The new junior research group "Occupations and Employment Trajectories" (BEV) expands existing occupational research at the IAB. The group orients itself by international research; it conducts empirical research and primarily uses the various administrative data records available at the IAB for this purpose. Based on its research findings, the junior research group also contributes to the IAB's policy advice.

The work of the junior research group focuses on different questions regarding individual employment biographies, which often involves occupational aspects. Currently, the emphasis is on the following topics:

• Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic
  The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic is evaluated based on a group of people who became unemployed shortly before the start of the pandemic. For these individuals, the pandemic represents an exogenous shock that is likely to have negatively affected their labour market prospects compared to a similar control group from the pre-pandemic period. Using a difference-in-differences approach, the impact on subsequent employment biographies, in particular on labour market outcomes such as income, employment and wages, as well as the underlying mechanisms will be investigated. In addition, it will be examined whether the pandemic has increased the risk of becoming long-term unemployed. The pandemic has (temporarily) affected employment prospects in certain occupations more than in others. Against this background, the question arises whether there are marked differences in the effects depending on the source occupation (for example, because taking up a new job involves a change of occupation).
• Matching of companies and employees
  Both companies and employees differ in terms of observable and unobservable characteristics, which, in turn, influence labour market outcomes such as wages. It is known that individuals who earn higher wages due to such characteristics are also more likely to work for companies that pay higher wages. What is not known, however, is how the matching between companies and employees develops over the employment biography. This study aims to provide insights into the role that matching plays in the mobility of employees between establishments and the associated development of wages. In this context, it will also be examined to what extent a possible improvement in matching is a phenomenon that takes place in all or only some occupations.
• Occupational mobility
  In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, incentives to leave certain occupations may have emerged or been intensified. At the same time, the increased demand for certain goods and services may have made employment in another occupation more attractive. The aim of the study is to compare occupational mobility during the pandemic with previous years. The focus is on two questions. Firstly, are there changes in mobility, and has there been a greater degree of occupational reallocation of employees? Secondly, do occupational changes during the pandemic have persistently less favourable effects on the employment histories of the persons who changed their occupation?
• Employment histories after training
  In the context of this question, it is to be examined how the employment biographies of individuals who completed apprenticeship training develop. Among other things, the focus will be on whether and for how long former trainees remain in their training establishment and occupation.