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1968-1970: Are you presently employed, or are you unemployed, or retired, (a housewife), (a student), or what? 1972-1978: (1972: We’d like to know if you are looking for work, working now) (1974- 1978: We’d like to know if you are working now, or are you unemployed,) retired, (a housewife) a (student), or what? (IF HOMEMAKER OR STUDENT) Are you doing any work for pay at the present time? (IF R IS HOMEMAKER OR STUDENT AND R IS WORKING FOR PAY:) About how many hours do you work on your job in the average week? 1980 AND LATER EXC. 2002 FRESH CROSS: We’d like to know if you are working now, temporarily laid off, or are you unemployed, retired, permanently disabled, (a homemaker), (a student), or what? (STUDENT OR HOMEMAKER:) Are you doing any work for pay at the present time? (RETIRED 1980,1982, 1988 AND LATER:) Are you doing any work for pay at the present time? (DISABLED 1982,1988 AND LATER:) Are you doing any work for pay at the present time? (STUDENT OR HOMEMAKER:) About how many hours do you work on your job in the average week? (RETIRED AND ANSWERED WORKING FOR PAY 1980:) In an average week do you work 20 or more hours on that job? (RETIRED OR DISABLED, AND R ANSWERED WORKING FOR PAY 1982,1988 AND LATER:) About how many hours do you work on your job in the average week? (RETIRED OR DISABLED AND R VOLUNTEERED WORKING FOR PAY 1984,1986:) About how many hours do you work on your job in the average week? 2002 FRESH CROSS: We’d like to know if you are working now, or are you unemployed, retired, a homemaker, (a student), or what? (MULTIPLE RESPONSES)
Respondent work status, five categories · Asked in 29 waves, 1952–2024 · 69,239 responses · weighted estimates computed from individual responses
Codes that include 'no Pre/Post IW' were dropped for respondents without that interview. Kept and flagged: 9 (other_missing). Codebook notes: GENERAL NOTE: See Appendix NOTE ‘WORK STATUS’. See also VCF0116,VCF0150. No direct question asking R about his/her work status was used prior to 1968. Instead, R was asked what his/her occupation was, and codes for ‘student,’ ‘retired,’ ‘housewife,’ ‘unemployed’ etc. appeared within the occupation codes from which this variable has been recoded. For years prior to 1972, this is respondent self- identification (exceptions described in the appendix for cases where R described self as working student or homemaker). For years 1972 and later except 2002 fresh cross, this is occupation status after the respondent has first self-identified in one or more occupation categories and then has answered other employment questions related to work history, number of work hours etc.; for these years, it may be that coding here differs from R’s initial self- identification(s).
Dashed lines mark changes in how interviews were done, which can shift answers: 1. → mixed mode (2012).
| Poll | Field dates | Mode | Respondents | Responses |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ANES 2024 Time Series Study Source variable: V241488x. | 2024-08-03 to 2025-02-17 | mixed | 5,521 | 5,521 |
| ANES 2020 Time Series Study Source variable: V201534x. | 2020-08-18 to 2021-01-04 | mixed | 8,280 | 8,280 |
| ANES 2016 Time Series Study Source variable: V161276x. | 2016-09-07 to 2017-01-09 | mixed | 4,270 | 4,270 |
| ANES 2012 Time Series Study Source variable: dem_empstatus_1digitfin_x. | 2012-09-09 to 2013-01-13 | mixed | 5,914 | 5,914 |
| ANES 2008 Time Series Study Source variable: V083222x. | 2008-09-02 to 2008-12-30 | face to face | 2,322 | 2,322 |
| ANES 2004 Time Series Study Source variable: V043260b. | 2004-09-07 to 2004-12-19 | face to face | 1,212 | 1,212 |
| ANES 2002 Time Series Study Source variable: V023132x. | 2002-09-18 to 2002-12-06 | phone | 1,511 | 1,511 |
Shares of people who gave an answer. Each column is one wave, evenly spaced rather than to scale in time; hover for exact shares.
Dashed lines mark changes in how interviews were done, which can shift answers: 1. → mixed mode (2012).
Shares of people who gave an answer. A group’s column is left blank in waves where its effective sample is under 50; hover for exact shares.
| Group | Employed | Not employed: laid off, unemployed, on strike, permanently disabled, other (exc.: retired, student, housewife) | Retired | Homemaker (since 1972: not working 20 or more hrs/wk; 1968-1970: if identifies self as ‘housewife;’ 1956-1964: not working at all; 1952: not working full time) | Student (since 1972: not working 20 or more hrs/wk; 1970:if identifies self as ‘student;’ 1968: if identifies self as student–unless working full time days [coded ‘employed’]; 1956-1964: full or part time day student, working or not; 1952: not employed full time) | n | MoE | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| All respondents | 74% | 5% | 18% | 3% | 1% | 5521 | ±2 | |
| Protestant | 66% | 5% | 25% | 4% | 0% | 1640 | ±4 | |
| Catholic | 67% | 5% | 25% | 3% | 0% | 974 | ±5 | |
| Jewish | 65% | 4% | 28% | 2% | 1% | 116 | ±13 | |
| Other faith | 79% | 6% | 11% | 3% | 1% | 1206 | ±4 | |
| None | 83% | 4% | 10% | 2% | 1% | 1340 | ±4 |
ANES 2024 Time Series Study · US citizens 18+ (face-to-face samples: contiguous 48 states and DC; web samples: 50 states and DC). Shares of people who gave an answer. n is unweighted; ± is the 95% margin of error at 50% from the weighted effective sample. Groups with an effective sample under 50 are grayed; under 20, hidden.
| 2000-09-05 to 2000-12-22 |
| mixed |
| 1,807 |
| 1,807 |
| ANES 1998 Time Series Study Source variable: V980579a. | 1998-11-04 to 1998-12-23 | mixed | 1,281 | 1,281 |
| ANES 1996 Time Series Study Source variable: V960616. | 1996-09-03 to 1997-01-02 | mixed | 1,714 | 1,714 |
| ANES 1994 Time Series Study Source variable: V941216. | 1994-11-09 to 1995-01-08 | mixed | 1,795 | 1,795 |
| ANES 1992 Time Series Study Source variable: V923915. | 1992-09-02 to 1993-01-16 | mixed | 2,485 | 2,485 |
| ANES 1990 Time Series Study Source variable: V900565. | 1990-11-06 to 1991-01-21 | face to face | 1,980 | 1,980 |
| ANES 1988 Time Series Study Source variable: V880429. | 1988-09-06 to 1989-01-23 | face to face | 2,040 | 2,040 |
| ANES 1986 Time Series Study Source variable: V860615. | 1986-11-05 to 1987-02-07 | face to face | 2,176 | 2,176 |
| ANES 1984 Time Series Study Source variable: V840457. | 1984-09-04 to 1985-01-24 | mixed | 2,257 | 2,257 |
| ANES 1982 Time Series Study Source variable: V820610. | 1982-11-02 to 1983-01-31 | face to face | 1,418 | 1,418 |
| ANES 1980 Time Series Study Source variable: V800515. | 1980-09-02 to 1981-02-07 | face to face | 1,614 | 1,614 |
| ANES 1978 Time Series Study Source variable: V780531. | 1978-11-08 to 1979-01-25 | face to face | 2,304 | 2,304 |
| ANES 1976 Time Series Study Source variable: V763409. | 1976-09-07 to 1977-01-30 | face to face | 2,248 | 2,248 |
| ANES 1974 Time Series Study Source variable: V742443. | 1974-11-06 to 1975-01-31 | face to face | 1,575 | 1,575 |
| ANES 1972 Time Series Study Source variable: V720306. | 1972-09-01 to 1973-02-13 | face to face | 2,705 | 2,705 |
| ANES 1970 Time Series Study Source variable: V700275(type 0). | 1970-11-04 to 1971-01-13 | face to face | 1,507 | 1,507 |
| ANES 1968 Time Series Study Source variable: V680160. | 1968-09-06 to 1969-01-28 | face to face | 1,557 | 1,557 |
| ANES 1964 Time Series Study Source variable: V640202. | 1964-09-07 to 1965-02-01 | face to face | 1,571 | 1,571 |
| ANES 1960 Time Series Study Source variable: V600129. | 1960-09-12 to 1960-12-26 | face to face | 1,181 | 1,164 |
| ANES 1958 Time Series Study Source variable: V580181. | 1958-11-05 to 1958-12-25 | face to face | 1,450 | 1,450 |
| ANES 1956 Time Series Study Source variable: V560120. | 1956-09-17 to 1957-01-19 | face to face | 1,762 | 1,762 |
| ANES 1952 Time Series Study Source variable: V520132. | 1952-09-15 | face to face | 1,899 | 1,799 |