Longitudinal data sets for rural poverty research

This chapter examines the usefulness of major longitudinal data sets for conducting research on rural poverty. National Longitudinal Surveysdata consist of five separate age-sex cohorts surveyed periodically since the mid-1960s by the Center for Human Resources Research of the Ohio State University under contract from fee United States Department of Labor. The purpose of the Panel Study of Income Dynamics was and remains to provide longitudinal data on determinants and consequences of family income. Survey of Income and Program Participation data have the most detailed records of income and household income-generating activities in longitudinal form, but the data are collected for shorter time periods. All of the databases reviewed have the potential for more extensive and effective application to examine the diversity of poverty populations both within and across rural areas. Data permitting rural or nonmetro estimates are available to the Census Bureau but are suppressed in the publicly available data to meet confidentiality requirements.