The 2014 SIPP includes several variables that can be used to identify if the respondent moved during the reference period, the month of the move, and the type of move. These variables include:

1. ERESIDENCEID - identifies unique households within an original sample unit. A change in ERESIDENCEID from one month to the next indicates a change in residences.

2. ERH_BMONTH - the beginning month of the residence spell.

3. ERH_EMONTH - the end month of the residence spell.

4. TMOVER – a mover flag that indicates if the respondent moved during a given month and the type of move. The categories of TMOVER are:

   1. Same house in the U.S., non-mover

   2. Different house in the U.S., same state and county

   3. Different house in the U.S., same state, different county

   4. Different house in the U.S., different state in the Northeast

   5. Different house in the U.S., different state in the Midwest

   6. Different house in the U.S., different state in the South

   7. Different house in the U.S., different state in the West

For moves that occurred during January of the reference year of the first wave the respondent was interviewed, or moves that are not captured in the survey reference period, the year (TEHC_MVYR) and month (EEHC_MVMO) of move are collected, but not the type of move. In waves 2+, returning sample members will have valid data on TMOVER for January of the reference year, as the edited December data from the previous wave are used to create the TMOVER variable. New respondents in wave 2+ (and all respondents in wave 1) will be blank on TMOVER for January of the reference year.

The variables TEHC_MVYR, EEHC_MVMO, ERH_BMONTH, and ERH_EMONTH are used to create a monthly duration of residence variable (TRESDUR). As with the RMOVER variable, in waves 2+ edited data from the previous wave are used to create TRESDUR and maintain consistency across waves. Because only select variables in the 2014 SIPP are longitudinally edited, it is possible for information on TRESDUR to conflict with other survey information in a small number of cases. In general, preference is given to the prior wave data when inconsistencies are discovered in processing.

The residence data are edited for consistency so that ERESIDENCEID is used in the creation of TRESDUR and TMOVER, and TRESDUR is used in the creation of TMOVER. In most instances, these variables will provide consistent information when Identifying a move. However, in a small number of cases a change in ERESIDENCEID from one month to another may not be reflected on TMOVER and TRESDUR. In these instances, a respondent has changed residences from one month to another, but reports always living at the residence he or she has moved to on the reason for move variable (EEHC_WHY). Because respondents’ own definitions of what constitutes a move may differ from how the SIPP survey identifies a move, we have chosen to leave these apparent inconsistencies in the data.

For more information  on residency rules in the SIPP survey, see the 2014 SIPP User’s Guide here: https://www.census.gov/content/dam/Census/programs-surveys/sipp/methodology/2014-SIPP-Panel-Users-Guide.pdf