NPBOSS50

Description

NPBOSS50 is a constructed 4-digit numeric variable that assigns a Nam-Powers-Boyd occupational status score to each occupation using the occupational classification scheme available in the OCC1950 variable. NPBOSS50 is available for members of the civilian labor force who provided an occupation in OCC1950. This variable is not a measure of an individual's standing, but rather reflects the occupational status of the group of people who share that individual's levels of educational attainment and income. Members of the military and persons not in the labor force are considered NIU.

NPBOSS50 is calculated on the basis of the recently-employed experienced civilian workforce. This is defined as anyone who reported an occupation within the previous five years (for the ACS, an OCC value greater than 0 and less than 9800) and who worked within the past year (WORKEDYR = 3).

User caution: There is debate concerning the use of composite measures of occupational standing (in IPUMS USA, these variables include SEI, HWSEI, NPBOSS50, and NPBOSS90). We strongly urge researchers to read our user note on this issue.

The NPBOSS50 is a measure of occupational status based on the interpolated median earnings and median educational attainment associated with each occupational category available in OCC1950 variable. This score gives equal weight to education and earnings, and can be interpreted as the percentage of persons whose calculated scores fall below that occupation. Scores are rounded to the nearest 0.1 and range from 0 to 100.

The scores were calculated at the IPUMS following the methodology described by Nam and Boyd (2004).

NPBOSS50 used year-specific data to calculate scores for 1950 onward. As the earnings and education data are not available prior to 1950, the 1950's NPBOSS50 scores are assigned for cases in pre-1950 censuses.

For more information, see C. B. Nam and M. Boyd, "Occupational Status in 2000: Over a Century of Census-based Measurement," Population Research and Policy Review 23 (2004): 327-358.

The OCC1950 categories 12-29 (professors and instructors) were treated as one single category in the process of deriving NPBOSS50, since there were not enough cases to be kept as separate categories. All these occupational categories have the same value of NPBOSS50.

Alternative measures of occupational standing that are based on OCC1950 are available in EDSCOR50, ERSCOR50, OCCSCORE, PRESGL, and SEI. For information on the construction of OCC1950 and occupational standing measures, see "Integrated Occupation and Industry Codes and Occupational Standing Variables in the IPUMS."

NPBOSS50 is a constructed 4-digit numeric variable which assigns a Nam-Powers-Boyd occupational status score to each occupation using the occupational classification scheme available in OCC1950 variable. The NPBOSS50 is a measure of occupational status based upon the median earnings and median educational attainment associated with each category in the occupational scheme available in OCC1950 variable. NPBOSS50 has one implied decimal. For example, an NPBOSS50 value of 0061 should be interpreted as 6.1. This division is performed automatically in the extract setup files. NPBOSS50 specific variable codes for missing, edited, or unidentified observations, observations not applicable (N/A), observations not in universe (NIU), top and bottom value coding, etc. are provided below if applicable by Census year (and data sample if specified).

User Note: There is debate concerning the use of composite measures of occupational standing (in IPUMS USA, these variables include SEI, HWSEI, NPBOSS50, and NPBOSS90). We strongly urge researchers to read our user note on this issue.

NPBOSS50 Specific Variable Codes
9999 = NIU

Comparability

This variable is comparable across years.

NPBOSS90 offers a similar Nam-Powers-Boyd occupational status variable that is based on the occupational classification scheme available in OCC1990.

In samples from 1960 onward, occupation information is available for many people who were not working at the time of the census. In 1960 and 1970, occupations were reported for persons who had worked within the previous ten years; and from 1980 onward, occupations were reported for persons who had worked within the previous five years. We assigned NPBOSS50 values to these cases. Researchers who wish to exclude these cases from their analyses can use the LABFORCE variable to do so.

Universe

Availability

• 2024: All samples
• 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: All samples
• 1960: All samples
• 1950: All samples
• 1940: All samples
• 1930: All samples
• 1920: All samples
• 1910: All samples
• 1900: 5%; 1%; 1.2% ovrsmp
• 1880: All samples
• 1870: All samples
• 1860: All samples
• 1850: All samples

• 2024: --
• 2023: --
• 2022: --
• 2021: --
• 2020: --
• 2019: --
• 2018: --
• 2017: --
• 2016: --
• 2015: --
• 2014: --
• 2013: --
• 2012: --
• 2011: --
• 2010: --
• 2009: --
• 2008: --
• 2007: --
• 2006: --
• 2005: --
• 2000: --
• 1990: --
• 1980: --
• 1970: --
• 1930: --
• 1920: --
• 1910: --

Flags

Editing Procedure

There is no editing procedure available for this variable.