Survey of Labour and Income Dynamics, 2004 [Canada]: Cross-Sectional Key File

The cross-sectional public-use microdata file for the Survey of Labour and Income Dynamics (SLID) is a collection of income, labour and family variables on persons in Canada and their families. SLID is an annual household survey covering the population of the 10 Canadian provinces with the exception of Indian reserves, residents of institutions and military barracks. The Survey of Labour and Income Dynamics began collecting data for reference year 1993. Initially, SLID was designed to be, first and foremost, a longitudinal survey, with primary focus on labour and income and the relationships between them and family composition. Initially, two versions of SLID public-use microdata files were released: the first cross-sectional set covering reference year 1993 and the second longitudinal covering reference years 1993 and 1994. Both cross-sectional and longitudinal public-use files were released. After the release of the 1993 and 1994 files, the decision was made to extend the objectives of SLID to be the primary source of cross-sectional household income data. This file includes many safeguards to prevent the identification of any one person. The type of income data collected by SLID was identical to that of the former household income survey SCF (Survey of Consumer Finances), with the distinction that SLID respondents had the choice of a traditional income interview and granting permission to Statistics Canada to use their T1 income tax data.For many years, the Survey of Consumer Finances had provided public-use microdata files ( PUMFs ) to meet the needs of cross-sectional household income data users. SCF PUMFs were released up to and including reference year 1997. For the purpose of standard publications, Statistics Canada has made the transition from SCF to SLID between 1995 and 1996. Therefore, SLID cross-sectional PUMFs are being made available beginning with reference year 1996. The SLID files have been designed to be analogous to those produced for the SCF. Although often referred to as a single file, the SLID public-use microdata file is actually four separate files: key, person, economic family and census family. The person file contains identifier data, which allows a researcher to group persons into households, economic families and census families, as well as link each of these files together..