ABSTRACT
This chapter analyzes the material contained in the RPED data sets on the lifetime change in earnings of the workers surveyed. Every worker interviewed was asked to recall the level of his initial earnings. The question was simply: ‘What was your wage/salary when you started?’ The question was about total earnings, not distinguishing between base wages and allowances. Also the way it was formulated, the initial earnings were those enjoyed when the worker joined the current firm, not his initial earnings in the industry or labor market concerned. Thus, when sorted by cohorts, the material gives an account of the change in earnings over the career of the worker in the firm concerned.
