The US Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, has a requirement for the National Longitudinal Surveys.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) of the U.S. Department of Labor is the principal Federal statistical agency responsible for measuring labor market activity, working conditions, and price changes in the economy. Its mission is to collect, analyze, and disseminate essential economic information to support public and private decision-making that forms the basis of our democratic, free-enterprise system. Like all Federal statistical agencies, BLS executes its statistical mission with independence, serving its users by providing products and services that are accurate, objective, relevant, timely, and accessible.

The National Longitudinal Surveys (NLS) program at BLS spans multiple cohorts: the NLS Original Cohorts of Mature Women, Young Women, Older Men, and Young Men beginning in 1966; the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1979 (NLSY79), the NLSY 1979 Child and Young Adult (NLSCYA), and the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997 (NLSY97). Together, they provide a singular asset that has helped policymakers understand the evolution of the labor market in the United States from the last half of the 20th century to the new millennium.

In Fall 2027, the NLS program will launch the first rounds of a new youth cohort, the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 2027 (NLSY27). Interviews for Round 1 will be primarily conducted using a CAPI (computer-assisted personal interview) instrument, administered by an interviewer with the option to complete interviews via video interview or by phone. The upcoming NLSY27 recompete will cover data collection of Rounds 2 and 3 of the survey. As with previous cohorts, the new cohort will provide deeper insight into issues that impact labor force participation, such as educational attainment, technological change, work-family balance, and occupational shifts. This new cohort will collect detailed information on the labor market, including the effects of job characteristics, job skills, and career paths. Researchers will be able to gain a better understanding of the factors that are influencing labor market outcomes of Generation Z and will be able to conduct cross-cohort analyses with the older NLSY cohorts.

• Task 1: Management
• Task 2: Technology and Security Requirements for BLS Data and Systems
• Task 3: NLSY27 Interim Contact Between Round 1 and Round 2
• Task 4: NLSY27 Round 2 Pretest
• Task 5: NLSY27 Round 2 Data Collection
• Task 6: NLSY27 Round 2 Data Processing and Documentation
• Task 7: Round 3 Respondent Outreach and OMB Clearance Materials
• Task 8: NLSY27 Round 3 Questionnaire Design and Planning
• Task 9: NLSY27 Round 3 Pretest
• Task 10: NLSY27, Round 3 Main Youth Data Collection
• Task 11: NLSY27, Round 3 Data Processing and Documentation
• Optional Task 12. NLSY27, Interim Contact and OMB Materials (Between Round 3 and Round 4)
• Optional Task 13. NLSY27, Round 4 Questionnaire Design and Planning
• Optional Task 14. Pilot Linkages to Alternative Data Sources
• Optional Task 15. Round 2 Parent/Guardian Household Update
• Optional Task 16. NLSY27 Cognitive Assessments Planning and Design
• Optional Task 17. NLSY27 Interim Contact and Supplemental Survey