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The Feasibility and Importance of Adding Measures of Actual Experience to Cross-Sectional Data Collection

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  • Francine D. Blau
  • Lawrence M. Kahn

Abstract

We use Michigan Panel Study of Income Dynamics data and data from a 2008 telephone survey of adults conducted by Westat for the Princeton Data Improvement Initiative (PDII) to explore the importance and feasibility of adding retrospective questions about actual work experience to cross-sectional data sets. We demonstrate that having such actual experience data is important for analyzing women's post-school human capital accumulation, residual wage inequality, and the gender pay gap. Further, our PDII survey results show that it is feasible to collect actual experience data in cross-sectional telephone surveys like the March Current Population Survey annual supplement.

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  • Francine D. Blau & Lawrence M. Kahn, 2011. "The Feasibility and Importance of Adding Measures of Actual Experience to Cross-Sectional Data Collection," NBER Working Papers 17241, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    • Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:17241
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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • C81 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Data Collection and Data Estimation Methodology; Computer Programs - - - Methodology for Collecting, Estimating, and Organizing Microeconomic Data; Data Access
    • J16 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination
    • J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity

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