Abstract copyright UK Data Service and data collection copyright owner.

This study is a major longitudinal survey of 8000 people who came into unemployment in May 1980. Five stages of interviewing were carried out, the final stage taking place at the end of 1982. At each stage of interviewing, people who had found work were dropped from the cohort, after completing a schedule which recorded details of their new jobs. A follow-up survey was carried out of people who were dropped from the cohort at one of the first three stages.

The initial sample was drawn from the records of 104 Jobcentres and Employment offices throughbout

Face-to-face interview