Description

ABSENT indicates whether persons who did not work during the previous week had a job or business from which they were temporarily absent and, if so, whether they were absent due to a layoff or if their absence was for some other reason.

Persons who responded "no" to the question, "Was this person temporarily absent or on layoff from a job or business last week?" would be considered either unemployed or not in the labor force, depending upon their responses to other questions.

See EMPSTAT for definitions of key labor force and employment terminology.

Comparability

This variable means the same thing across years. Persons who should have answered the question but did not were placed in a separate "Not Reported" category in the 1980 and 2000 Census samples, the 2003-onward ACS, and the 2005-onward PRCS. They were placed in the "Not Applicable" category in 1990 and in the 2000-2002 ACS. They were not allocated and remain in these categories in the IPUMS.

In 1980 and 1990, the distinction between those "on layoff" and those temporarily absent for other reasons was made by two choices within the same question. In the 2000 census, the ACS and the PRCS, the questionnaire first asked about layoffs. Only persons who said that they were not on layoff were asked about temporary absence from work for other reasons (e.g., vacation, temporary illness, labor dispute).

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: All samples
• 1980: All samples
• 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: All samples
• 1980: All samples
• 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