Table 1.
Sample Characteristics and Variable Measurement of Older Workers (N=3,416)
| Variable | % | Mean (Median) | Measurement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Demographic Domain | |||
| Age | 56.6 (57.0) | Age in years | |
| Female | 54.1% | 1 if female, 0 if male | |
| White | 81.8% | 1 if white, 0 if non-white | |
| Educational attainment | 13.0 (12.0) | Respondents’ years of education | |
| Marital Status | |||
| Married | 78.2% | 1 if married, 0 otherwise (o.w.). | |
| Separated/divorced | 13.4% | 1 if separated/divorced, 0 o.w. | |
| Widowed | 5.5% | 1 if widowed, 0 o.w. | |
| Never married | 2.9% | 1 if never married, 0 o.w. | |
| Economic/Financial Domain | |||
| Non-housing wealth | $137,309 (53,000) | Household-level sum of the current (2000) value of the following assets: values of checking and savings accounts; certificates of deposit and Treasury bills; stock and mutual funds; bonds; individual retirement accounts; vehicles; business equity; equity in real estate other than respondents' primary assets; and other reported non-housing assets. | |
| Employment Domain | |||
| Annual work weeks | 50.5 (52.0) | Weeks worked per year | |
| Tenure < 2 years | 15.3% | 1 if years of service on current job > 2, 0 if service ≥ 2 years | |
| Part-time employment | 13.6% | 1 if part-time, 0 if full-time | |
| Employer-covered health insurance | 69.0% | 1 if covered by employer sponsored plan, 0 o.w. | |
| Occupation | |||
| Managerial | 14.8% | 1 if managerial specialty operation, 0 o.w. | |
| Professional | 17.8% | 1 if professional specialty operation & technical support, 0 o.w. | |
| Sales | 9.2% | 1 if sales, 0 o.w. | |
| Clerical/administrative | 17.7% | 1 if clerical, administrative support, 0 o.w. | |
| Health/personal service | 9.4% | 1 if health services or personal services, 0 o.w. | |
| Mechanics/construction/production | 9.8% | 1 if mechanics & repair, construction trade and extractors, precision production, 0 o.w. | |
| Farming/armed forces | 1.8% | 1 if farming, fishing, forestry, Armed services, 0 o.w. | |
| Services | 5.1% | 1 if private household, cleaning & building services, protection, food preparation, 0 o.w. | |
| Operators | 14.4% | 1 if machine, transport operator, handler, 0 o.w. | |
| Health Domain | |||
| Self-rated health | |||
| Excellent | 19.7% | 1 if excellent, 0 o.w. | |
| Very good | 38.1% | 1 if very good, 0 o.w. | |
| Good | 29.3% | 1 if good, 0 if o.w. | |
| Fair/poor | 12.9% | 1 if fair/poor, 0 o.w. | |
| Mental health (CES-D score) | 1.2 (0.0) | Sum of 8-item depression battery (range: 0–8) | |
| Health care expenses | $1,543 (750) | Out-of-pocket medical expenses in previous 2 years | |