks how much the respondent paid in rent or mortgage in the month just past and inquires about housing assistance. This section also asks if the respondent and/or someone else in the household made child support payments in the last 12 months for children who live outside the household, but does not inquire about the amount of those payments. Section N (Issues, Problems, Social Services) looks at receipt of family services from the government or other sources.
Procedures for Administration
In the 1997 NSAF, the reporter for the income and earnings items was the Most Knowledgeable Adult (MKA) for adults with children under 18 living at home and the sampled adult for those adults without children under 18 living at home. The major mode of data collection was computer-assisted telephone interview (CATI). To assure that those without phone service were represented, a smaller sample of homes without phones was obtained, and phones were provided. The adult interview for adults without children under 18 living at home typically lasted 25 minutes, and the MKA interview typically lasted 40 minutes.
Psychometrics/Data Quality
Although missing data for most questions in the 1997 NSAF were minimal (frequently less than 1 percent), income questions had a much larger item nonresponse rate, averaging between 20 and 30 percent. This response rate is typical of income questions in similar surveys, such as the March 1997 Current population Survey (CPS; Kenney, Scheuren, & Wang, 1999, p. 4). Even within the employment and income sections of the 1997 NSAF, item response rates varied considerably. “For some items, such as current employment status, only 0.2 percent of the responses were missing. For other questions, such as earnings from the primary wage and salary job, nearly 30 percent of the responses for the amount received last year were missing. This nonresponse rate for wage and salary income is nearly the same as that encountered on the CPS. The next highest item nonresponse rate in this section was the amount of income received from Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC)” (Dipko et al., 1999, p. 3–5). To handle the large nonresponse rate for many income and earnings items, the 1997 NSAF imputed missing data using a hierarchical statistical matching hot deck design. For more information on the 1997 NSAF’s imputation procedures, see Dipko et al., 1999.
External validation of the 1997 NSAF was undertaken by comparing its results to the 1997 CPS. “Figure 7.2 compares the personal income distribution estimated for nonelderly adults (persons 18 to 64 years old) in the 1997 NSAF and the CPS. This is displayed by seven selected size classes. The biggest difference is in the $35,000 to $49,999 class, but even there the two distributions differ by only 1 percent. On the whole, the NSAF and the CPS show a remarkable degree of closeness, given that both surveys have sampling and nonsampling errors” (Kenney, Scheuren, & Wang, 1999, p. 7–4).
| Personal Income | NSAF | CPS | Difference (NSAF - CPS) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 100.00 | 100.00 | - |
| Under $10,000 | 35.04 | 36.77 | -1.38 |
| $10,000-14,999 | 10.44 | 9.63 | 0.26 |
| $15,000-24,999 | 17.36 | 17.73 | -0.22 |
| $25,000-34,999 | 13.70 | 13.33 | 0.54 |
| $35,000-49,999 | 12.44 | 11.51 | 1.11 |
| $50,000-74,999 | 7.44 | 7.14 | -0.32 |
| $75,000+ | 3.58 | 3.89 | -0.61 |
Sources: CPS and NSAF information from special Urban Institute tabulations (Kennney, Scheuren, & Wang, 1999, p. 7-4).
Languages Available
Interviews were done in English or Spanish. Spanish translations were programmed into the CATI system used in data collection. Hard copies of the questionnaire were not available in Spanish.
Items Included
The complete 1997 NSAF questionnaire is available at http://www.urban.org/UploadedPDF/Methodology_12.pdf.
NSAF questionnaires from other years are available at http://www.urban.org/content/Research/NewFederalism/NSAF/Questionnaire/ Question.htm.
Example items from the 1997 NSAF questionnaire are listed below.
Section G: Child Care
G52. Now think about all the child care arrangements and programs you use regularly for [(CHILD1)/(CHILD2)/all your children under age 13] while you worked, were in school or looked for work. How much did you pay for all child care arrangements and programs used in the last month?
[IF NECESSARY, SAY: it is easier for you, you can tell us what you paid, in a typical week of the last month?]
G55. Is the amount of money you are charged for the child care of [(CHILD1)/(CHILD2)/any of your children under age 13] determined by how much money you earn?
[IF NECESSARY, PROBE: Do you pay a sliding fee amount for any of these arrangements?]
G56. Does anyone else pay for all or part of the cost of the care for [(CHILD1)/(CHILD2)/any of your children under age 13]? By this I mean a government agency, your employer, or someone outside your household?
G57. Who or what agency helps to pay for child care?
[CODE ALL THAT APPLY]
Section I: Employment and Earnings
I30. {For the purpose of this survey, it is important to obtain some information on how much you are paid on your main job?}
[Are you/Is (SPOUSE/PARTNER)] paid by the hour {on (his/her) main job}?
I31/32. What is [your/(SPOUSE/PARTNER)’s] regular hourly pay, including tips and commissions?
[IF HOURLY DAY IS BELOW $4 AN HOUR, VERIFY BY ASKING: Does this include tips and commissions?]
[DO NOT PROBE “REFUSALS”, PROBE ONLY “DON’T KNOW” ANSWERS.]
I33/34. Before taxes or other deductions, how much [are you/is (SPOUSE/PARTNER)] paid on this job, including tips and commissions?
I53. Please, think about the main job [you/(SPOUSE/PARTNER)] had during 1996. Before taxes and other deductions, how much did [you(SPOUSE/PARTNER)] earn from [your/(SPOUSE/PARTNER)’s] main job during 1996, including tips, bonuses, and commissions?
PROBE: We need to have an annual amount for this question.
[DO NOT PROBE “REFUSALS.” PROBE ONLY “DON’T KNOW” ANSWERS.]
I66. Did [you/(SPOUSE/PARTNER)] earn any money from any other work during 1996, whether from an employer or as self-employed, including tips, bonuses, or commissions?
I67. What is your best estimate of these additional earnings for the whole year?
I68. Would you say [your/(SPOUSE/PARTNER)’s] total earnings for the whole year across all jobs were below or above $[THE POVERTY LINE COMPUTED FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY]?
[DO NOT PROBE “REFUSALS.” PROBE ONLY “DON’T KNOW” ANSWERS.]
Section J: Family Income
J2. In 1996, did anybody receive AFDC?
PROBE: AFDC is the Aid to Families with Dependent Children program, sometimes referred to as ADC.
J2B. In 1996, did anybody receive benefits from the (STATE AFDC PROGRAM?)
J15. [In 1996,] did anybody receive any interest from sources like bank accounts, money markets or certificates of deposits, dividends from stocks, or mutual funds?
J20. Were the (AFDC/{STATE AFDC}) benefits to provide for both (you/NAME) and the children, or just the children?
J21. How much did (you/NAME) receive during 1996? This can be either a monthly amount or the total for the year.
J56. Who received pension or annuity income in 1996? Please give me only one name if two or more people shared income from the same pension or annuity.
PROBE: Anybody else?
J57. How much did (you/NAME) receive during 1996? This can be either a monthly amount or the total for the year.
J66. For the purpose of this survey, it would be important to get at least a range for the total income received by all the members of your family in 1996. Would you say that this income was:
Below or above ${the poverty line computed for the whole family}?
Below or above ${TWICE the poverty line computed for the whole family}?
Below or above ${FOUR TIMES the poverty line computed for the whole family}?
Section K: Welfare Program Participation
K35. During 1996, did you or your children ever receive benefits from any of the following programs...
WIC vouchers (the special supplemental food program for Women, Infants, and Children)?
Section M: Housing and Economic Hardship
M6. {We are interested in knowing only your part of the payment.} Altogether, in the month just past (what did you pay in rent/what was your mortgage payment)?
[IF R VOLUNTEERS THAT HOUSE IS PAID FOR, ENTER 0.]
M7. Are (you/you and your family) paying lower rent because the federal, state or local government is paying part of the rent?
M7A. Is this house in a public housing project, that is, is it owned by a local housing authority or other public agency?
M8A. Now I’d like to ask you about some other expenses {or needs} you may have.
During the last 12 months, did (you/NAME) make financial contributions to support (your/his) children under 18 years of age who live outside the household?
M8C. Were these contributions part of a child support order?
References and Source Documents
Dean Brick, P., Kenney, G., McCullough-Harlin, R., Rajan, S., Scheuren, F., Wang, K., Brick, J. M., & Cunningham, P. (1999). Methodology report no. 1: National Survey of America’s Families: Survey methods and data reliability. Washington, DC: Urban Institute. Retrieved July 1, 2003, from http://www.urban.org/content/Research/NewFederalism/NSAF/Methodology/1997MethodologySeries/1997.htm
Dipko, S., Skinner, M., Vaden-Kiernan, N., Coder, J., Engstrom, E., Rajan, S., & Scheuren, F. (1999). 1997 NSAF data editing and imputation: Report No. 10. Washington, DC: Urban Institute. URL: http://www.urban.org/UploadedPDF/Methodology_10.PDF
Ehrle, J., & Moore, K. (1999). Methodology report no. 6: Benchmarking child and family well-being measures in the NSAF. Washington, DC: Urban Institute. Retrieved July 1, 2003, from http://www.urban.org/content/Research/NewFederalism/NSAF/Methodology/1997MethodologySeries/1997.htm
Kenney, G., Scheuren, F., & Wang, K. (1999). 1997 NSAF survey methods and data reliability: Report no. 1. Washington, DC: Urban Institute.
Urban Institute. (2001a). Assessing the new federalism. Washington, DC: Author. Retrieved July
1, 2003, from http://www.urban.org/Content/Research/NewFederalism/AboutANF/AboutANF.htm
Urban Institute. (2001b). National Survey of America’s Families: 1997 snapshots of America’s families. Washington, DC: Author. Retrieved July 1, 2003, from http://www.urban.org/content/Research/NewFederalism/NSAF/Snapshots/1997Results/Foreword/Fore.htm
Urban Institute. (2001c). National Survey of America’s Families: Overview. Washington, DC:
Author. Retrieved July 1, 2003, from http://www.urban.org/Content/Research/NewFederalism/NSAF/Overview/NSAFOverview.htm
Wang, K., Dipko, S., & Vaden-Kiernan, N. (1999). 1997 NSAF questionnaire: Report no. 12.
Washington, DC: Urban Institute.
A full list of source information is available at http://www.urban.org/content/Research/NewFederalism/NSAF/Methodology/1999MethodologySeries/1999.htm
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