tc_weekpay: Weekly pay top-coded by BLS¶

tc_weekpay title image

Description¶

tc_weekpay indicates whether or not the weekly pay variable weekpay_noadj is top-coded. See also weekpay, which includes imputed weekly earnings for top-coded values.

Availability¶

Sample	Years
May	All years
ORG	All years

Values¶

Value	Label
0	Not top-coded
1	Top-coded

Detailed comments¶

The analysis above uses observations with positive weekly earnings workers in the CPS ORG for 1979-2023 and the CPS May for 1973-1978.

Code¶

Variable creation

********************************************************************************
* Weekly earnings top-coded
********************************************************************************
gen byte tc_weekpay = .

if $monthlycps == 1 | $maycps == 1 {
    if $earnerinfo == 1 {
        replace tc_weekpay = 0 if weekpay >= 0 & weekpay ~= .
        if tm(1973m1) <= $date & $date <= tm(1988m12) {
            replace tc_weekpay = 1 if weekpay >= 999 & weekpay ~= .
        }
        if tm(1989m1) <= $date & $date <= tm(1997m12) {
            replace tc_weekpay = 1 if weekpay >= 1923 & weekpay ~= .
        }
        if tm(1998m1) <= $date & $date <= tm(2023m3) {
            * going to use 2884.60 instead of actual topcode of 2884.61 to avoid precision issues
            replace tc_weekpay = 1 if weekpay >= 2884.60 & weekpay ~= .
        }
        if tm(2023m4) <= $date {
            replace tc_weekpay = ptwk if weekpay ~= .
        }
    }
}

lab var tc_weekpay "Weekly pay top-coded by BLS"
lab def tc_weekpay 0 "Not top-coded" 1 "Top-coded"
lab val tc_weekpay tc_weekpay
notes tc_weekpay: Top-code for weekpay: 1973-88: 999; 1989-97: 1923; 1998-: 2884.61

Figure creation

keep if tc_weekpay ~= .
keep if age >= 16 & age <= 64

gen wgt = .
replace wgt = basicwgt if year <= 1978
replace wgt = orgwgt if year >= 1979

gcollapse (mean) tc_ = tc_weekpay [pw=wgt], by(year female) fast

* make wide and graph
reshape wide tc_, i(year) j(female)
foreach var of varlist tc_* {
    replace `var' = `var' * 100
    sum `var' if year == 2013
    local `var'yvalue = r(mean)
    local `var'xvalue = 2013
}
local tc_0yvalue = `tc_0yvalue' + 0.7
local tc_1yvalue = `tc_1yvalue' - 0.7

local color1 228 26 28
local color2 55 126 184
local color3 77 175 74
local color4 152 78 163
local color5 255 127 0

line tc_0 tc_1 year, lcolor("`color4'" "`color2'") ///
legend(off) ///
xlabel(1975(5)2020) ///
ylabel(0(2)10 10 "10%", angle(0) gmin gmax) ///
xtitle("") ytitle("") ///
lcolor("`color4'" "`color2'") ///
graphregion(color(white)) plotregion(color(white)) ///
title("Share of earners with top-coded weekly pay, ages 16-64", size(medium)) ///
text(`tc_0yvalue' `tc_0xvalue' "Male", color("`color4'") placement(c)) ///
text(`tc_1yvalue' `tc_1xvalue' "Female", color("`color2'") placement(c))
graph export ${variableimages}tc_weekpay_titleimage.svg, replace

/***
The analysis above uses observations with positive weekly earnings workers in the CPS ORG for 1979-2023 and the CPS May for 1973-1978.
***/