published in: Applied Economics Quarterly, 2003, 49 (4), 299-317
There are few studies on occupational choices in Germany, and the second generation
occupational choice and mobility is even less investigated. Such research is important
because occupations determine success in the labor market. In a country like Germany
occupations also reflect a general socio-economic standing. This paper looks at the patterns
of employment in Germany, analyzes how individual men and women access jobs given their
family background, and investigates why men and women have different occupational
distributions. Based on the German Socio-Economic Panel we estimate multinomial logit
models of occupational choice for the children of immigrants as well as for the natives. Our
findings are surprisingly similar for both natives and immigrants. For both Germans and
immigrants, we find that gender significantly and differentially affects occupational choice,
and that individuals with more education choose higher ranking jobs. The role of experience
is important for natives and qualified individuals only. Germans are more likely to choose
occupations similar to their fathers’ occupation when their father is in the white collar or
professional category. In stark contrast, the immigrants’ occupational choice is more
influenced by their mother’s education and not by their fathers’ occupation.
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