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Journal of Labor Economics Vol. 1 No. 4 1983

Accuracy of Response in Labor Market Surveys: Evidence and Implications

Wesley Mellow; Hal Sider

Abstract

This paper examines the extent of response errors in labor market survey data and explores the implications of such errors for economic analysis. Explicitly examined are responses to questions on industry, occupation, union status, hours worked, and wages. Analyses are based on two sources: (1) a special supplement to the January 1977 Current Population Survey that obtained data from workers and their employers and (2) an exact match of workers and their employers interviewed in the Employment Opportunity Pilot Project Survey. The dual nature of these surveys provides a basis for analyzing the effect of response error on a variety of economic analyses including the trade-off between wages and risk, the wage impact of unionism, and the sensitivity of wage-determination models to alternative responses to earnings questions.

DOI
10.1086/298016
Volume
1
Issue
4
Pages
331-344
Language
en
Sources
openalex crossref

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