Understanding Society User Support

Hi,

I'm a 2nd Year Ph.D at Glasgow University, researching happiness. I've been trying to replicate and then update a 2003 study by Andrew Clark:

"Unemployment as a Social Norm: Psychological Evidence from Panel Data"
Author(s): Andrew E. Clark
Source: Journal of Labor Economics , Vol. 21, No. 2 (April 2003), pp. 323-351.

This paper uses the 1st 7 waves of the BHPS to develop a model explaing whether happiness among the unemployed is affected by livong in an area of high unemployment.

My issue concerns the sample size. Clark (p327) clearly states that his sample size from thev 1st 7 waves is 39,477 observations. However, when I download the 1991-97 data, I get 42,244. These figures refer to individuals aged between 16-64 who are active in the labour force.

I have tried to reconcile these two totals, so far unsuccessfully. It is not due to proxies (which Clark MAY have avoided using, athough he doesn't state this). Neither is it due to diiferent definitions of the labour force. I've used the BHPS variable jbstat and Clark apears to have also done so.

My supervior has suggested that there may have been an exercise where early BHPS waves were recalibrated, perhsps when paper copies were digitised? However, I can't find evidence of this in any of the guides.

I would be very grateful if anyone could provide assistance with this question.

Thnks,

Stewart Dunlop.