The Census Bureau has a master glossary of definitions covering all topics, censuses, surveys, and programs.

• Age
• Gini Ratio/Index
• Marital Status
• Median Income
• Occupation
• Poverty
• Standard Error
  

Data from a survey in which a new group of respondents is sampled for each interview, instead of following the same group of respondents over time. The Current Population Survey Annual Social and Economic Supplement (CPS ASEC), the American Community Survey (ACS), and the decennial census long form are cross-sectional surveys. See also longitudinal survey data.

The highest grade attended by the persons with job accessions is as of the beginning of the survey and is based on the following question: "What is the highest grade or year of regular school this person has attended?"

The industry of the first job accession is based on the census industrial classification system which was developed within the context of the Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) system prepared by the Office of Management and Budget. Thirteen major groups were used: agriculture, forestry and fisheries; mining; construction; manufacturing; transportation, communications, and public utilites; wholesale trade; retail trade; finance, insurance and real estae; business and repair services; personal services; enterainment and recreation services; professional and related services, and public administration. The definitions of the goods-producing industries and high paying and low paying service-producing industries can be found in the text.

Data from a survey in which the same respondents are interviewed multiple times, using the same set of questions, over a period of time (a panel). The Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP) is a longitudinal survey. While cross-sectional data have been compared to "snapshots" in that differences between two cross-sectional estimates are based on two different samples of people, longitudinal data instead allow the analyst to observe how the status of the same group of people changes over time--for instance, by observing the average number of months a person falls below the poverty level, or by observing the demographic characteristics of people who enter and leave poverty. In that sense, longitudinal data have been compared to "videos." See, for instance, Mary Naifeh, "Dynamics of Economic Well-Being, Poverty, 1993-94: Trap Door? Revolving Door? Or Both?"

See chronic or long-term poverty.

The estimates in this report are restricted to persons 16 years of age and over in the civilian noninstutional resident population of the United States and members of the Armed Forces living off post or withtheir families on post.