Other than the expenditure-to-income ratio, changes during
1979–1995 in the distribution of employment characteristics had
small effects on 1995 coverage rates, both because the distribution of
employment had not changed substantially across most characteristics
during 1979–1995 and because for most characteristics theparameter estimates were relatively small. Further, changes in some
characteristics push toward increased coverage, while others push
toward decreased coverage. For example, the percentage working
for two or more employers declined, and the percentage working in
finance increased, each of which should have increased coverage
slightly. In total, shifts in the distribution of employment characteristics
should have led to a 0.8 percent decline in coverage in 1979–
1995—approximately one-tenth of the eight-percentage-point decline
that occurred.