The FDZ of the German Federal Employment Agency (BA) at the Institute for Employment Research (IAB) is a service institution intended to facilitate access to microdata of the BA and the IAB for the purposes of noncommercial empirical research in accordance with transparent and standardized rules of data access. The FDZ mediates between the BA and IAB as data producers and external users—both within Germany and internationally.
Upon clarification of the relevant data protection questions, the FDZ–IAB makes a range of datasets available for users. In addition to providing documention of data (FDZ Datenreport) and methodological issues (FDZ Methodenreport), the FDZ–IAB offers consultation on data selection, data access, data handling, and the analytical potential, scope, and validity of data. The FDZ–IAB also organizes workshops, international conferences, and regular meetings of data users.
The data offer includes:
More detailed information on FDZ–IAB data files can be found in both German and English on the FDZ website at http://fdz.iab.de/en.aspx. To be informed of the latest data and developments, subscribe to the FDZ Newsletter.
The FDZ–IAB offers three ways of gaining access to data. Factually anonymous datasets are made available to research institutions as Scientific Use Files. More sensitive data can be accessed using either remote data processing or analyzed onsite in the context of a research visit to the FDZ. In either case, however, a request form for data access must be filed in advance. For more information about modes of access, application procedures, and guidelines, visit the FDZ-IAB website at http://fdz.iab.de/en/FDZ_Data_Access.aspx.
The FDZ conducts empirical research on both general research questions and questions of data quality and anonymization. The research results will be published in the relevant specialist journals. Our research projects are principally supported by external funding and ideally lead to the creation of new data sets. The project, "Combined Firm Data for Germany” (KombiFiD), for example, will combine firm data from official statistics, the German Central Bank, and the IAB of the Federal Employment Agency for the first time. Within the framework of another project, "Further Training as a Part of Lifelong Learning (WeLL)," innovative and detailed types of linked employer-employee datasets emerge that compare very well with French data.
The Research Data Center at the Institute of the Federal Employment Agency
at the Institute for Employment Research
Regensburger Str. 104
90478 Nürnberg
Email: iab.fdz@iab.de
Website: http://fdz.iab.de/en.aspx
