Matching TRIM Households, Families, and Persons to March CPS Data

To match a TRIM household with its corresponding March CPS household, match the TRIM variable OldIdentifier with the CPS variable H-SEQ.

Within a matching household, TRIM families can be matched with March CPS families by matching the TRIM variable CpsIdentifier with the CPS variable FFPOS. Note that this definition of family treats related subfamilies as separate families.

Within a matching household, TRIM persons can be matched with March CPS persons by matching the TRIM variable LineNumber with the CPS variable A-LINENO, or by matching the TRIM variable CpsPersonId with the CPS variable PPPOS.

When using default TRIM data that has had citizenship information imputed to it, multiple TRIM households may match a single CPS household since the imputation process replicates some households. The TRIM variable AlienHouseholdSplit indicates whether a TRIM household has been replicated for the citizenship imputation, and the TRIM variable HighIncomeClone indicates whether a household has been replicated to increase the unweighted number of high income households for a match with SOI data. Refer to the TRIM3 dictionary for further information on AlienHouseholdSplit and HighIncomeClone.

Note: To see one of these variables in the dictionary, click on TRIM3 dictionary; then click on "Keywords"; select "Search TRIM3 names"; enter the variable name in the "Look for" box; click "Find"; then highlight the term.

In data with replicate households, all weights (household, person, and family) are adjusted so that weight totals equal the weight totals in the original CPS data. Likewise, subgroups--e.g. age or racial subgroups--maintain the same proportional representation and have the same weight totals in replicate data as in the original CPS data.

For an example of a SAS code that merges replicate households back into single households, click here.

Note: The above procedures only apply to matching TRIM records with the March CPS. For matching to other months of CPS data, contact the TRIM staff. For matching CPS records from consecutive surveys, see Matching records from consecutive months of CPS surveys