st: importing changes variable to numeric but want string variable

["Ms. Marilyn Ibarra" <ibarra@uga.edu>]

I have a text file with data that looks like this:

us_id    firm_name
000007    x
012231    y
100210    z
345211    w

I imported the txt file.  When I do this I get data that looks like this:

us_id    firm_name
7         x
12231       y
100210    z
345211    w

As you can see the zeros at the beginning of the first two observations of us_id are dropped.  How do I prevent this from happening because I need it in the format of the original txt file.  I need it to be a string variable and not numeric.  

Any ideas?  Thanks in advance,

Marilyn.   


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