At age 14, study members were asked what type of job they thought they would be doing when they left school and what job they would do if they had absolute freedom. In 1961 at age 15 years, both study members and their mothers ranked the most important aspects of a job; study members who were working repeated this the following year: study members who remained in education were asked different questions.

For those who left school at 16 years, interviews were conducted with (and via) their youth employment officers. These questions focused on how they had chosen their first job and the help they had received, unemployment and in-job training.  Those who left school later were asked a different set of questions, including scales on ‘job picture’ and ‘career choices’ (in 1966).

In 1971, questions began to focus on unemployment as well as employment. In 1972 (aged 26 years), very detailed questions on employment were asked. Additional questions on the study member’s reasons for leaving their job were asked in 1982 and 1989. Study members were asked also about nervous strain at work (1972, 1977) and stress at work (1989, 1999).

Full employment histories were collected until age 36 years; details of current and longest job, and total time spent out of work were collected at 43 and 53 years.

Various measures of employment history have been derived over the years. A detailed set of variables was produced for the GENET project  that includes updating all occupations to the SOC90 codes.

Parents

The employment history of the study member’s mother was recorded through the interviews with the mother in 1948, 1950, 1952, 1954, 1955, 1957 and 1961.
Information about the father’s occupation was recorded in 1948, 1950, 1952, 1954, 1957, 1961 and 1972.
The occupation of the mother’s father and father-in-law (grandfather) were recorded in 1954 and the occupation of the study member’s father-in-law was recorded in 1972 and 1982.

Siblings

The current occupation of siblings was also recorded although this information has not been coded into a data set and resides on the microfiche records. Sibling employment was also recorded in 1961 (Mother’s interview).

Spouse

The current occupation of the study member's spouse was recorded in 1972, 1982, 1989 and 1999.