Data from the 1970 census on work status of respondents in April 1965 are compared with those from the April 1965 Current Population Survey (CPS) for specific age-sex cohorts to gain some insight into the reliability of the retrospective data collected in 1970. The results indicate that on a net difference basis, the retrospective inquiry yielded reasonable approximations for most cohorts. The problem of gross versus net differences is reviewed briefly with respect to its implications for analyzing retrospective data.