Changes in the Dataset

 COGDJ
In the file COGDJ, the 2010 data had not yet been updated in the released version. For a bugfix for download please contact soepmail@diw.de.

 English labels
In the data sets ZHBRUTTO and BAHBRUTTO, some of the English labels shifted position and had to be redefined. This applies to the following variables:

Also, in the $PGEN data sets, no English value labels were generated for the new variables on educational degrees and training qualifications prior to joining the panel. This applies to the English labels for the following variables:
FIELD$$, DEGREE$$, and TRAINA$$–TRAIND$$.

If you use one of those variables, please contact soepmail@diw.de to obtain a download link for the bugfixes.

PPFADL in SOEPlong
In the SOEPlong data version distributed earlier this year, the following two variables in the file PPFADL had missing values in 2010:

HID — key indicator for households and
NETT1 — the short version of the tracking variable NETTO.

An update for PPFADL can be downloaded, but only by means of a personalized link. Please contact soepmail@diw.de to obtain such a link. 

Please note: If you use one of the provided bugfixes in your analyses we recommend citing it as follows:
English:
Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP), data for years 1984-2010, version 27.1, SOEP, 2012.
German:
Sozio-oekonomisches Panel (SOEP), Daten für die Jahre 1984-2010, Version 27.1, SOEP, 2012.
Short Version:
SOEP v27.1.

 There was a problem in the assignment of the correct current household number in 3% of the children in the generated longitudinal dataset KIDLONG. The variable HHNRAKT has been corrected accordingly.
In addition, the data in the variable K_NRKID for survey year 1987 have changed for child 397403.
Here, the "number of children in the HH below the age of 16" went from 1 to 2.

Please contact soepmail@diw.de if you use the KIDLONG dataset. We will provide an individualized method of downloading the corrected version for both the 100% dataset for the EEA countries and the 95% version available for use worldwide.

Please note: If you use the corrected dataset KIDLONG we recommend citing it as follows:
English:
Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP), data for years 1984-2009, version 26.1, SOEP, 2011.
German:
Sozio-oekonomisches Panel (SOEP), Daten für die Jahre 1984-2009, Version 26.1, SOEP, 2011.
Short Version:
SOEP v26.1.

Individuals born in 2002 (thus being 6 years of age in wave Y, 2008) whose parents completed the newly introduced child questionnaire for this particular cohort did not receive a valid score on the wave-specific cross-sectional weighting variable (this population can be identified by YNETTO=23). This affects the variable YPHRF in the file PPHRF and the variable W1110108 in the file YPEQUIV. This inaccuracy applies only to these 237 children aged 6 in this particular wave and affects only the individual, but not the household weights. Moreover, any weighted analysis based only on adult respondents using, for instance, the YP and YPGEN files is virtually unaffected by this error. Users who wish to include the six-year-olds in a weighted analysis are asked to download updated versions of the datasets YPHRF and YPEQUIV.

Please send an email to soepmail@diw.de to request a personalized URL and further details.

Dec. 5, 2009

In the dataset BIOIMMIG an incorrect assignment to the variable BIGOBACK (the variable on the probability to return home) was made for the categories -2 (“does not apply”) and 2 (“Yes, probably”) in some cases since 2001.

To correct this error, please download the appropriate script for your statistical program (SAS, SPSS or Stata) and run it after adjusting the script to the path of your local settings.

Script for Stata | TXT, 320.45 KB

Script for SPSS | TXT, 289.2 KB

Script for SAS | TXT, 309.72 KB

Nov. 9, 2009

Shortly after completing the DVD, an error in data generation was identified in the file BIOPAREN.
The error is in the categories of parental religious affiliation (MRELI, VRELI). The codes for the categories "other Christian affiliation", "Islamic affiliation" as well as "other religious affiliation" require correction. The other categories of the variable are not affected.

To correct this error, please download the appropriate script for your statistical program (SAS, SPSS or Stata) and run it after adjusting the script to the path of your local settings.

Script for Stata | TXT, 75.48 KB

Script for SPSS | TXT, 64.96 KB

Script for SAS | TXT, 75.55 KB

If you need an update for another statistical programm, please contact our hotline at soepmail@diw.de.

The corrected datasets are now available to be downloaded as a password-protected ZIP file from our homepage. To obtain download access to the corrected datasets, please send an e-mail to soepmail@diw.de or call the SOEPhotline at +49 30 89789 292.

To unzip the files, you will need the password for the current 1984-2007 data distribution, or the password used to access the expanded regional data in the GGKBOU dataset. If you do not have the current data distribution, please contact our hotline (soepmail@diw.de).

The fixed files are:

• HHRF (weighting factors for households): in preparing the weighting factors for households, an older version was mistakenly distributed for the variables WHHRFALL and XHHRFALL. These have now been replaced with the revised version.
• PBIOSPE: Due to a problem in data storage, some of the earnings biographies surveyed since wave U for the first time or subsequently were not recorded correctly. PBIOSPE was therefore revised retroactively from wave U on.
• XHBRUTTO: Here, an erroneous code for the East German federal states was corrected in the variable XBULA.
• WP: WKLAS, WIS88, WIS88N and WKLASN were updated. This was necessary since some data had been overwritten with missings.
• WPGEN/XPGEN: Because of the corrections to WKLAS and WIS88 in WP, it was necessary to update some generated variables which are derived from $KLAS and $IS88: This includes the variables IS8806, ISEI06, MPS06, SIOPS06, EGP06 and KLAS06. Furthermore, due to the revision of PBIOSPE (see above) EXPFT$$, EXPPT$$ and EXPUE$$ were also updated.
• HBRUTT00: Because of a conflict in household IDs for the expanded original gross sample F, the household IDs had to be changed in some cases. This only applies to households that did not provide valid SOEP interviews.
• GGKBOU: As a result of the change in HBRUTT00, the identifier HHNR was adapted in some cases in this dataset as well.

This will be fixed with the next data release.

Variable Label: Owner Of The Dwelling

• VAORTAKT : 'Current residence of Father'
• MAORTAKT : 'Current residence of Mother'
• VAORTUP : 'Year of Update of VAORTAKT'
• MAORTUP 'Year of Update of MAORTAKT'

In BIOAGE01 the labels for the variable BCKSTOER are missing.

value labels
(-1)'N.A.'
(0)'None of These Disorders '
(1)'Sensory'
(2)'Motor Functions'
(3)'Neurological'
(4)'Speech'
(5)'Regulatory'
(6)'Chronic Illness'
(7)'Physical Disability'
(8)'Mental Disability'
(11)'Motor Functions + Regulatory'
(12)'Sensory + Motor Functions + Speech'
(13)'Sensory + Motor Functions + Chronic Illness'
(14)'Sensory + Motor Functions'
(15)'Sensory + Motor Functions + Chronic Illness + Neurological + Speech + Physical Disability'  

The checks mentioned above have been finialized after the data production of our most recent CD-Rom (up to wave U, 2004). If you are interested in using the corrected information you may apply the following statements | TXT, 9.92 KB .

Provisional values for the generated variables for population membership (SPOP and SHPOP) have inadvertently been distributed. We will provide an update at the beginning of next year. The POP variables which rely on extrapolation factors have been calculated using the correct data and are therefore not affected.

Due to an error in the setup program for the 1984-2002 data distribution for Stata and SPSS, the file "BIOJOB" is not automatically installed. SAS users are not affected.In order to gain access to the "BIOJOB" file through Stata or SPSS, it has to be installed manually using a program-specific command.

• These following steps are required: Open the 'Work' directory for the SOEP-data.
• Insert the SOEP19 CD#1 (in this example in drive D:. Please change this if your drive has a different letter).
• Use the command

d:\data\gsoep\sta_100.exe -pass=******** biojob.* (Stata-Files),
d:\data\gsoep\por_100.exe -pass=******** biojob.* (SPSS-Portable-Files) or
d:\data\gsoep\sps_100.exe -pass=******** biojob.* (SPSS-SAV-Files)

in order to install the respective statistical package.
(******* ist the password)

If you have any further problems or questions please ask Rainer Pischner.

A LABEL bug in the file BIOPAREN on the German CD 1984-2002.In the file BIOPAREN we discovered a small value label bug. It emerged in the variables VNAT und MNAT.

The label for value 2 has to be "andere Staatsangehörigkeit als deutsch" and not "türkisch".

Unfortunately we have found a few more LABEL bugs in the English distribution the Person Files. The data is ok but incorrectly labeled.

You can download code in STATA, SPSS and SAS which can be copied and run. Simply edit the pathname of where you installed the data, at the top of the code chunk.

That will patch things up quickly. Sorry for any hassles caused.

John Haisken-DeNew

Unfortunately we have found a few more VAR LABEL bugs in the english distribution of QP (Person File 2000). The data is ok but incorrectly labeled (var labels).

Attached is code in STATA, SPSS and SAS which can be copied and run. Simply edit the pathname of where you installed the data, at the top of the code chunk (AND at the bottom for SPSS only).

That will patch things up quickly. Sorry for any hassles caused.

===================== STATA ====================

use c:\gsoep17\qp
label variable qp03 "Maternity, Paternity Leave"
label variable qp04 "Registered As Unemployed"
label variable qp6301 "Second Job, Earnings"
label variable qp6302 "Gross Amt Second Job Monthly Income"
label variable qp6303 "Old-Age,Invalid Pension"
label variable qp6304 "Gross Amt. Of Old-Age,Invalid Pension,Mo"
label variable qp6305 "Widow-Er,Orphan Benefit"
label variable qp6306 "Gross Amt Of Widow-Er,Orphan Benefit,Mo"
label variable qp6307 "Unemployment Benefit"
label variable qp6308 "Gross Amt.Of Unemployment Benefit,Mo"
label variable qp6309 "Unemployment Relief"
label variable qp6310 "Gross Amt.Of Unemployment Relief, Mo"
label variable qp6311 "Subsistence Allowance"
label variable qp6312 "Gross Amt. Of Subsistence Allowance,Mo"
label variable qp6313 "Transition Money, etc."
label variable qp6314 "Gross Amt. Of Transition Money, etc."
label variable qp6315 "Early Retirement Benefits"
label variable qp6316 "Gross Amt. Of Early Rtiremnt Benefits,Mo"
label variable qp6317 "Maternity Benefit"
label variable qp6318 "Gross Amount Of Maternity Benefit"
label variable qp6319 "Student Grant"
label variable qp6320 "Gross Amount Of Student Grant,Mo"
label variable qp6321 "Military,Civilian Payments"
label variable qp6322 "Gross Amt. Military,Civilian Pay,Mo"
label variable qp6323 "Income From Persons Not In Household"
label variable qp6324 "Gross Amt. Income-Persons Not In HH,Mo"
label variable qp6325 "No Other Income Besides Earned Income"
save, replace

===================== SPSS =====================

get file='c:\gsoep17\qp.sav'.
var label qp03 "Maternity, Paternity Leave".
var label qp04 "Registered As Unemployed".
var label qp6301 "Second Job, Earnings".
var label qp6302 "Gross Amt Second Job Monthly Income".
var label qp6303 "Old-Age,Invalid Pension".
var label qp6304 "Gross Amt. Of Old-Age,Invalid Pension,Mo".
var label qp6305 "Widow-Er,Orphan Benefit".
var label qp6306 "Gross Amt Of Widow-Er,Orphan Benefit,Mo".
var label qp6307 "Unemployment Benefit".
var label qp6308 "Gross Amt.Of Unemployment Benefit,Mo".
var label qp6309 "Unemployment Relief".
var label qp6310 "Gross Amt.Of Unemployment Relief, Mo".
var label qp6311 "Subsistence Allowance".
var label qp6312 "Gross Amt. Of Subsistence Allowance,Mo".
var label qp6313 "Transition Money, etc.".
var label qp6314 "Gross Amt. Of Transition Money, etc.".
var label qp6315 "Early Retirement Benefits".
var label qp6316 "Gross Amt. Of Early Rtiremnt Benefits,Mo".
var label qp6317 "Maternity Benefit".
var label qp6318 "Gross Amount Of Maternity Benefit".
var label qp6319 "Student Grant".
var label qp6320 "Gross Amount Of Student Grant,Mo".
var label qp6321 "Military,Civilian Payments".
var label qp6322 "Gross Amt. Military,Civilian Pay,Mo".
var label qp6323 "Income From Persons Not In Household".
var label qp6324 "Gross Amt. Income-Persons Not In HH,Mo".
var label qp6325 "No Other Income Besides Earned Income".
save outfile='c:\gsoep17\qp.sav'.

===================== SAS ======================

libname soep 'c:\gsoep17';
libname library 'c:\gsoep17';
options compress=no ls=80 errors=1 nofmterr nodate nocenter;
data soep.qp;
set soep.qp;
label
QP03 = "Maternity, Paternity Leave"
QP04 = "Registered As Unemployed"
QP6301 = "Second Job, Earnings"
QP6302 = "Gross Amt Second Job Monthly Income"
QP6303 = "Old-Age,Invalid Pension"
QP6304 = "Gross Amt. Of Old-Age,Invalid Pension,Mo"
QP6305 = "Widow-Er,Orphan Benefit"
QP6306 = "Gross Amt Of Widow-Er,Orphan Benefit,Mo"
QP6307 = "Unemployment Benefit"
QP6308 = "Gross Amt.Of Unemployment Benefit,Mo"
QP6309 = "Unemployment Relief"
QP6310 = "Gross Amt.Of Unemployment Relief, Mo"
QP6311 = "Subsistence Allowance"
QP6312 = "Gross Amt. Of Subsistence Allowance,Mo"
QP6313 = "Transition Money, etc."
QP6314 = "Gross Amt. Of Transition Money, etc."
QP6315 = "Early Retirement Benefits"
QP6316 = "Gross Amt. Of Early Rtiremnt Benefits,Mo"
QP6317 = "Maternity Benefit"
QP6318 = "Gross Amount Of Maternity Benefit"
QP6319 = "Student Grant"
QP6320 = "Gross Amount Of Student Grant,Mo"
QP6321 = "Military,Civilian Payments"
QP6322 = "Gross Amt. Military,Civilian Pay,Mo"
QP6323 = "Income From Persons Not In Household"
QP6324 = "Gross Amt. Income-Persons Not In HH,Mo"
QP6325 = "No Other Income Besides Earned Income";
run;
=============================================
John Haisken-DeNew