Der einfluss der bildungsherkunft auf den berufseinstieg und die ersten erwerbsjahre von universitätsabsolventen

This paper analyses the influence of social origin on graduates’ labour market outcomes one and five years after graduation. It can be expected that graduates from ‘soft’ fields such as the humanities may benefit from a privileged social background. In ‘hard’ fields, like engineering and life sciences, less strong effects of social origin can be expected. For the empirical analyses the authors use data from the HIS-graduate panel 1997 and 2001. The differences found between graduates from different social origin in relation to earnings and the achievement of a leading position can be completely explained by previous educational choices and experiences, in particular by field of study, grades and process of studying. Direct social origin effects can be discovered for the traditional professions only.