NLS data can be downloaded using an interactive web interface called NLS Web Investigator. Users also have the option of downloading the data and a PC-based version of the software application from the NLS Product Availability Center. This page introduces the components of the NLS and gives links to descriptions and documentation for each cohort and to the NLS page from which users can reach Web Investigator.

The National Longitudinal Surveys homepage is located at http://www.bls.gov/nls/home.htm

National Longitudinal Surveys (NLS) Cohorts

• National Longitudinal Surveys of Youth 1997 (NLSY97)
  Surveys of young men and women born in the years 1980-84; respondents were ages 12-17 when first interviewed in 1997. For more information and for web-based data extraction, refer to:
  NLSY97 User's Guide
  NLSY97 Home Page at the BLS site.
  NLS Web-Investigator for data access via a web-based data extraction tool.

 
• National Longitudinal Surveys of Youth 1979 (NLSY79)
  Surveys of men and women born in the years 1957-64; respondents were ages 14-22 when first interviewed in 1979. An important set of new questions were added to the 2006 wave, questions that deal with election behavior. These questions were proposed and developed by the staff of the American National Election Studies (ANES). The ANES questions are YASR-77 through YASR-93, which appear in the "Young Adult Self-Report" section of the questionnaire.
  NLSY79 Home Page at the BLS site.
  NLS Web-Investigator for data access via a web-based data extraction tool.

 
• NLSY79 Children and Young Adults
  Surveys of the biological children of women in the NLSY79. For more information and for web-based data extraction, refer to:
  NLSY79 Children and Young Adults Home Page at the BLS site.
  NLS Web-Investigator for data access via a web-based data extraction tool.

 
• National Longitudinal Surveys of Young Women and Mature Women
  The NLS Young Women survey includes women who were ages 14-24 when first interviewed in 1968. The Mature Women's survey includes women who were ages 30-44 when first interviewed in 1967. These surveys is now conducted in odd-numbered years. For more information and for web-based data extraction, refer to:
  NLSW Home Page at the BLS site.
  NLS Web-Investigator for data access via a web-based data extraction tool.

 
• National Longitudinal Survey Young Men and Older Men
  The Older Men's survey, which was discontinued in 1990, includes men who were ages 45-59 when first interviewed in 1966. The Young Men's survey, which was discontinued in 1981, includes men who were ages 14-24 when first interviewed in 1966. For more information and for web-based data extraction, refer to:
  Handbook Chapter 6: The NLS Original Cohorts: Old and Young Men (No Users Guide published).
  NLS Young Men and Older Men Home Page at the BLS site.
  NLS Web-Investigator for data access via a web-based data extraction tool.

Additional information:

• NLS Handbook, The National Longitudinal Surveys(print available in EDS)
  The Handbook is an introduction to the various components of the National Longitudinal Surveys of Labor Market Experience (NLS).

 
• The NLS Annotated Bibliography (earlier print versions available in EDS)