Educational and Occupational Trajectories in Switzerland. Empirical Results Based on Different Panel Studies such as DAB, TREE, and SHP

For the description of educational and occupational trajectories, there is a need of longitudinal data including individual information on their characteristics, social contexts and other sociological relevant circumstances. In particular, panel data provide information on time-dependent events and time-continuous states in their life course useful for explaining the social structure of their trajectories and the social mechanisms behind the events occurring across their life course. Using data of different panel data studies in Switzerland it is shown that it is possible to reveal social mechanisms contributing to social inequalities in the educational system and in the labour market on the one hand. On the other hand, it is demonstrated that the significant allowance of macro changes in the empirical analysis contributes to the understanding of changing outcomes in the educational and occupational trajectories.