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A. What kind of work did your (mother/MOTHER SUBSTITUTE) usually do while you were growing up? That is, what was her job called? OCCUPATION: (See REMARKS) B. IF NOT ALREADY ANSWERED, ASK: What did she actually do in that job? Tell me, what were some of her main duties? C. What kind of place did she work for? INDUSTRY: (See REMARKS) D. IF NOT ALREADY ANSWERED, ASK: What did they (make/do)? E. IF ALREADY ANSWERED, CODE WITHOUT ASKING: Was she self-employed, or did she work for someone else?
Mother self-employed or worked for someone else · Asked in 16 waves, 1994–2024 · 29,238 responses · weighted estimates computed from individual responses
Dashed lines mark changes in how interviews were done, which can shift answers: 1. → web (2021).
Shares of people who gave an answer. Each column is one wave, evenly spaced rather than to scale in time; hover for exact shares.
| Group | Self-employed | Someone else | n | MoE | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| All respondents | 10% | 90% | 2318 | ±3 |
| Poll | Field dates | Mode | Respondents | Responses |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Social Survey 2024 | 2024-04-05 to 2024-12-02 | mixed | 3,309 | 2,318 |
| General Social Survey 2022 | 2022-05-08 to 2023-01-08 | mixed | 3,544 | 2,578 |
| General Social Survey 2021 | 2020-12-03 to 2021-05-02 | web | 4,032 | 2,799 |
| General Social Survey 2018 | 2018-04-12 to 2018-11-10 | face to face | 2,348 | 1,676 |
| General Social Survey 2016 | 2016-04-05 to 2016-11-19 | face to face | 2,867 | 2,048 |
| General Social Survey 2014 | 2014-03-31 to 2014-10-13 | face to face | 2,538 | 1,690 |
| General Social Survey 2012 | 2012-03-20 to 2012-09-05 | face to face | 1,974 | 1,372 |
| General Social Survey 2010 | 2010-03-15 to 2010-08-12 | face to face | 2,044 | 1,381 |
| General Social Survey 2008 | 2008-04-17 to 2008-09-13 | face to face | 2,023 | 1,313 |
| General Social Survey 2006 |
Dashed lines mark changes in how interviews were done, which can shift answers: 1. → web (2021).
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.
| Less than high school | 13% | 87% | 162 | ±11 |
| High school | 11% | 89% | 536 | ±6 |
| Some college | 9% | 91% | 735 | ±5 |
| Bachelor's | 9% | 91% | 531 | ±6 |
| Postgraduate | 10% | 90% | 353 | ±7 |
General Social Survey 2024 · US adults 18+ living in households (English, and Spanish since 2006). 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.
| 2006-03-07 to 2006-08-07 |
| face to face |
| 4,510 |
| 1,873 |
| General Social Survey 2004 | 2004-08-18 to 2005-01-04 | face to face | 2,812 | 1,736 |
| General Social Survey 2002 | 2002-02-06 to 2002-06-26 | face to face | 2,765 | 1,662 |
| General Social Survey 2000 | 2000-02-01 to 2000-06-25 | face to face | 2,817 | 1,667 |
| General Social Survey 1998 | 1998-02-01 to 1998-06-19 | face to face | 2,832 | 1,650 |
| General Social Survey 1996 | 1996-02-01 to 1996-05-25 | face to face | 2,904 | 1,780 |
| General Social Survey 1994 | 1994-01-04 to 1994-06-29 | face to face | 2,992 | 1,695 |