Military Service During Wartime Effects on Men's Occupational Trajectories and Later Economic Well-Being

Abstract

German men now over the age of 70 began their occupational careers during unfavourable historical circumstances. World War II forced many men out of the labour market, and, after spending time as soldiers or prisoners, these men faced the task of rebuilding their work lives. How did military service affect the occupational careers of these men? How permanent were those effects? Were certain cohorts affected more than others? And how did it affect their economic well-being in later life? To answer these questions, we use extensive life-history data on 244 men from the Berlin Aging Study. These men, between the ages of 70 and 103, are split into three birth cohorts (1887–1900; 1901–1910; 1911–1922). Several findings support the hypothesis that military service negatively affected men's occupational careers, even after controlling for pre-war educational and occupational attainment. These effects, however, diminish rapidly over time, as the German economy began to recover. While military service was most prevalent and longest in the youngest cohort, the short-term negative effects of military service were larger for the two older cohorts, lending some support to the hypothesis that the call to service represented a more serious disruption in the lives of older men who were already firmly grounded in work and family roles.

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