Yeah, inconsistent time periods are the worst. One unit has data for 10 years, another for 3... it’s a mess.
I’ve found that `plm` in R handles unbalanced panel datasets pretty well. It’s not magic, but it at least keeps things manageable. Also, have you looked into `tidyverse` for cleaning? The `fill()` function can help with gaps if the missingness isn’t too wild.
For attrition, sometimes you just gotta accept it and use weights or robustness checks. Not ideal, but hey, that’s panel data for ya.
I’ve found that `plm` in R handles unbalanced panel datasets pretty well. It’s not magic, but it at least keeps things manageable. Also, have you looked into `tidyverse` for cleaning? The `fill()` function can help with gaps if the missingness isn’t too wild.
For attrition, sometimes you just gotta accept it and use weights or robustness checks. Not ideal, but hey, that’s panel data for ya.