Description

For persons who did not work "last week" and were on layoff from a job, WRKRECAL indicates whether they had been informed that they would be recalled to work in the next six months OR had been given a date to return to work. The PUMS for the 2000 census and the ACS did not allocate responses for missing data, instead placing non-responses in the N/A category.

People who did not work in the past week, were waiting to be called back to a job from which they had been laid off, and were available for work (except due to temporary illness) are considered unemployed and are part of the labor force. See EMPSTAT for definitions of key labor force and employment terminology.

Comparability

This variable is only available for the 2000 census, the ACS and the PRCS and is largely comparable across these samples. Starting with the 2008 ACS, the Census Bureau implemented changes to the survey questionnaire to bring ACS estimates of labor force statistics closer to estimates from other data sources. Researchers should use caution when comparing employment questions across the 2007-2008 period.

Universe

Availability

• 2023: All samples
• 2022: All samples
• 2021: All samples
• 2020: All samples
• 2019: All samples
• 2018: All samples
• 2017: All samples
• 2016: All samples
• 2015: All samples
• 2014: All samples
• 2013: All samples
• 2012: All samples
• 2011: All samples
• 2010: ACS; ACS 3yr; ACS 5yr
• 2009: All samples
• 2008: All samples
• 2007: All samples
• 2006: All samples
• 2005: All samples
• 2004: All samples
• 2003: All samples
• 2002: All samples
• 2001: All samples
• 2000: All samples
• 1990: --
• 1980: --
• 1970: --
• 1960: --
• 1950: --
• 1940: --
• 1930: --
• 1920: --
• 1910: --
• 1900: --
• 1880: --
• 1870: --
• 1860: --
• 1850: --

• 2023: All samples
• 2022: All samples
• 2021: All samples
• 2020: All samples
• 2019: All samples
• 2018: All samples
• 2017: All samples
• 2016: All samples
• 2015: All samples
• 2014: All samples
• 2013: All samples
• 2012: All samples
• 2011: All samples
• 2010: PRCS; PRCS 3yr; PRCS 5yr
• 2009: All samples
• 2008: All samples
• 2007: All samples
• 2006: All samples
• 2005: All samples
• 2000: All samples
• 1990: --
• 1980: --
• 1970: --
• 1930: --
• 1920: --
• 1910: --

Flags

Editing Procedure

LOOKING, ABSENT, WRKRECAL, and AVAILBLE (Looking for work, Absent from work last week, Informed of work recall, and Available for work)
ACS Years: 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015
ACS editing procedure:
In 2005, if a person who is less than 15 years old (AGE) has a value for LOOKING, ABSENT, WRKRECAL, or AVAILBLE, it will be replaced with a "Not in Universe" value.
If a person who is 15 or older (AGE) has "Blank, Don't Know, Refused, or Bad Value" for LOOKING, ABSENT, WRKRECAL, or AVAILBLE, it will be replaced with "Not Reported."
In 2006 and following years, if a person who is less than 16 years old (AGE) has a value for LOOKING, ABSENT, WRKRECAL, or AVAILBLE, it will be replaced with a "Not in Universe" value.
If a person who is 16 or older (AGE) has "Blank, Don't Know, Refused, or Bad Value" for LOOKING, ABSENT, WRKRECAL, or AVAILBLE, it will be replaced with "Not Reported."
Internal ACS variable : NWLK, NWAB, NWRE, and NWAV