Work Attitudes in the Cohort Studies
Prof. Shirley Dex
Centre for Longitudinal Studies
12th October 2007
following lives from birth and through the adult years
www.cls.ioe.ac.uk
British Birth Cohort Studies
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Fully representative samples of the British population
Based on one week’s births - approximately 17,000 babies
Followed up from birth into adulthood
Four British Birth Cohort Studies
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1946 : National Survey of Health and Development (MRC funded)
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1958 : National Child Development Study
Housed at
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1970 : British Cohort Study 1970
CLS
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2000/1: Millennium Cohort Study
following lives from birth and through the adult years
www.cls.ioe.ac.uk
1958 Birth Cohort Study
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Sample of over 17,000 infants born in March 1958
Not initially planned as a longitudinal study
Sample followed at ages 7, 11, 16, 23, 33, 42, 46 (prospective study)
Retrospective life history data collected at age 23, 33, 42, 46
 For example
 work history
 partnership history
 fertility history
 housing history
Approximately 12,000 individuals are still participating
Information on individuals can be linked from birth and childhood through
into adult life
Now funded by ESRC with data collected every four years
following lives from birth and through the adult years
www.cls.ioe.ac.uk
NCDS follow-ups and sources of information
Notes
a: Target sample - Excludes emigrants, refusals & deaths. Includes immigrants at NCDS1-3.
Achieved sample - At least on survey instrument partially completed
following b:
lives
from birth and through the adult years
c: Mother - Could be Cohort Member or spouse/partner
www.cls.ioe.ac.uk
NCDS – 2004 Sweep (Age 46) – Telephone interview

Housing
 Relationships
 Pregnancies and births
 Periods of lone parenthood
 Absent children
 Children and the wider family
 Family income
 Employment
following lives from birth and through the adult years
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Qualifications achieved
 Courses attended
 Computer access and usage
 Basic skills
 General health
 Smoking, drinking and
exercise
 Experience of crime
 Social participation
www.cls.ioe.ac.uk
Hypothetical life history
Exam
results
Parents’ social
class
Training and
skills
Parental
divorce
Born
1958
x
Age 7
Age 11
Age 16
Voting
behaviour
Savings
Gets married
1st Child
2nd Child
1984
1981
Age 23
1987
1991
Age 33
2000
2004
Age 42
Age 46
Mother
smoking
Job 1
Parental
interest in
school work
Free school
meals
Job 2
Job 3
Psychological
well being
Maths and reading
tests
Domestic division
of labour
Working hours
preferences
Union membership
Teachers’ assessment of
child’s behaviour
following lives from birth and through the adult years
www.cls.ioe.ac.uk
BCS70: 1970 Birth Cohort Study
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Representative sample of over 16,000 infants born in 1970
Sample followed at ages 5, 10, 16, 26, 30, 34
Approximately 12,000 individuals are still participating
Now funded by ESRC with data collected every four years
Co-ordination with NCDS facilitates cross cohort
comparisons
following lives from birth and through the adult years
www.cls.ioe.ac.uk
BCS70 Follow-ups & information sources
Notes
a: Achieved sample. NB: Target sample excluded emigrants, refusals & deaths; and included immigrants in 1975 & 1980.
following lives from birth and through the adult years
www.cls.ioe.ac.uk
BCS70 – 2004 Sweep
CORE: All CMs
Interview (CAPI) - updating social, economic, health info
Self-completion (CASI) - attitudes, family life, drinking, skills, well-being, crime
Adult assessments (CAPI/CASI/Paper) - functional literacy, numeracy, dyslexia
PARENT & CHILD: CMs with resident natural/adopted child aged <17
Parent Interview (CAPI) - age specific (0<17) childcare, health & schooling, etc
In a
1 in 2
sample
Parent Self-completion (Paper) - age specific questions on development, relationships,
behaviour, discipline, school absence/exclusion, reading & schoolwork
Child assessments (CAPI/Paper) - age specific (3<17) assessments of naming, copying,
reading, spelling, number
Child (10<17) self-completion (Paper) - leisure, relationships, school, the future drugs,
crime, self-esteem
following lives from birth and through the adult years
www.cls.ioe.ac.uk
BCS70 - 2004 Sweep (Age 34)
CORE: All Cohort Members
Interview (CAPI):
• Housing
• Partnerships – current and former
• Births and other pregnancies
• Periods of lone parenthood
• Children and the wider family
• Family income
• Employment status/employment history
• Academic education
• Vocational training
• Access to and use of computers
• Basic skills
• General health
• Diet and exercise
• Height and weight
• Family activities, social participation, social support
following lives from birth and through the adult years
www.cls.ioe.ac.uk
Summary of employment questions (BCS70, age 34)
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Full employment histories
Job title
SOC90 and SOC2000 coding
NSSEC; social class; and socio economic group
Hours of work & when works (e.g. weekends/shifts etc)
Security of employment
Membership of pension schemes
Travel to work time
Job satisfaction
If unemployed, reason for unemployment
If unemployed, whether wants employment
Reasons for not working if out of the labour market
following lives from birth and through the adult years
www.cls.ioe.ac.uk
1958 and 1970 birth cohorts
60
NCDS
BCS70
50
50
46
Cohort
Comparisons
42
Age
40
38
34
33
30
30
26
23
20
16
11
10
Life cycle
effects
16
10
7
5
0
1950
1960
1970
1980
Year
following lives from birth and through the adult years
1990
2000
2010
2020
www.cls.ioe.ac.uk
Attitudes to work - five key areas
following lives from birth and through the adult years
www.cls.ioe.ac.uk
Overall job satisfaction
“All things considered, how satisfied or dissatisfied are you with
your present job overall? Please choose your answer from this
card”.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Very satisfied
Satisfied
Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied
Dissatisfied
Very dissatisfied
NCDS: 1981 – Age 23 (INT), 2000 – Age 42 (INT), 2004 – Age 46 (INT), 2008 – Age 50 (INT)
BCS: 2000 – Age 30 (INT), 2004 – Age 34 (INT), 2008 – Age 38 (INT)
following lives from birth and through the adult years
www.cls.ioe.ac.uk
Overall job satisfaction – men vs women
Overall job satisfaction ('very' or 'fairly' satisfied) - Male FT employees vs Female FT employees
100
90
80
86
83
82
80
79
75
78
77
74
73
70
%
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
NCDS (Age 23)
NCDS (Age 42)
1981
BCS (Age 30)
2000
Male
following lives from birth and through the adult years
NCDS (Age 46)
BCS (Age 34)
2004
Female
www.cls.ioe.ac.uk
Overall job satisfaction – employees vs selfemployed
Overall job satisfaction ('very' or 'fairly' satisfied) - Employees vs Self-employed
100
80
90
88
90
84
84
78
87
84
79
77
76
70
%
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
NCDS (Age 23)
NCDS (Age 42)
1981
BCS (Age 30)
2000
Employee
following lives from birth and through the adult years
NCDS (Age 46)
BCS (Age 34)
2004
Self-employed
www.cls.ioe.ac.uk
Job satisfaction continued
“I am going to read out some things which affect how people feel
about their job. Can you tell me how satisfied or dissatisfied
with each one in your present job? Please use one of the
answers from this card.”
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Very satisfied
Satisfied
Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied
Dissatisfied
Very dissatisfied
NCDS: 1981 – Age 23 (INT)
following lives from birth and through the adult years
www.cls.ioe.ac.uk
Job satisfaction (continued)
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
f)
g)
Your usual take home pay
Your prospects
The people you work with
Your physical working conditions
The way your firm or organisation is run
The way your abilities are used
The interest and skill involved in your job
NCDS: 1981 – Age 23 (INT)
following lives from birth and through the adult years
www.cls.ioe.ac.uk
Job satisfaction (continued)
Proportion satisfied ('very satisfied' or 'satisfied' with specific elements of current job - male FT
employees vs female FT employees - NCDS 1981 (Age 23)
88
88
Fellow workers
78
Physical conditions
75
76
74
Interest and skill involved
72
Use of abilities
64
68
Pay
60
65
Job prospects
63
56
Way organisation is run
47
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
%
Male
following lives from birth and through the adult years
Female
www.cls.ioe.ac.uk
Work-life balance
“Do you think the demands of your work interfere with
the demands of home and family life?”
Yes / No
NCDS: 2000 – Age 42 (INT), 2008 – Age 50 (INT)
BCS: 2000 – Age 30 (INT)
following lives from birth and through the adult years
www.cls.ioe.ac.uk
Work-life balance
Proportion feeling that demands of work interfere with demands of home / family life - 2000
70
59
59
60
53
52
50
52
47
47
47
51
50
47
39
%
40
30
31
30
20
10
0
All
Men FT emp
Women FT emp
Employee
Sex
Self-employed
Employment status
NCDS (Age 42)
following lives from birth and through the adult years
Full-time
Part-time
FT / PT
BCS (Age 30)
www.cls.ioe.ac.uk
Work-life balance – demands of work
Two more questions:
“Do you find that in physical terms your work demands ...
1) a lot of you.. 2) a moderate amount or 3) very little?”
“Do you find that mentally or emotionally your work demands…
1) a lot of you.. 2) a moderate amount or 3) very little?”
NCDS: 2000 – Age 42 (INT), 2008 – Age 50 (INT)
BCS: 2000 – Age 30 (INT)
following lives from birth and through the adult years
www.cls.ioe.ac.uk
Work-life balance - demands of work
Proportion feeling that work demands 'a lot' from them - 2000
60
55
48
50
40
40
%
35
30
20
10
0
Demands 'a lot' physically
Demands ' a lot' mentally
NCDS (Age 42)
following lives from birth and through the adult years
BCS (Age 30)
www.cls.ioe.ac.uk
Work-life balance – Hours of work
“Assuming that you would be paid the same amount per
hour, would you prefer to work fewer hours than you do
now, work more hours than you do now, or carry on
working the same number of hours?”
Work fewer hours than you do now,
2) work more hours than you do now
3) or carry on working the same number of hours?
1)
NCDS: 2000 – Age 42 (INT), 2008 – Age 50 (INT)
BCS: 2000 – Age 30 (INT)
following lives from birth and through the adult years
www.cls.ioe.ac.uk
Work-life balance – hours of work
Proportion who would prefer to work fewer hours by social class - 2000
50
47
45
41
40
39
40
37
37
37
35
34
35
32
30
29
30
33
%
25
25
20
15
10
5
0
1
2
3.1
3.2
4
5
All
Social Class
NCDS (Age 42)
following lives from birth and through the adult years
BCS (Age 30)
www.cls.ioe.ac.uk
Work-life balance – new question for NCDS 2008
“In general, how well do your working hours fit in with your
family or social commitments outside work?”
1)
2)
3)
4)
Very well
Well
Not very well
Not at all well
(Taken from European Working Conditions Survey)
NCDS: 2008 – Age 50 (SC)
following lives from birth and through the adult years
www.cls.ioe.ac.uk
Commitment to current employer
“In a year from now do you expect to be….
Working for the same employer,
2) working for a different employer
3) or not working at all?”
1)
NCDS: 1981 – Age 23 (INT), 2000 – Age 42 (INT), 2008 – Age 50 (INT)
BCS: 2000 – Age 30 (INT), 2004 – Age 34 (INT)
following lives from birth and through the adult years
www.cls.ioe.ac.uk
Commitment to current employer
Proportion of employees expecting to be working for the same employer in one year's time
90
85
77
80
70
83
68
60
%
50
40
30
20
10
0
1981 (NCDS Age 23)
2000 (NCDS Age 42, BCS Age 30)
NCDS
following lives from birth and through the adult years
2004 (BCS Age 34)
BCS
www.cls.ioe.ac.uk
Kanungo’s scale of job involvement
“We would now like to ask you a few questions about
how you feel about your current employment. Please
read the following statements and record how much you
agree or disagree with each.
1)
2)
3)
4)
The most important things that happen to me involve my
present job
To me, my job is only a small part of who I am.
I am very much involved personally in my job.
I live, eat and breathe my job.”
NCDS: 2008 – Age 50 (SC)
following lives from birth and through the adult years
www.cls.ioe.ac.uk
Kanungo’s scale of job involvement (contd.)
5)
6)
7)
8)
9)
10)
Most of my interests are centred around my job.
I have very strong ties with my present job which
would be very difficult to break
Usually I feel detached from my job.
Most of my personal life goals are job-oriented.
I consider my job to be very central to my existence.
I like to be absorbed in my job most of the time.
NCDS: 2008 – Age 50 (SC)
following lives from birth and through the adult years
www.cls.ioe.ac.uk
Kanungo’s scale of job involvement (contd.)
Six-point scale:
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
Strongly agree
Agree
Somewhat agree
Somewhat disagree
Disagree
Strongly disagree
NCDS: 2008 – Age 50 (SC)
following lives from birth and through the adult years
www.cls.ioe.ac.uk
Work ethic – agreement with 3 statements
“Having (almost) any job is better than being unemployed.”
NCDS: 1981 – Age 23 (INT), 1991 – Age 33 (SC), 2000 – Age 42 (SC), 2008 – Age 50 (SC)
BCS: 1996 – Age 26 (SC), 2000 – Age 30 (SC)
“If I didn’t like a job I’d pack it in, even if there was no other job to
go to.”
NCDS: 1991 – Age 33 (SC), 2000 – Age 42 (SC), 2008 – Age 50 (SC)
BCS: 1996 – Age 26 (SC), 2000 – Age 30 (SC)
“Once you’ve got a job it’s important to hang on to it even if you don’t
really like it.”
NCDS: 1991 – Age 33 (SC), 2000 – Age 42 (SC), 2008 – Age 50 (SC)
BCS: 2000 – Age 30 (SC)
(5 point scale – Strongly agree, agree, neither agree nor disagree, disagree, strongly disagree)
following lives from birth and through the adult years
www.cls.ioe.ac.uk
Work - ethic
Level of agreement or with statements regarding work ethic amongst those in early 30's (NCDS and
BCS)
80
68
70
60
%
50
47
38
40
35
30
20
10
0
Having almost any job is better than being unemployed
NCDS (Age 33)
Once you’ve got a job it’s important to hang on to it even if you don’t really
like it
BCS (Age 30)
Note: Agreement defined as those who either reported that they ‘strongly agreed’ or ‘agreed’ with statement.
following lives from birth and through the adult years
www.cls.ioe.ac.uk
Gender roles
I am going to read out some statements that people
sometimes make about work. Thinking about your own
experience and feelings can you please tell me how
much you agree with each statement in turn….
“If a woman wants to she can get ahead as easily as a
man”.
NCDS: 1981 – Age 23 (INT)
(5 point scale – Strongly agree, agree, neither agree nor disagree, disagree, strongly disagree)
following lives from birth and through the adult years
www.cls.ioe.ac.uk
Gender roles (continued)
“There should be more women bosses in important jobs in business and
industry.”
NCDS: 1991 – Age 33 (SC)
BCS: 1996 – Age 26 (SC)
“Women who do not have a job are dull.”
NCDS: 1991 – Age 33 (SC)
“If a child is ill and both parents are working it should usually be the mother
who takes time off to look after the child.”
NCDS: 1991 – Age 33 (SC)
BCS: 1996 – Age 26 (SC)
(5 point scale – Strongly agree, agree, neither agree nor disagree, disagree, strongly disagree)
following lives from birth and through the adult years
www.cls.ioe.ac.uk
Gender roles (continued)
“Being a housewife is just as fulfilling as working for pay.”
NCDS: 1991 – Age 33 (SC)
“I would not want a woman to be my boss.”
NCDS: 1991 – Age 33 (SC)
“It is less important for a woman to go out to work than it is for a
man.”
NCDS: 1991 – Age 33 (SC)
BCS: 1996 – Age 26 (SC)
(5 point scale – Strongly agree, agree, neither agree nor disagree, disagree, strongly disagree)
following lives from birth and through the adult years
www.cls.ioe.ac.uk
Gender roles (continued)
“Women should have the same chance as men to get some
training or have a career.”
NCDS: 1991 – Age 33 (SC)
“Wives who don’t have to work should not do so.”
NCDS: 1991 – Age 33 (SC)
“Men and women should all have the chance to do the same
kind of work.”
NCDS: 1991 – Age 33 (SC)
BCS: 1996 – Age 26 (SC)
(5 point scale – Strongly agree, agree, neither agree nor disagree, disagree, strongly disagree)
following lives from birth and through the adult years
www.cls.ioe.ac.uk
Gender roles (continued)
“A mother and her family will be happier if she goes out to
work.”
NCDS: 2000 – Age 42 (SC)
BCS: 2000 – Age 30 (SC)
“All in all, family life suffers when the mother has a full time job.”
NCDS: 2000 – Age 42 (SC)
BCS: 2000 – Age 30 (SC)
(5 point scale – Strongly agree, agree, neither agree nor disagree, disagree, strongly disagree)
following lives from birth and through the adult years
www.cls.ioe.ac.uk
Gender roles (continued)
Level of agreement with statement: "Men and women should all have the chance to do the same kind
of work."
100
94
93
90
86
85
80
70
%
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Men
Women
NCDS (Age 33)
BCS (Age 26)
Note: Agreement defined as those who either reported that they ‘strongly agreed’ or ‘agreed’ with statement.
following lives from birth and through the adult years
www.cls.ioe.ac.uk
Gender roles (continued)
Level of agreement with statement: "All in all, family life suffers when the mother has a full-time job."
40
35
34
30
28
25
22
%
21
20
15
10
5
0
Women
Men
NCDS (Age 33)
BCS (Age 26)
Note: Agreement defined as those who either reported that they ‘strongly agreed’ or ‘agreed’ with statement.
following lives from birth and through the adult years
www.cls.ioe.ac.uk
Other questions
NCDS 1981 – Age 23:
 Work is the most important thing in life
 People think you are a nobody, if you are unemployed
 Having an enjoyable social life is more important than
having an enjoyable job
 Having a job gives people a sense of purpose
 Most jobs are dull and boring
 The only reason for going out to work is the money
(5 point scale – Strongly agree, agree, neither agree nor disagree, disagree, strongly disagree)
following lives from birth and through the adult years
www.cls.ioe.ac.uk
Other questions
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NCDS 1991 – Age 33
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A person must have a job to feel a full member of
society (SC)
A person can get satisfaction out of life without having a
job (SC)
BCS 2004 – Age 34

Everyone should work to provide for themselves (SC)
(5 point scale – Strongly agree, agree, neither agree nor disagree, disagree,
strongly disagree)
following lives from birth and through the adult years
www.cls.ioe.ac.uk
CLS Birth Cohort Studies: Web Resources
Resources available via CLS website:
(www.cls.ioe.ac.uk/Cohort/mainncds.htm)
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Annotated Questionnaires and CAPI Documentation
Technical Reports – e.g. on sampling, instrument
development and fieldwork of MCS
Data Dictionaries
Cohort Studies Data Notes
following lives from birth and through the adult years
www.cls.ioe.ac.uk
Website
www.cls.ioe.ac.uk
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following lives from birth and through the adult years
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