ECONOMIC-STATUS MEASURES IN THE HEALTH AND RETIREMENT STUDY

Variables measuring economic statics represent a straightforward but c rucial part of Round I of the Health and Retirement Study (HRS). In ad dition to studies focusing directly on the economic well-being of this cohort of the population, the economic status variables are likely to be inputs into other analyses that focus on retirement and savings be havior, on variations in health status, on intrafamily transfers and s upport, and on poverty status. As a first look at these data, this pap er has several modest goals: to offer a flavor for the major economic status variables on the HRS, to indicate some preliminary analysis of the quality of the data, and to take a preliminary look at the interre lationships among economic status measures like income and wealth and other important variables such as health status, pension rights, and h ealth insurance coverage.