This variable indicates a change of job since the previous interview for respondents with a follow-up interview, whereas for first-time respondents, the information refers to a change of job since the beginning of the previous year.
PGJOBCH is generated based on the central filter variable, which indicates whether a respondent has changed jobs since the beginning of the previous year. A job change can be within one firm as well as a change to another firm. Information on the date of job change is then combined with interview month of the previous year's interview to identify whether a new job change has taken place since the previous interview. The main input variables are therefore: plb0031_v1 (No change of professional situation [1985-1993]), plb0031_v2 (Job change in the previous year [1994 - …]), and plb0022_v# (employment status) from the pl dataset.
Hence, PGJOBCH indicates whether a respondent has changed jobs since the beginning of the previous year. The variable is calculated for all waves, and the codes are assigned independently of the respondent being a first-time or follow-up respondent.
The variable is also designed to identify respondents who have entered employment for the first time. Up to 1993, first-time respondents did not answer the question about job change. Therefore, for first-time respondents up to 1993, the variable was generated by using the information on the start date with the current employer and the respondent's age at entrance into their first job.
The variable is also designed to provide consistent longitudinal information on job changes. The PGJOBCH variable is generated by correcting the original job change information in various ways:
- We check whether the job changes stated by a respondent in two consecutives interviews refer to one and the same job change. The date of the job change and the interview month are used to correct double entries.
- If the respondent indicates a job change with a date before the previous interview but did not state a job change in the previous interview, this is coded as a job change in the current interview.
- If a respondent indicates no job change and was not employed at the time of the previous interview, this is coded as “no job change” despite the seeming implausibility, since there are possible explanations how this information could be plausible, e.g. if there were short-term employment spells between two interview dates.
- Respondents can be “first-time employed” only once. If a respondent states being “first-time employed” for a second time, this is coded as “employed, with change”.
In 2013 the respondents of the newly introduced migration sample (M1) were not asked whether they have changed jobs since the beginning of the previous year, therefore the generation of PGJOBCH for the migration sample was modified in 2013:
- Respondents who are not employed were coded (1).
- Respondents who are still in the same occupation and position and are working for the same employer as they had worked in their first job in Germany were coded (2).
- Respondents who have entered the firm they are currently working after the 31th of December 2011 were coded (4).
- If a respondent is in her first vocational training this was coded as (5).
- Respondents who are employed but for whom no further information could be used were coded (3).
In 2014 there was again a uniform questionnaire for all respondents.
In 2015 the respondents of the newly introduced migration sample (M2) were not asked whether they have changed jobs since the beginning of the previous year. Furthermore, respondent within migration sample M1 are decomposed in first-time respondents with and follow-up respondents without question about job change in the previous year embodied by the questionnaire. Such that generation of PGJOBCH for the migration sample in 2015 was as following:
- For follow-up respondents generation as in the case of a uniform questionnaire for all respondents was pursued.
- In the case of first-time respondents in M1 sample and for all respondents from M2 sample the rule of thumb is as in 2013 applied.
In 2016 the respondents of the newly introduced refugee samples (M3 and M4, psample==17) were not asked whether they have changed jobs since the beginning of the previous year. The generation of PGJOBCH for these samples corresponds to the rule of thumb is as for the first-time respondents in the M1 sample with one modification. In step 4, the code (5) was assigned to respondents who are currently in a vocational training, were not occupied prior to their arrival in Germany, had neither a vocational training, nor a university degree and are in their first occupational relationship in Germany.
2017 generation of PGJOBCH for the newly added immigration sample [psample = 19] is analogous to that of 2016. As of refugee teenagers, those attending school or who are currently in vocational preparation year (Berufsvorbereitungsjahr), in vocational training, in a vocational integration course (ber. Eingliederungsjahrgang), or in vocational school (berufsbildende Schule) were assigned value (1). Those working were assigned jobch value (3).
This variable indicates a change of job since the previous interview for respondents with a follow-up interview, whereas for first-time respondents, the information refers to a change of job since the beginning of the previous year.
PGJOBCH is generated based on the central filter variable, which indicates whether a respondent has changed jobs since the beginning of the previous year. A job change can be within one firm as well as a change to another firm. Information on the date of job change is then combined with interview month of the previous year's interview to identify whether a new job change has taken place since the previous interview. The main input variables are therefore: plb0031_v1 (No change of professional situation [1985-1993]), plb0031_v2 (Job change in the previous year [1994 - …]), and plb0022_v# (employment status) from the pl dataset.
Hence, PGJOBCH indicates whether a respondent has changed jobs since the beginning of the previous year. The variable is calculated for all waves, and the codes are assigned independently of the respondent being a first-time or follow-up respondent.
The variable is also designed to identify respondents who have entered employment for the first time. Up to 1993, first-time respondents did not answer the question about job change. Therefore, for first-time respondents up to 1993, the variable was generated by using the information on the start date with the current employer and the respondent's age at entrance into their first job.
The variable is also designed to provide consistent longitudinal information on job changes. The PGJOBCH variable is generated by correcting the original job change information in various ways:
- We check whether the job changes stated by a respondent in two consecutives interviews refer to one and the same job change. The date of the job change and the interview month are used to correct double entries.
- If the respondent indicates a job change with a date before the previous interview but did not state a job change in the previous interview, this is coded as a job change in the current interview.
- If a respondent indicates no job change and was not employed at the time of the previous interview, this is coded as “no job change” despite the seeming implausibility, since there are possible explanations how this information could be plausible, e.g. if there were short-term employment spells between two interview dates.
- Respondents can be “first-time employed” only once. If a respondent states being “first-time employed” for a second time, this is coded as “employed, with change”.
In 2013 the respondents of the newly introduced migration sample (M1) were not asked whether they have changed jobs since the beginning of the previous year, therefore the generation of PGJOBCH for the migration sample was modified in 2013:
- Respondents who are not employed were coded (1).
- Respondents who are still in the same occupation and position and are working for the same employer as they had worked in their first job in Germany were coded (2).
- Respondents who have entered the firm they are currently working after the 31th of December 2011 were coded (4).
- If a respondent is in her first vocational training this was coded as (5).
- Respondents who are employed but for whom no further information could be used were coded (3).
In 2014 there was again a uniform questionnaire for all respondents.
In 2015 the respondents of the newly introduced migration sample (M2) were not asked whether they have changed jobs since the beginning of the previous year. Furthermore, respondent within migration sample M1 are decomposed in first-time respondents with and follow-up respondents without question about job change in the previous year embodied by the questionnaire. Such that generation of PGJOBCH for the migration sample in 2015 was as following:
- For follow-up respondents generation as in the case of a uniform questionnaire for all respondents was pursued.
- In the case of first-time respondents in M1 sample and for all respondents from M2 sample the rule of thumb is as in 2013 applied.
In 2016 the respondents of the newly introduced refugee samples (M3 and M4, psample==17) were not asked whether they have changed jobs since the beginning of the previous year. The generation of PGJOBCH for these samples corresponds to the rule of thumb is as for the first-time respondents in the M1 sample with one modification. In step 4, the code (5) was assigned to respondents who are currently in a vocational training, were not occupied prior to their arrival in Germany, had neither a vocational training, nor a university degree and are in their first occupational relationship in Germany.
2017 generation of PGJOBCH for the newly added immigration sample [psample = 19] is analogous to that of 2016. As of refugee teenagers, those attending school or who are currently in vocational preparation year (Berufsvorbereitungsjahr), in vocational training, in a vocational integration course (ber. Eingliederungsjahrgang), or in vocational school (berufsbildende Schule) were assigned value (1). Those working were assigned jobch value (3).