The company survey of the Socio-economical panel (SOEP) – first conducted in 2012 – (read more here) goes into the second round. It focuses on the long-term changes in working relations in the context of ongoing digitization. In this regard, the effects of the experiences during the COVID-19 crisis for personnel management will also be investigated.

A special feature of this study is the linking of individual and organization data. This data structure enables, for example, analyzing the employment histories and social structure, the educational behavior and the use of human capital, the realization opportunities and the work-life satisfaction. The connection of individual, household and company data in the Linked-Employer-Employee datasets not only enriches the SOEP with additional variables, but also with a new data source. In addition, the project aims to contribute to the survey methodological research, for example by combining surveys and internet research on proof of reliability.

In the first half of 2025, an additional study focusing on the resilience of companies is conducted in cooperation with uzbonn. The aim of this study is to find out how companies in Germany are currently prepared for potential security crises and natural disasters and what measures they have already taken or are planning to take to safeguard their operations and workforce.