Schindler, SteffenSteffenSchindler0000-0002-3999-4618Bittmann, FelixFelixBittmann0000-0003-0802-58542026-04-152026-04-152026https://fis.uni-bamberg.de/handle/uniba/114724This paper provides descriptive evidence on formal educational attainment at different stages of the life course, educational upgrading processes and labor market outcomes at occupational maturity of the cohort born in the 1970s and living in Germany. It also considers the interrelatedness of these variables and differences by social origin and gender to provide evidence on two central dimensions of social inequality. With that, we want to address a gap in descriptive bookkeeping that can be observed in contemporary research on social inequalities in educational attainment and labor market outcomes. A specific focus is on formal educational upgrading processes of both school-leaving and vocational degrees before and after labor market entry. The analyses of labor market outcomes at occupational maturity consider occupational status and earnings at the age of 40. The paper draws on data from the adult cohort of the German National Educational Panel Study (NEPS).engeducational upgradingsocial origingenderearningsoccupational status300workingpaperurn:nbn:de:bvb:473-irb-114724x