ReLOC linkage: a new method for linking firm-level data with the establishment-level data of the IAB

"This article describes a new method for the linkage of firm-level data with establishment-level data of the Institute for Employment Research (IAB). It has been developed and for the first time applied in the project 'Research on Locational and Organisational Change' (ReLOC). The method makes use of the fact that in the course of assigning IDs to establishments the Federal Employment Agency (BA) records the associated firm name. This enables the link-age of firm-level data with information available at the establishment level solely on the basis of the firm name. However, the success of this approach depends on the correctness and uniqueness of firm names. Before conducting the record linkage, it was investigated whether and to what extent these requirements are fulfilled and what aspects have to be taken into account. As this method provides an innovative extension for tackling research topics in many projects and has already been adapted by the Research Data Center (FDZ) of the BA and the German Record Linkage Center (GRLC), this report explains the linkage of the Re-LOC database and the underlying information in detail." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))