8.3 Detailed tables of the data used in the cross-national comparisons of results
This section contains detailed tables comparing rates of intergenerational mobility in New Zealand to rates in similar overseas studies. These tables are more detailed versions of Table 7 (intergenerational income mobility) and Table 8 (intergenerational occupational mobility) than appeared in Section 6 of this working paper. Additional details are included on the ages of children and their parents, groups (such as beneficiaries) who were excluded from analysis in some countries, and the time-periods covered.
| Country | Source | Sample and size (where available) | Age(s) and years in which income or earnings was measured | Income or earnings measure and age range (where available) for fathers or parents | β and 95% confidence intervals for men | β and 95% confidence intervals for women |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | (Leigh, 2007, pp. 7, 14-15) Table 4, panel B | Survey data from 1965, 1973, 1987 and 2001-04 | Employed men 25-54 with non-missing earnings | Fathers' earnings were predicted on the basis of detailed occupational data | .22 (.13, .31) - not scaled to match US results | Not available |
| Britain | (Blanden, 2008, p. 106) | Survey data from British Cohort Study of all children born during a week in 1970 | 34 when income measured in 2004 | Parental income data from 1986 when participants were 16 | .33 (.27 to .39) | .43 (.33 to .53) |
| Canada - men. | (Corak and Heisz, 1999, pp. 509, 512) | Statistics Canada administrative data. Samples of 397,000 to 404,000 men born 1963-66, who filed a tax return between 1982 and 1986 when they were 16-19, still at home, and living with their father | 29-32, when income measured in 1995 | Fathers' total market income averaged over two consecutive years between 1978 and 1982. Fathers were aged between 43 and 87 | .155 (.149 to .161) to .172 (.166 to .178) depending on which two years were averaged | Not available |
| Alternative Canada results | (Corak, 2001, p. 17) | Statistics Canada administrative data. Samples of 230,000 to 400,000 children born 63-1966 | 32-35, when income measured 1998 | Fathers' earnings averaged over five years between 1978 and 1982 | .262 (.254 to .270) | .227 (.219 to .235) |
| Denmark | (Jäntti, et al., 2006, pp. 7, 13, 28) Table 2 | Tax data. All people resident in Denmark who were born between 1958 and 1960. Samples of 78,131 (men) and 73,803 (women) | 38 to 40 when income measured in 1998 and 40 to 42 when measured again in 2000 | Wages, salaries and self-employment income in 1980 for fathers aged 35-64 | .071 (.064 to .079) | .034 (.027 to .041) |
| Finland | (Jäntti, et al., 2006, pp. 13, 21) Table 5 | Census data and tax records. Children were born between 1958 and 1960. Samples of 5,797 (men) and 5,450 (women) | 33 to 35 when income measured in 1993 and 40-42 when income was measured again in 2000 | Fathers' earnings were measured in 1970 and 1975, when their children were respectively aged 10-12 and 15-17. Fathers were aged 36 to 64 with a mean age of 47 in 1975 | .213 (.172 to .253) | .099 (.061 to .137) |
| Germany | (Ermisch, et al., 2006, pp. 666-668, 673) | Survey data from German Socio-Economic Panel. Children were born between 1962 and 1977. Samples of 537 (men) and 242 (women) | Income used last time surveyed when over 25. Average age of 32.8 for sons and 29.5 for daughters | Ten-year averages over the 1984-93 period. Average age of 49.7 for fathers of sons and 48 for fathers of daughters | .396 (.24 to .552) | .152 (.044 to .26) |
| New Zealand | This study | Survey data from the Dunedin Multidisciplinary Health and Development Study. Children were born between April 1972 and March 1973. 393 (men) and 372 (women) in regressions | Incomes measured between November 2003 and mid-2005. Participants had to be at least 31 and were usually 32 | Incomes of mothers and fathers were collected when participants were 13 (1985-86) and 15 (1987-88). On average fathers were aged 42 and mothers were aged 40 | .290 (.127 to .454) | .215 (.027 to .403) |
| Norway | (Jäntti, et al., 2006, pp. 4, 13, 20-21) Table 5 | Tax returns that exclude transfers. All children born in Norway in 1958. Samples of 27, 254 (men) and 25,574 (women) | Incomes measured in 1992 and 1999, when children were respectively 34 and 41 | Fathers' earnings were measured in 1974, when the children were 16, although adding additional years had little effect on the results | .150 (.132 to .168) | .121 (.099 to .143) |
| Sweden | (Jäntti, et al., 2006, pp. 7, 20-21) Table 5 | Statistics data from tax returns. 20% of children born in Sweden in 1962 and of children who migrated to Sweden before they were 17. Samples of 32,564 (men) and 30,901 (women) | Earnings were measured in 1996 and 1999, when children were 34 and 37 respectively | Fathers' incomes in 1970 and in 1975, when their children were 8 and 13 respectively | .267 (.241 to .293) | .204 (.179 to .229) |
| United States men | (Solon, 1992, p. 401) | Survey data from nationwide Panel Study of Income Dynamics. Children born between 1951 and 1959. 303 to 313 cases | 25-33, average 29.6, when earnings measured 1984 | Fathers' earnings 1967-1971, with income measures from two consecutive years used. The average age of fathers was 42 in 1967 | .290 (.126 to .454) to .425 (.245 to .605) depending on which two years were averaged | Not available |
| Alternative United States results. | (Jäntti, et al., 2006, pp. 4, 7, 21, 30) Table 5 | Survey data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth. Children born 1957-64. Samples of 1,805 (men) and 1,614 (women) | Earnings were measured in 1995 and 2001, when children were 31-38 and 37-44 respectively | Family earnings in 1978 and in 1979. Fathers had an average age of 46 in 1978 | .531 (.456, .606) | .307 (.200, .415) |
All results in this table were generated using Ordinary Least Squares regression. This table excludes studies using two-stage least squares methods for parents because this method tends to yield different results from using only one or two measurements of actual income. There are therefore no estimates included for France, Italy, Japan, Spain and Switzerland. The results for Australia should be treated with caution because incomes for fathers were predicted on the basis of finely grained occupational data. The 95% confidence intervals for Australia, Britain, the United States, Canada and Germany were calculated by multiplying the standard error by two. These confidence intervals are therefore less precise than those for the Nordic countries, where the authors published the confidence intervals. Markus Jantti provided valuable help in identifying the most comparable results and for clarifying what his Table 5 showed.Similarly, Andrew Leigh advised on the most appropriate result for Australia.
| Country | Source | Sample and size (where available) | Age(s) and years in which occupation of children was measured | Occupation measure and age range (where available) for fathers or parents | β and 95% confidence intervals for men 25 or over | β and 95% confidence intervals for women 25 or over |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Britain | (Ermisch, et al., 2006, pp. 663-665) | Survey data from the British Household Panel Survey. Samples of 2,151 men and 2,046 women | Data was collected between 1991 and 1999 when men were on average 40.3 (standard deviation 9.6) and women were on average 38.9 (standard deviation 9.7). Those under 25 were excluded | Occupational status score coded according to recollection of father's occupation when respondent was 14. Age data is not available | .306 (.268, .344) | .259 (.217, .301) |
| Germany | (Ermisch, et al., 2006, pp. 663-665, 668, 673) | Survey data from German Socio-Economic Panel. Samples of 2,670 men and 2,213 women | Data was collected between 1984 and 2002 when men were on average 39.8 (standard deviation 10.7) and women were on average 37.9 (standard deviation 10.7). Those under 25 were excluded | Socio-economic status score coded according to recollection of father's occupation when respondent was 15. Average age of 49.7 for fathers of sons and 48 for fathers of daughter | .333 (.289, .377) | .251 (.203, .299) |
| New Zealand | This study | Survey data from the New Zealand Election Study. 1,500 men and 1,596 women 25 years or older | Data was collected in late 1996. Men were on average 47.6 (standard deviation 15.0) and women were on average 46.7 (standard deviation 14.5). Respondents were born between 1903 and 1971 - those under 25 were excluded from this section | Socio-economic status score coded according to recollection of father's occupation when respondent was 14. Age data is not available | .229 (.175, .282) | .177 (.127, .227) |
All results in this table were generated using Ordinary Least Squares regression. The 95% confidence intervals for Britain and Germany were calculated by multiplying the standard error by two. These confidence intervals are therefore less precise than those for New Zealand. Whereas this table lists 95% confidence intervals, Figure 3 showed 90% confidence intervals.
