He's a Chip Off the Old Block - The Persistence of Occupational Choices Across Generations

27 Pages Posted: 25 Oct 2013

See all articles by Bodo Knoll

Bodo Knoll

University of Hohenheim

Nadine Riedel

Oxford University CBT; University of Hohenheim

Eva Schlenker

University of Hohenheim

Date Written: October 24, 2013

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to assess intergenerational occupational mobility in Germany. Using data from the Socioeconomic Panel (SOEP), we find a high persistence of occupational choices across fathers and children. To separate effects related to parental advice and influence (nurture) from genetic factors (nature), we determine the persistence separately for children who grew up with their biological fathers and those who did not. The results suggest that nurture-related effects explain a significant fraction of the observed correlation of fathers’ and children’s occupational choices. We discuss policy implications that follow from the analysis.

Keywords: occupational choice, German SOEP, parental educational investment

JEL Classification: J240, J620

Suggested Citation

Knoll, Bodo and Riedel, Nadine and Schlenker, Eva, He's a Chip Off the Old Block - The Persistence of Occupational Choices Across Generations (October 24, 2013). CESifo Working Paper Series No. 4428, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2344703 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2344703

Bodo Knoll (Contact Author)

University of Hohenheim ( email )

Stuttgart
Germany

Nadine Riedel

Oxford University CBT ( email )

Park End Street
Oxford, Oxfordshire OX1 1HP
United Kingdom

University of Hohenheim ( email )

Stuttgart
Germany

Eva Schlenker

University of Hohenheim ( email )

Stuttgart
Germany

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