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on Education |
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Issue of 2011‒11‒01
forty-one papers chosen by Joao Carlos Correia Leitao University of Beira Interior and Technical University of Lisbon |
| By: | Caroleo, Floro Ernesto (University of Naples, Parthenope); Pastore, Francesco (University of Naples II) |
| Abstract: | Italy has an immobile social structure. At the heart of this immobility is the educational system, with its high direct, but especially indirect cost, due to the extremely long time necessary to get a degree and to complete the subsequent school-to-work transition. Such cost prevents the educational system from reallocating the best opportunities to all talented young people and from altering the "typical" market mechanism of intergenerational transfer of human capital and social status. About ten years after the Bologna declaration and the "3+2" reform of the university system, AlmaLaurea data relative to 2008 shows a framework not much different from that of 2000. This is apparent by looking at the socio-educational background of university graduates. Parents' educational level seems to be the main determinant of the probability to get a university degree and to get it with the highest possible grade. As previous studies have also shown, the effect of the socio-educational background on children success at the university is not direct, but through the high school track. In fact, although any secondary high school gives access to the university, nonetheless lyceums provide students with far higher quality of education than technical and professional schools. |
| Keywords: | intergenerational transfers, human capital, social status, Bologna declaration, "3+2" university reform, AlmaLaurea, Italy |
| JEL: | H52 I23 J13 J24 |
| Date: | 2011–10 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:iza:izadps:dp6021&r=edu |
| By: | Elise Brezis (Azrieli Center for Economic Policy (ACEP), Bar-Ilan University); Ariel Soueri (Department of Economics, Bar-Ilan University; Ministry of Finance) |
| Abstract: | The flow of students has grown very rapidly these last decades, and in some regions, has become twice as important as the flows of those seeking work. The purpose of this study is to explore the elements affecting students’ decision on migration. The two main elements affecting migration are wages, and quality of education. It should be stressed that the countries with the highest-quality education are not necessarily those with high wages. Therefore there is a need to explore whether it is quality of higher education or wage levels that determine the direction of student flows. First, we develop a simple two-stage model relating decisions on educational choices to those on job search. Our model shows that student migration is towards countries with the highest quality of higher education. In the second part of this study, we empirically investigate our theoretical model using a panel data on European OECD countries. We use the Bologna process to outline which of the elements, wages or educational quality, determines the direction of flows. We find strong evidence of concentration of students in countries with high-quality education and not in high-wage countries. |
| Keywords: | Migration, Human capital, Students, higher education, Bologna process, Brain drain. |
| JEL: | F22 I23 J24 |
| Date: | 2011–09 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:laa:wpaper:25&r=edu |
| By: | Gianluca Argentin (University of Milan-Bicocca) |
| Abstract: | In recent years in Italy, there has been a fast increase in the number of young people graduating with a tertiary degree and a sharp change in the composition of this population by gender, social origins and the field of study. Since the middle of the 90s, we have also detected a growth in the enrolment in post-tertiary education, but this is not the result of the compositional change which has occurred among graduates across cohorts. Instead, it seems mainly due to the increased offer of training and academic opportunities to the graduates: a new educational level emerged while the graduates’ rate was increasing. Until now, this new form of educational stratification has not been considered by sociological research, even if it could lead to new forms of inequality. In our paper, we primarily test the credentialist hypothesis, looking at the strength of the association between social origins and post-tertiary education among recent graduates’ cohorts. Following the credentialist theory, graduates coming from higher-educated families would be more involved in the new educational level, to maintain their advantage in the labour market, where they can take advantage of their higher credentials. Then we look at gender: we investigate whether this second ascriptive dimension plays a role in shaping enrolment at post-tertiary level. Our analyses, based on the best data available in Italy on this topic, support the credentialist hypothesis: higher social origins are associated with a greater propensity to enrol at post-tertiary education and training. Moreover, graduates coming from more educated families participated more frequently in the more institutionalized forms of post-tertiary education, the ones leading to a professional qualification. Contrary to this, gender seems not to play an influential role: the female advantage is weak and limited to the less institutionalized forms of post-tertiary education/training; moreover it almost disappears considering academic performance and horizontal stratification of upper school and university. |
| Date: | 2011–10 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:laa:wpaper:45&r=edu |
| By: | Fort, Margherita (University of Bologna); Schneeweis, Nicole (University of Linz); Winter-Ebmer, Rudolf (University of Linz) |
| Abstract: | We study the relationship between education and fertility, exploiting compulsory schooling reforms in Europe as source of exogenous variation in education. Using data from 8 European countries, we assess the causal effect of education on the number of biological kids and the incidence of childlessness. We find that more education causes a substantial decrease in childlessness and an increase in the average number of children per woman. Our findings are robust to a number of falsification checks and we can provide complementary empirical evidence on the mechanisms leading to these surprising results. |
| Keywords: | instrumental variables, education, fertility |
| JEL: | I2 J13 |
| Date: | 2011–10 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:iza:izadps:dp6015&r=edu |
| By: | Margherita Fort; Nichole Schneeweis; Rudolf Winter-Ebmer |
| Abstract: | We study the relationship between education and fertility, exploiting compulsory schooling reforms in Europe as source of exogenous variation in education. Using data from 8 European countries, we assess the causal effect of education on the number of biological kids and the incidence of childlessness. We find that more education causes a substantial decrease in childlessness and an increase in the average number of children per woman. Our findings are robust to a number of falsification checks and we can provide complementary empirical evidence on the mechanisms leading to these surprising results. |
| Keywords: | Instrumental Variables, Education, Fertility |
| JEL: | I2 J13 |
| Date: | 2011–07 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:jku:nrnwps:2011_11&r=edu |
| By: | Amini, Chiara (University College London); Commander, Simon (EBRD, London) |
| Abstract: | This paper uses two large multi-country datasets on educational scores – PISA and TIMSS – to examine the performance of Russia in comparative light as well as the factors associated with differences in educational outcomes in Russia. Despite the perception of a positive educational legacy, Russian scores are not stellar and have mostly deteriorated. Using an education production function, we distinguish between individual and family background factors and those relating to the school and institutional environment. We use pooled data, as well as cross sectional evidence, to look at the variation across countries before looking at within-country variation in Russia. We find – both in the cross-country estimates as also those using just Russia data – that a number of individual and family variables in particular, such as parental educational levels, are robustly associated with better educational outcomes. Institutional variables also matter – notably student-teacher ratios and indicators of school autonomy – but there are also some clear particularities in the Russian case. |
| Keywords: | human capital, PISA |
| JEL: | H5 I21 I28 J24 O15 P5 |
| Date: | 2011–10 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:iza:izadps:dp6033&r=edu |
| By: | Margherita Fort; Nichole Schneeweis; Rudolf Winter-Ebmer |
| Abstract: | We study the relationship between education and fertility, exploiting compulsory schooling reforms in Europe as source of exogenous variation in education. Using data from 8 European countries, we assess the causal effect of education on the number of biological kids and the incidence of childlessness. We find that more education causes a substantial decrease in childlessness and an increase in the average number of children per woman. Our findings are robust to a number of falsification checks and we can provide complementary empirical evidence on the mechanisms leading to these surprising results. |
| Keywords: | Instrumental Variables, Education, Fertility |
| JEL: | I2 J13 |
| Date: | 2011–07 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:jku:econwp:2011_05&r=edu |
| By: | Thushyanthan Baskaran (Gothenburg Centre of Globalization and Development, Department of Economics, University of Gothenburg, Sweden); Zohal Hessami (Department of Economics, University of Konstanz, Germany) |
| Abstract: | This paper studies the effect of globalization on public expenditures allocated to different stages of education. First, we derive theoretically that globalization’s influence on education expenditures depends on the type of government. For benevolent governments, the model suggests that expenditures for higher education will increase and expenditures for basic education will decline with deepening economic integration. For Leviathan governments, on the other hand, the effects of globalization on public education spending cannot be unambiguously predicted. In the second part of the paper, we empirically analyze globalization’s influence on primary, secondary, and tertiary education expenditures with panel data covering 104 countries over the 1992 - 2006 period. The results indicate that globalization has led in both industrialized and developing countries to more spending for secondary and tertiary and to less spending for primary education. |
| Keywords: | Globalization, economic integration, public education, education expenditures |
| JEL: | F15 H42 H52 |
| Date: | 2011–10–24 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:knz:dpteco:1142&r=edu |
| By: | Alessandra Decataldo (Department of Communication and Social research, Sapienza University of Rome); Antonio Fasanella (Department of Communication and Social research, Sapienza University of Rome) |
| Abstract: | Studies on university productivity show that little has changed though of the enforcement of DDMM 509/1999 and 270/2004: the long-standing ills that had afflicted the Italian university under the previous system still continue to affect it even after the adoption of the "3+2” reform. These considerations on productivity of the university system are alarming especially in terms of the objectives that the DM 509/1999 intended to achieve and the expectations of what was invested. These expectations concern the control on productivity (more regular graduates) and an approach to academic and working life, maintaining high standards of quality training. It seems that has not worked out in the process of change from the old to the new university system. Italian university has answered to external pressures absorbing change content in pre-existing organizational structures and cultural background. We are conducting a research that allows for an in-depth examination of the phenomenon of poor productivity of the university system, and also sheds light on some of the factors that combine to determine this result. The Sapienza University of Rome was identified as an ideal context for this analysis, due to its dimensions and complexity, and because of its variety of scientific and educational areas of academic training. The research involves conducting a secondary analysis of longitudinal data of administrative type for a description of the phenomena of late performance and student drop out. It focuses on the batches of students enrolled in specific key moments before (from academic year 1991/1992 to 2000/2001) and after the reform (from academic year 2001/2002 to 2006/2007). Each of these batches (about 410,000 student enrolments) was monitored up to April 2008 (the official closing date of academic year 2006/2007). The analysis take into account ex novo enrolments, excluding both the re-registrations and students who have already obtained more than one degree. Longitudinal analyses (the generational approach) allow us to individually monitor students in a single generation for a number of years, reduce the risks associated with aggregate data. This data - required statistical office of Sapienza - were treated to obtain variables in line with the present research and then be reorganized into a diachronic database. From a practical point of view, we analyzed how the DM 509/1999 was introduced and implemented within and by the university organization (analyzing a wide variety of phenomena such as dropping out, delayed and decreasing graduations). From a methodological point of view, we came to the creation of longitudinal multidimensional models of the students’ careers, aiming at identifying the "mechanisms” through which from an initial state t0, a subsequent state t1 is generated. |
| Date: | 2011–09 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:laa:wpaper:40&r=edu |
| By: | Yu Zhu (School of Economics, University of Kent); Ian Walker (Department of Economics,Lancaster University Management School) |
| Abstract: | This paper uses the Quarterly Labour Force Survey, the latest and largest dataset available, to provide independent estimates of returns to higher education qualifications in the UK for graduates with different degree majors, class of first degree, and postgraduate qualifications. For reasons of sample size, we collapse various undergraduate degrees into four broad subject groups: STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics - and here we also include Medicine); LEM (Law, Economics and Management), OSSAH (other social sciences, arts and humanities which includes languages), and COMB (those with degrees that combine more than one subject). We adopt a method which allows our data to identify the effects of experience on earnings separately from cohort effects in wages for different degree majors. We also allow for tuition fees and the tax system in calculating the NPV associated with higher education (and also the loan scheme). Ordinary Least Squares estimates show high average returns for women that does not differ by subject. For men, we find very large returns for LEM but not for other subjects. Degree class has large effects in all subjects suggesting the possibility of large returns to effort and ability. Postgraduate study has large effects, independently of first degree class. A large rise in tuition fees across all subjects has only a modest impact on relative rates of return suggesting that little substitution across subjects would occur. The strong message that comes out of this research is that even a large rise in tuition fees makes little difference to the quality of the investment – those subjects that offer high returns (LEM for men, and all subjects for women) continue to do so. And those subjects that do not (especially OSSAH for men) will continue to offer poor returns. The effect of fee rises is dwarfed by existing cross subject differences in returns. |
| Keywords: | Rate of return, college premium |
| JEL: | I23 I28 |
| Date: | 2011–09 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:laa:wpaper:33&r=edu |
| By: | Lorenzo Rocco (University of Padova); Giorgio Brunello (University of Padova, Cesifo; IZA); Elena Crivellaro (University of Padova and LSE) |
| Abstract: | Using data for 23 economies in Eastern and Western Europe, we find evidence that having studied under communism is relatively penalized in the economies of the late 2000s. This evidence, however, is limited to males and to primary and secondary education, and holds for eight CEE economies but not for the East Germans who have studied in the former German Democratic Republic. We also find that post-secondary education acquired under communism yields higher, not lower, payoffs than similar education in Western Europe. |
| Date: | 2011–09 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:laa:wpaper:17&r=edu |
| By: | Algan, Yann; Cahuc, Pierre; Shleifer, Andrei |
| Abstract: | We use several data sets to consider the effect of teaching practices on student beliefs, as well as on organization of firms and institutions. In cross-country data, we show that teaching practices (such as copying from the board versus working on projects together) are strongly related to various dimensions of social capital, from beliefs in cooperation to institutional outcomes. We then use micro-data to investigate the influence of teaching practices on student beliefs about cooperation and students’ involvement in civic life. A two-stage least square strategy provides evidence that teaching practices have an independent sizeable effect on student social capital. The relationship between teaching practices and student test performance is nonlinear. The evidence supports the idea that progressive education promotes social capital. |
| Keywords: | Education; Social Capital; Teaching Practices |
| JEL: | I2 Z1 |
| Date: | 2011–10 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cpr:ceprdp:8625&r=edu |
| By: | Giorgia Casalone (University of Piemonte Orientale A. Avogadro); Carmen Aina (University of Piemonte Orientale A. Avogadro) |
| Abstract: | We use a sample of Italian graduates drawn from the Consorzio AlmaLaurea to study whether the time taken to attain a degree matters for employment and earnings after one, three and five years from graduation. The relevance of this topic arises from the observation that Italian tertiary education system is characterized by an average time to undergraduate degree that is longer than the prescribed period. In addition, this issue is important also because delay in college completion entails a waste of resources both at individual and at collective level, and deprives the economics system of new and up-to-date competencies, as graduates enter the labour market with partially obsolete skills. Our estimates highlight that the probability of finding a job is negatively related to the time taken to graduate only if such delay is greater than three years. Graduates with previous work experiences, then, take on average two months less to be employed and receive higher wages. We also find evidence that students who obtain a degree beyond the minimum period suffer a wage penalty not while entering the labour market, but in the subsequent years (especially 5 years after graduation). This finding suggests that time-to-degree along with work experiences are good proxies for employers to discriminate between the ability of graduates. |
| Keywords: | time-to-degree, tertiary education, wage differentials |
| JEL: | I20 J24 J31 |
| Date: | 2011–09 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:laa:wpaper:38&r=edu |
| By: | Todd Stinebrickner (University of Western Ontario); Ralph Stinebrickner (Berea College) |
| Abstract: | Due primarily to the difficulty of obtaining ideal data, much remains unknown about how college majors are determined. We take advantage of longitudinal expectations data from the Berea Panel Study to provide new evidence about this issue, paying particular attention to the choice of whether to major in math and science. The data collection and analysis are based directly on a simple conceptual model which takes into account that, from a theoretical perspective, a student’s final major is best viewed as the end result of a learning process. We find that students enter college as open to a major in math or science as to any other major group, but that a large number of students move away from math and science after realizing that their grade performance will be substantially lower than expected. Further, changes in beliefs about grade performance arise because students realize that their ability in math/science is lower than expected rather than because students realize that they are not willing to put substantial effort into math or science majors. The findings suggest the potential importance of policies at younger ages which lead students to enter college better prepared to study math or science. |
| Keywords: | Education, College, Math/Science, Learning, Expectations Data |
| Date: | 2011 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:uwo:hcuwoc:20111&r=edu |
| By: | Yossi Shavit (Tel Aviv University) |
| Abstract: | This is a study of change in inequality of educational opportunity in Israel. Recent studies in Israel and elsewhere have found declining inequality of opportunity at the primary and secondary levels of education coupled with more persistent inequality at higher levels. However, these studies ignore the fact that the relative value of qualifications change as education expands over time. Many scholars agree that that the value of qualifications lies in their relative position in the distribution of education. And yet, in empirical research education is typically represented in absolute rather than relative terms. I analyze all available Israeli mobility data for the cohorts born between1951-1981 and estimate models of both absolute and relative education, as well as of education recoded into its earning value. When education is defined in absolute terms, I find the familiar decline in the effects of parents’ education. When it is measured in terms of its earning value or in relative terms, the results show significant increases in the effect of parents’ education on education. I also study change in the effects of ethnicity and of gender. |
| Date: | 2011–09 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:laa:wpaper:27&r=edu |
| By: | Hugo Figueiredo (Department of Social, Political Sciences and Law, University of Aveiro CIPES – Centre for Research in Higher Education Policies); Pedro Teixeira (Centre for Research in Higher Education Policies-CIPES); Jill Rubery (Manchester Business School, The University of Manchester) |
| Abstract: | The appeal of HE expansion has been particularly significant in the case of Portugal, whose levels of qualification of the labour force have been historically low. Over the last two decades the country has experience a massive expansion of its higher education system and the numbers of students enrolled and rates of enrolment have multiplied more than four times. This paper focus on the sustainability of this trend of higher education (HE) expansion in Portugal and attempts to update and rebalance a debate that is too often carried out exclusively from a supply-side perspective. The paper develops an empirical framework which incorporates the diversity of jobs currently carried out by university graduates and their changing skill requirements but that also provides a useful benchmark to refer to growing expectations mismatches among graduates. Using a new typology of graduate-level jobs and staff logs data collected annually by the Portuguese Government for private sector employees, the paper analyses the increasing dispersion of graduates’ relative earnings and relates this trend to the increasing diversification of their jobs. The paper also tests more directly the impact of over-education (relative to the graduate jobs’ current skill requirements) and finds that the relative penalty associated with this condition has increased during the 1995-2005 period. The paper then questions the extent to which Portugal can continue to be portrayed as a straightforward success story regarding the massification of HE and considers the implications regarding political and social support for continuing expansion in the system. |
| Keywords: | human capital; higher education massification; demand for graduates; over-education; inequality |
| Date: | 2011–09 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:laa:wpaper:14&r=edu |
| By: | Giulio Bosio (University of Milan); Chiara Noè (University of Cergy-Pointoise) |
| Abstract: | The Italian system of higher education has recently experienced a process of radical transformation. The so-called 3+2 university reform reflects a big increase in the supply of college graduates that has attracted the attention of policy makers and fostered the debate on the size of human capital externalities. Using the 2009 Italian Labour Force Survey and incorporating a measure of graduate density within each occupation, in this article, we explore whether the social returns to education exceeds the private return and less educated workers gain more than college educated workers from spillovers associated with higher college share in their relative occupation. The OLS results clearly indicate that increases in graduate density have positive effects on wages and that the effect is larger for less educated workers, also controlling for potential confounding factors. However, the concentration of college workers across occupations is such that we may have a potential endogeneity problem. In order to recover a causal interpretation and to isolate the effect of graduate density, we employ an IV strategy exploiting the lagged demographic and occupational structure and the variation in the introduction of 3+2 courses at regional level. Merely, IV estimates largely indicate that the size of spillovers is significantly increased with respect to standard OLS results. Indeed, we estimate that a 1% increase in the college share within occupation raises wages by 0.9-1.3% for male and female, respectively. The effect is further larger for less educated workers. |
| Date: | 2011–09 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:laa:wpaper:39&r=edu |
| By: | Alfano, Marco (University College London); Arulampalam, Wiji (University of Warwick); Kambhampati, Uma (University of Reading) |
| Abstract: | This paper makes a significant contribution on both conceptual and methodological fronts, in the analysis of the effect of maternal autonomy on school enrolment age of children in India. The school entry age is modelled using a discrete time duration model where maternal autonomy is entered as a latent characteristic, and allowed to be associated with various parental and household characteristics which also conditionally affect school entry age. The model identification is achieved by using proxy measures collected in the third round of the National Family Health Survey of India, on information relating to the economic, decision-making, physical and emotional autonomy of a woman. We concentrate on three very different states in India – Andhra Pradesh, Kerala and Uttar Pradesh. Our results indicate that female autonomy is not associated with socio-economic characteristics of the woman or her family in Kerala (except maternal education), while it is strongly correlated to these characteristics in both Andhra Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. Secondly, while female autonomy is significant in influencing the school starting age in UP, it is less important in AP and not significant at all in Kerala. |
| Keywords: | latent factor models, structural equation models, female autonomy, school enrolment decisions, India, National Family Health Survey |
| JEL: | I2 J12 C35 |
| Date: | 2011–10 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:iza:izadps:dp6019&r=edu |
| By: | Wen Fan (University College Dublin) |
| Abstract: | College graduates tend to earn more than non-graduates but it is difficult to ascertain how much of this empirical association between wages and college degree is due to the causal effect of a college degree and how much is due to unobserved factors that influence both wages and education (e.g. ability). In this paper, I use the 1970 British Cohort Study to examine the college premium for people who have a similar ability level by using a restricted sample of people who are all college eligible but some never attend. Compared to using the full sample, restricting the sample to college-eligible reduces the return to college significantly using both regression and propensity score matching (PSM) estimates. The finding suggests the importance of comparing individuals of similar ability levels when estimating the return to college. |
| Keywords: | return to college, regression, propensity score matching |
| Date: | 2011–09–30 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ucn:wpaper:201119&r=edu |
| By: | Paola Potestio (University of Rome 3) |
| Abstract: | The article analyses the relation in Italy between education and labour status of highly educated people aged 20-29 over the years 1993-2009. A special labour market entry problem for young Italian graduates – it is argued – stands out in this long period. The article investigates and stresses a series of facts underlying the labour performance of young Italian graduates: the failure (at least so far) of the reform of the higher education system at the end of 1990s to accelerate the entry of young graduates into the labour market with the introduction of three-year degrees aimed at shortening university courses for a vast majority of students; the special difficulty in matching the demand for and supply of labour for graduates aged 20-24; the poor labour performances of first-level graduates aged 25-29 compared with that of second-level graduates and long programme diploma holders; the progress in the educational attainment of women and the consequent evolution in female labour status; and the enormous regional differences underlying the national data. Policy interventions to mitigate, if not eliminate, the special entry problem of first-level graduates – simplifying the organization of the two degree levels and removing restrictions on access to a range of professions, especially in the public sector – are required. |
| Date: | 2011–09 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:laa:wpaper:41&r=edu |
| By: | Michèle BELOT (Oxford University, Nuffield Centre for Experimental Social Sciences (CESS), Nuffield College); Vincent VANDENBERGHE (UNIVERSITE CATHOLIQUE DE LOUVAIN, Institut de Recherches Economiques et Sociales (IRES)) |
| Abstract: | Like active labour market programmes (ALPMs), grade repetition could generate two types of effects. Better/worse outcomes due to programme participation (i.e. the fact that pupils repeat a particular grade). This is what the existing literature on grade repetition has focused on. Another potential outcome is the ‘threat’ effect of grade repetition. Pupils and/or their family could make significant efforts to avoid grade repetition and its important opportunity cost. Learning effort by pupils could be a function of the risk of grade repetition. This paper attempts to assess that relationship by exploiting a reform introduced in 2001 in the French-Speaking Community of Belgium, synonymous with a reinforced overall threat of grade repetition. The possibility to impose grade repetition sanctions and the end of grade 8-12 has always existed, but in year 2001, policy makers reinstated the possibility to repeat grade 7, putting an end to the regime of “social promotion” applicable to that grade since 1995. We use data from two waves of the PISA study (corresponding to periods before and after the reform) to evaluate the medium-term effects of this reform. The first measure of performance we consider is the position in the curriculum (or grade) reached at the age of 15, and we show that it deteriorated after 2001. We also consider the reform’s impact on test scores. Focusing on grade 10, we fail to verify the necessary condition for grade repetition threat to lead to higher test scores. The tentative conclusion is that an enhanced threat of grade retention after 2001 did not lead to better medium-term outcomes, even among the segments of the population the most at risk of grade repetition. |
| Keywords: | Grade retention, educational attainment, threat effects |
| JEL: | I20 I28 H52 |
| Date: | 2011–07–31 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ctl:louvir:2011026&r=edu |
| By: | Patrizia Ordine (Dept. of Economics and Statistics, University of Calabria); Giuseppe Rose (Dept. of Economics and Statistics, University of Calabria) |
| Abstract: | This work investigates educational mismatch and its interrelationships with individual unemployment duration. By studying unemployment histories of Italian workers we show that overeducated have longer unemployment spells than well matched workers. Using duration models we show that hazard rates of graduates are higher than those of undergraduates only for transitions toward occupations that require the competencies provided by the universities. This process is strictly related to innate ability and geographical location. Our findings are consistent with an interpretation of educational mismatch as a penalizing phenomenon in the individuals' working life associated to long term unemployment. We argue that a policy that gives more relevance to individual ability in the schooling attainment may reduce educational mismatch. |
| Date: | 2011–09 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:laa:wpaper:19&r=edu |
| By: | Daria Ciriaci (European Commission); Alessandro Muscio (University of Foggia) |
| Abstract: | Universities have come under increasing pressure to become key drivers of economic development in the age of the knowledge economy. Yet we know very little about the impact of university quality and scientific excellence on the probability of graduates finding jobs. This paper investigates the determinants of Italian graduates’ employability 3-years after graduation, with special reference to university quality measured in terms of research performance and teaching quality. The empirical evidence sheds light on the pivotal role of academic institutions in economic systems, proving that their contribution to employment growth could be substantial. Our analysis supports the promotion of policy initiatives to improve the quality of academic institutions, and the accountability of research results. As we also observe wide regional differences, we argue that university quality emerges as a supply tool for policy makers aiming at boosting young and skilled labour demand in less developed regions. |
| Date: | 2011–10 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:laa:wpaper:49&r=edu |
| By: | Rosa Bernardini Papalia (Department of Statistics, University of Bologna); Silvia Bertarelli (Department of Economics Institutions and Territory , University of Ferrara); Carlo Filippucci (Department of Statistics, University of Bologna) |
| Abstract: | In this paper, we study the relationship between the level of development of an economy and returns to different levels of education for the panel of OECD countries over the 1965-2004 period, in a club convergence framework. The connection between growth and human capital measures of primary, secondary and tertiary education in a multiple-club spatial convergence model with non linearities and spatial dependence is considered. By decomposing total schooling into its three constituent parts, we are able to evaluate their impact on regional growth without imposing homogeneous returns from each level of education. We contribute to the identification of two regimes for OECD countries, each characterized by different returns on physical and human capital accumulation and technological spillovers. We also find that the non-monotonic pattern of convergence is strongly influenced by human capital stocks and technology diffusion process is stronger in the club less close to the technological frontier. |
| Date: | 2011–09 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:laa:wpaper:15&r=edu |
| By: | Ayal Kimhi (The Hebrew University); Moran Sandel (The Hebrew University) |
| Abstract: | The important role of education in the process of economic development is well known. Less known is the effect of education on inequality. This is an important issue, since economic policies that promote growth often lead to higher income inequality. A policy that promotes growth and at the same time reduces inequality would be preferred. The question is whether promoting education is such a policy. In this paper, the determinants of income inequality in Israel are analyzed using regression-based inequality decomposition techniques, focusing on the role of years of schooling and type of education. In particular, we differentiate between general schooling and ultra-orthodox schooling, following the common belief that ultra-orthodox schooling is not as valuable as general schooling for labor market outcomes. Indeed, we find that years of general schooling of the household head have a positive effect on per-capita household income, while the effect of years of ultra-orthodox schooling is negative. Years of general schooling are positively correlated with income, while years of ultra-orthodox schooling are negatively correlated with income. This implies that a policy that closes the schooling gaps in the secular sector is equalizing, while a policy that closes the schooling gaps in the ultra-orthodox sector is disequalizing. In addition, a uniform percentage increase in years of general schooling reduces per-capita income inequality, while a similar increase in ultra-orthodox years of schooling increases inequality. These results are robust to the type of regression used (OLS versus Gini regression), the use of equivalence scales, and do not change qualitatively even when we allow all regression coefficients to be different in the ultra-orthodox subsample. We conclude that policies directed at general schooling can potentially promote development and reduce inequality at the same time. However, when policy makers consider public funding of ultra-orthodox schools, they should take into account the adverse effects of this type of schooling on income inequality. In particular, we suggest that such funding will be conditioned on aligning the curriculum with the requirements of modern labor markets |
| Date: | 2011–09 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:laa:wpaper:29&r=edu |
| By: | Malak Reda (Egyptian Centre for Economic Studies-ECES) |
| Abstract: | Using panel data regressions for twenty-five countries, including Egypt, for the period 2005-2011, the current study investigates how labor, education and innovation affect Egypt’s competitiveness and in turn affect real economic growth. Results indicate that labor, education and innovation affect greatly competitiveness and real GDP growth and that investing in those dimensions is key for greater economic growth. Further using Egypt’s specific time series for the period 1980-1999, results indicate the importance of raising both the efficiency and level of expenditure on education; highlight the necessity to raise the innovation capacity of the country and stress upon the importance of youth employment and its positive impact on real GDP growth. Assuming that Egypt is able to improve its education, innovation and labor indicators that underlie the global competitiveness score by five percent, this will in turn lead to greater real GDP growth, estimated at 9.9 percent. The results emphasize the need to improve the quality and efficiency of the educational system; to invest heavily in the creation of employment, especially for the youth, and to invest in improving innovation capacity towards higher output growth and welfare. |
| Date: | 2011–09 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:laa:wpaper:18&r=edu |
| By: | José Alcalde Pérez (Universidad de Alicante); Antonio Romero-Medina (Universidad Carlos III de Madrid) |
| Abstract: | This paper introduces &tao;-fairness as a compromise solution reconciling Pareto efficiency and equity in School Choice Problems. We show that, by considering a weak notion of equity that we refer to as ¿-equity, it is possible to contribute positively to solve an open debate, originated by the efficiency-equity trade-off of the schooling problem. We also suggest a slight modification to some allocative procedures recently introduced in the United States to compute ¿-fair allocations and provide support for this (possible) reformulation. |
| Keywords: | School Choice Problem, Fair Matching |
| JEL: | C78 D63 I28 |
| Date: | 2011–10 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ivi:wpasad:2011-22&r=edu |
| By: | Di Mo; Hongmei Yi; Linxiu Zhang; Renfu Luo; Scott Rozelle; Carl Brinton |
| Abstract: | Recent anecdotal reports suggest that dropout rates may be higher and actually increasing over time in poor rural areas. There are many reasons not to be surprised that there is a dropout problem, given the fact that China has a high level of poverty among the rural population, a highly competitive education system and rapidly increasing wages for unskilled workers. The overall goal of this study is to examine if there is a dropout problem in rural China and to explore the effectiveness that a Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) program could have on dropouts (and mechanism by which the CCT might affect drop outs). To meet this objective, we conducted a randomized controlled trial (RCT) of a CCT using a sample of 300 junior high school students in a nationally-designated poor county in Northwest China. Using our data, we found that the annual dropout rate in the study county was high, about 7.0%. We find, however, that a CCT program reduces drop outs by 60%; the dropout rate is 13.3% in the control group and 5.3 % in the treatment group. The program is most effective in the case of girls, younger students and the poorest performing students. |
| Date: | 2011 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:lic:licosd:28311&r=edu |
| By: | Bos, Frits |
| Abstract: | The official national accounts statistics do not show the role of human capital in the national economy. A set of satellite tables supplementing the standard national accounts statistics could serve this data need. In this satellite account, expenditure on education and training are recorded as human capital formation. This includes not only the expenditure on primary, secondary and tertiary education, but also expenditure on training and courses by employers and the earnings foregone by students. Consumption of human capital is allocated to various persons and industries as a charge on their income; it is not part of final consumption expenditure. The satellite shows more comprehensively than OECD Education at a Glance who pays for human capital formation. It also shows how education and training are employed in the national economy. In line with calculations of private and social rates of return, taxes and subsides on labour income and the relative prices of various types of labour (high-skilled, medium-skilled, low-skilled) are also shown. Links could be made with labour accounts broken-down by level of education, productivity and growth accounts and tables on expenditure by function of government, households and corporations. A simple decomposition analysis can show the role of demography and participation rates in the development of public expenditure on education. The satellite could be regarded as a macroeconomic framework supplementing the OECD-statistic Education at a Glance. |
| Keywords: | Human capital; education; economic growth; public expenditure on education; national accounts satellite; statistics on education |
| JEL: | I20 C82 O15 E01 H52 |
| Date: | 2011 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pra:mprapa:33791&r=edu |
| By: | Fabio Pollice (University of Salento); Stefano De Rubertis (University of Salento); Enrico Ciavolino (University of Salento); Antonella Ricciardelli (University of Salento) |
| Abstract: | The performance of single universities, beyond internal determinants, is influenced by the conditions of their own territorial context, that is by a number of factors related to their local geographical area, meant as a space of territorial interactions, measurable by its previous relational dynamics. This set of factors can, directly or indirectly, affect both the organizational structure and strategic orientations of the single university, as well as the results achieved by it in the field of education and research.Through a multi-dimensional statistical model, the evaluation criteria for university performance will be compared to some territorial variables which, in scientific literature, are considered to be indexes of territorial competitiveness. The statistical model aims at measuring the impact local context has on the competitive performance of universities, explaining the nature and intensity of this relationship. With reference to the objectives of the research, data we will use refer to two different sets of indicators: on the one hand, data used to evaluate university performance, on the other hand, the ones used to measure territorial competitiveness. In more detail, university performance is based on some of the indicators used by the CENSIS in the "University Ranking 2010" referring to the following databases: MIUR-Statistical Office; CINECA; CNVSU; National LLP Agency Italy; CRUI; CORDIS. Territorial data, instead, are extracted from the "Atlas of the Provinces and Regions competitiveness” elaborated by UNIONCAMERE. For both sets of indicators, the analysis will refer to the year 2008.If the indicators of university performance are correlated to territorial conditions, they don’t really measure university productivity/competitiveness, but rather the competitiveness of its territorial context. This can lead to some distortions in the financial resources allocation and, more generally, in national supporting policies to public universities.In their conclusions, authors also tend to reverse the perspective through which the role of government intervention has been traditionally interpreted. If universities are qualifying elements of territorial competitiveness – as it is shown by the fact that they are frequently used within the set of indicators to measure it – the strengthening of university system should be one of the priority objectives of regional development policies. Consequently, national government should invest in university education and research, even where university performance, due to some specific local conditions, is not satisfactory or even below fixed national or international standards. |
| Date: | 2011–09 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:laa:wpaper:37&r=edu |
| By: | Magali Ballatore (Catholic University of Louvain (BE)) |
| Abstract: | Behind the image of a globalised, mobile elite there is a wide range of social realities. In Europe today, there are many types of international migrants. This paper focuses on the field of qualified, professional migration, a type that falls between the two extremities on the social spectrum: the elite corporation, top executives in the world of globalisation, and poor migrants or asylum-seekers, with little capital. Our starting point is the theory that today in Europe, certain young people from the "middle class” of the south of the continent and/or massified higher education establishments use geographical mobility as a means to social mobility (move out in order to move up). We also hypothesise that this often has consequences on both their lives and their original geographical region. We have chosen to show the "human side” (Smith; Favell, 2006) of globalisation, instead of the more common viewpoint of theory and rhetoric, by asking former Erasmus students about their careers and experiences, both professional and non-professional. We analyse to what extent their careers correspond to new injunctions and how these non-linear, reversible paths have an impact on the entry into adult life for young people from average social and professional categories. On the basis of an in-depth content analysis of around fifty semi-directive interviews with young Italian, French and English people, we show how student mobility corresponds to expectations of the economic and social world, which go beyond the expectations of the participants themselves. The question of a possible reinforcement of existing social and economic inequalities within the European Union is thus raised through the relative "freedom” of the students when confronted with exchanges. |
| Date: | 2011–10 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:laa:wpaper:47&r=edu |
| By: | Fabian Kratz (Bavarian State Institute for Higher Education Research and Planning) |
| Abstract: | Concentrating on the social origin, determinants of international mobility of students and recent graduates are identified, drawing on a combination of the microeconomic human capital model as well as the job-search-theory. The analysis is based on the Bavarian Graduate Study (Bayerisches Absolventen Panel, BAP), a representative data base for a wide array of fields of study at Bavarian universities and universities of applied sciences. Methods of multilevel modeling are employed to identify individual differences in the spatial mobility propensities of students and young graduates. First, analyzing the determinants of international mobility of students revealed the following associations. The younger the students, the higher the likelihood to study abroad. This propensity is also positively associated with parents’ status. Apart from that, students from universities display a significantly higher migration propensity than students from universities of applied sciences. Second, considering differences in the emigration propensities after graduation, our results imply that the likelihood of working abroad is contingent on a high social origin, being a single, graduating at a lower age. Furthermore, migration experiences in the past and competencies in foreign languages show a positive impact. Consequently, international mobility both during the studies and upon entrance into the labor market is significantly influenced by the social origin. In addition to this direct effect, the higher likelihood of students and graduates with a favorable social background to experience mobility in early stages increases their propensity to go abroad again indirectly, too, as a mediator. The same holds true for the readiness to move for a job as indicated by the radius considered when searching for a job. As a result, the range of opportunities resulting from the combined effects of a high social origin and previous migration experiences resembles a sophisticated mechanism contributing to the reproduction of social inequality. |
| Keywords: | international mobility, students, graduates, social origin, inequality, job search |
| Date: | 2011–09 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:laa:wpaper:26&r=edu |
| By: | Richard Desjardins; Kjell Rubenson |
| Abstract: | The focus of this study is on the potential causes of skill mismatch, the extent of skill mismatch, the sociodemographic make-up of skill mismatch, and the consequences of skill mismatch in terms of earnings as well as employer sponsored adult education/training. A distinction is made between skill mismatch and education mismatch. The analysis is based on the 2003-2007 Adult Literacy and Lifeskills Survey (ALLS) – a dataset similar to the one that is forthcoming from the Programme for International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC) in 2013. These studies contain direct measures of key foundation skills as well as measures of the use of certain generic skills at work which allow for a direct measure of skill mismatch. The analysis points to the complex ways in which mismatch is generated and the need for an accurate and up to date measure of mismatch, one that reflects the possibilities for skill gain and skill loss over the lifespan, and reflects differences in the quality of qualifications. Two key findings stand out. First, including supply and demand characteristics in an earnings function reveals that labour demand characteristics are more important than labour supply characteristics in explaining earnings differentials. In other words, skills matter for earnings but only if they are required by the job. This has direct implications for understanding better the causes of mismatch on earnings. Second, the skill content of jobs seems to be an even stronger determinant of participation in employer supported adult education/training than educational attainment or literacy proficiency. The influence of demand characteristics thus tends to outweigh the influence of supply characteristics when employers make the decision to support adult education/training. Addressing mismatch thus requires a careful consideration of both the demand and supply sides of the labour market, so as to understand better the variety of factors which may have a negative impact on the effectiveness of skill formation, skill maintenance, and also skill use.<BR>Le présent document a pour thème l’inadéquation des compétences. Il évoque tour à tour ses causes potentielles, son ampleur et de sa répartition socio-démographique, ainsi que ses répercussions sur le niveau des revenus et sur la participation à la formation pour adultes financée par l’employeur. On notera la distinction établie entre inadéquation des compétences et inadéquation de l'éducation. L'analyse repose sur les résultats de l'Enquête sur l’alphabétisation des adultes (ALLS), menée en 2003-2007 qui rassemble un ensemble de données similaire à celui que le Programme pour l'évaluation internationale des compétences des adultes (PIAAC) rendra public en 2013. Ces deux enquêtes proposent des mesures directes des compétences élémentaires et de l'utilisation au travail de certaines compétences génériques, permettant ainsi une évaluation directe de l'inadéquation des compétences. Ce document décrit les situations complexes qui sont à la source d’une inadéquation des compétences et démontre la nécessité d'une mesure précise et actualisée de cette inadéquation, qui prenne en considération les occasions d’acquérir ou de perdre des compétences au cours de la vie, ainsi que les différences dans la qualité des compétences. Deux conclusions principales ressortent de ces analyses. Premièrement, la prise en compte des caractéristiques de l’offre et de la demande de travail dans une logique de rémunération permet de constater que lorsqu’il s’agit d’expliquer les écarts de rémunération, les caractéristiques de la demande de travail sont plus importantes que ne le sont celles de l'offre. En d'autres termes, les compétences ont un impact sur la rémunération uniquement dans la mesure où elles sont requises pour occuper l'emploi. Cette constatation permet de mieux comprendre les causes des écarts de rémunération. Deuxièmement, la nature des compétences requises par les emplois semble être un facteur encore plus déterminant de la participation des adultes à la formation financée par l’employeur que ne le sont le niveau d'instruction ou les compétences en littératie. L'influence des caractéristiques de la demande a donc tendance à l'emporter sur l'influence des caractéristiques de l'offre lorsque les employeurs prennent la décision de financer la formation des adultes. Aborder la question de l’inadéquation nécessite donc un examen attentif à la fois de la demande et de l'offre du marché du travail, afin de mieux comprendre la diversité des facteurs qui peuvent exercer un impact négatif sur l'efficacité de la formation, le maintien et aussi l'utilisation des compétences. |
| Date: | 2011–10–17 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:oec:eduaab:63-en&r=edu |
| By: | Peter Robert (TÁRKI); Annamária Gáti (TÁRKI-TUDOK) |
| Abstract: | The paper intends to increase the information and knowledge on graduates’ labour market entry and early career under post-communism. The specific purpose of the analysis is to examine gender differences with respect to two particular research questions: the length of time graduates need to enter the labour force and find a first job; the odds for becoming unemployed during the first five years spent in labour force. Data from the recent HEGESCO project (www.hegesco.org) are employed in the paper. The data collection has occurred in 2008 / 2009 and refers to those diploma holders who completed their studies five years earlier in 2002 / 2003. The project involved five nations: Hungary, Lithuania, Poland, Slovenia and Turkey. The present study deals with three former communist countries: Hungary (N=1533), Poland (N=1200) and Slovenia (N=2923). The paper provides background information on these three countries in terms of their institutional features related to the school system and the labour market. Both descriptive (bivariate) and causal (multivariate) techniques are applied in the study. The Kaplan-Meier survival analysis is used to examine gender differences in labour market entry in the three countries. For investigating the determinants of possible unemployment experience (did it occur or not), the logistic regression method is applied. In addition to gender variation, data offer a large variety of predictors and control variables informing about various characteristics of the study program (field of study, BA/MA, full-time / part-time, first degree gained) as well as about the respondent’s involvement during studies (voluntary / student organization activity, internship, work experience). It is also possible to control for social origin (parental education). Results reveal that gender difference for the length of time to find a first job is significantly present only in Slovenia. For unemployment, at observed level women are definitely disadvantaged and experienced unemployment in all three countries more frequently as compared to men. On the ground of the multivariate analysis, however, the female disadvantage to have a significantly bigger chance to become unemployed in comparison to males turns out to be present only in Poland. As taking into account the large variation in the compositional effects, the paper elaborates on how these features bring advantages or disadvantages for males and females to avoid unemployment. On this ground it is impossible to conclude about a better or worse situation regarding the rank order of the three countries. |
| Date: | 2011–09 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:laa:wpaper:34&r=edu |
| By: | Maher Gassab (ESC Tunis, URMA – FSEG Tunis); Hanène Ben Ouada Jamoussi (ESC Tunis, URMA – FSEG Tunis) |
| Abstract: | According to the report of the Central Bank of Tunisia (2009), the unemployment rate had reached 13.3% in 2009. This rate had steadily increased from 12.5% in 2006. This is one of the major challenges of the Tunisian economy and many countries of the MENA region. Furthermore, with more than 500 000 job seekers, the unemployment rate in Tunisia remains one of the highest in the MENA region. A feature of unemployment in Tunisia is the unemployment of graduates. The unemployment rate for this category of young people has recently grown dramatically from 16.9% in 2006 to 21.9% in 2009. This rate is expected to rise in coming years despite all the arrangements made for young graduates to insert them into the labour market. To understand the determinants of this type of unemployment, the paper is based on the diagnosis of the situation through a synthesis of the key findings of surveys conducted in 2005 and 2007 on the promotion of graduates in 2004. This diagnosis was supported by an econometric model linking the unemployment indicator to the key indicators of qualification. The massification of the higher education and the lack of creation of adequate jobs are the main causes of the exponential rise of the unemployment rate for graduates. This situation has forced many students to continue their studies, thus paradoxically minimizing their chances of being recruited because of their over qualification. With the exception of a few specialties such as medicine, computing, telecommunications and architecture, where opportunities are available, especially abroad, other types of graduates meet more or less difficulty on the labour market. The solutions to overcome this crisis of unemployment are rather difficult, requiring enormous resources over several years. These solutions would affect several areas; such as the higher education, the vocational training, the investment and the regional integration. |
| Date: | 2011–09 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:laa:wpaper:16&r=edu |
| By: | Saleh Alkafri (Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics) |
| Abstract: | Theories and studies indicate that education is an essential factor to reduce the probability and unemployment duration and increase chances for business continuity and stability in a decent job. Nonetheless, what happens to women in many countries of the Middle East and North Africa is just the opposite, specifically in the Palestinian Territories, where the participation of women in the labour market is very low and significantly high rates of unemployment are witnessed. Results indicate that the more the years of education among women the higher the unemployment rate, unlike men, causing a significant gap between both sexes. Then comes the question repeated in all seminars, workshops and conferences, of why women face low possibilities of getting a job when they decide to enter the labour market, especially those young and highly educated? This is the basic problem that this research study tries to tackle through highlighting and identifying the factors affecting the low potential of graduate women in entering the labour market unlike graduate males despite their achievements in education. We have used recent data of the results of Labour Force Quarterly Survey 1996-2008 (total Quarterly sample size for each year is 7600 households), using high technology in the methodology for rotating the sample and the personnel follow-up for the four quarters during a year and a half which provides a meticulous study of the situation. A survey of graduates in the labour market 2006 was also used, which in turn provides a rich base of indicators that support the search results. It should be noted that the methodology came in twofold, the first, a descriptive analysis of the available data, and the second by using the Transition Probability Matrix and analysis of the Probit Regression model. The results confirm the existence of the problem, and relate the reasons to the limitations that restrict the movement of women to get jobs. Moreover, it shows that the problem of unemployment among graduates is highlighted in specific areas and disciplines that do not match the requirements of the market, as well as the employers’ point of view of occupations and activities that women can exercise. Delays in obtaining work, often lead women out of the labour market which in turn causes their low participation in the workforce. The general trend in the future puts in front of the Palestinian decision-maker extraordinary challenges to provide opportunities for jobs that take into account the geographical distribution and the programming of scientific disciplines offered by universities. |
| Date: | 2011–09 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:laa:wpaper:30&r=edu |
| By: | Rosalia Castellano (Department of Statistics and Mathematics for Economic Research, University of Naples Parthenope); Gennaro Punzo (Department of Statistics and Mathematics for Economic Research, University of Naples Parthenope) |
| Abstract: | The crucial aim of this paper is to investigate, in a generational perspective, the effects of specific dimensions of human capital on individuals earnings and earnings differentials across a selected set of six developed economies of Western Europe with structural differences in their formal education systems and, more generally, in their institutional frameworks. In a cross-country comparison, we intend to inspect how formal education and work experience stand for critical predictors of inequality between and within earner-groups and/or educational groups. In this light, the role of family background on individuals’ earnings in relation to the two main occupational status (i.e., wage-employment rather than self-employment) and, in particular, the impact of parental education and abilities on children’s human capital are argued as well. In order to look into the critical determinants of intergenerational im-mobility, in terms of educational and employment decision-making process, and to what extent they vary across countries, two-stage structural probit models with quantile regressions in the second stage are estimated. As we expect that individual earnings also depend on a range of personal and structural factors and on the family background as well, a set of human capital earnings equations, based on extensions of Mincer models, are estimated by the main employment status. Microdata come from EU-SILC survey, the main new reference source for comparative statistics at European level, which also detects a set of retrospective parental information allowing to account for potential generational changes over time. Briefly, empirical results are interesting, taken as a whole. Although not a few determinants appear to be relatively similar across countries, wider national-specific differentials are drawn. Most of all, it emerges how each component of human capital differently affects individuals’ earnings and earnings inequality across European countries and, most importantly, how this impact differs along the whole earnings distributions. Also, quite dissimilar patterns of influence of family-specific background on children’s outcomes across countries is sketched. |
| Date: | 2011–09 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:laa:wpaper:28&r=edu |
| By: | Samo Pavlin (University of Ljubljana) |
| Abstract: | This paper discusses graduates employability and early career success. In this context it follows multiple goals. First, it overviews the key research issues, results and concepts related to HE graduates’ transition. While this classification remains on the level of a simplified meta overview, it indicates the need for the contextualisation of graduate models and improvements in the interpretation of results. Second, it provides a short overview of the graduate transition models developed in early stages of the DEHEMS project and prior to it. Third, it applies theoretical considerations and the model developed in previous sections to a case study analysis of two domains. The data set relates to Slovenian graduates 5 years after they graduated from the HEGESCO international survey. The preliminary analysis leads to general conclusions and recommendations for further analysing and comparing different professional domains. Some concluding observations related do domain varieties are: a) graduates’ professional success is a multidimensional concept and requires modifications when applied to analytical models of study domains, b) even when the results of different study domains appear to be similar, their meaning can differ a lot when the interpretation is placed within the specific context of a professional domain, c) the principles and responsibility of the competencies incubation phase from education and the labour market should be interpreted and understood in line with the expected function of the HE institution, e) knowing the prevailing logic behind graduates’ jobs, such as managerialism, bureaucracy or professionalism in relation to graduates’ career observations might be another factor in determining graduates’ career success factors, f) when considering the factors of career success or the quality of jobs, one should be aware there might be an important difference when considering a model on an individual-level or a country-level basis. |
| Date: | 2011–09 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:laa:wpaper:36&r=edu |
| By: | Chiara Cimini (AlmaLaurea Inter-university Consortium); Gasperoni (University of Bologna, Dept. of Communication Disciplines); Claudia Girotti (AlmaLaurea Inter-university Consortium) |
| Abstract: | An established yearly survey aimed at monitoring the employment opportunities of Italian graduates, traditionally carried out with Cati methods, has been integrated during the last few years with Cawi. Cawi has become increasingly crucial due to the high number of graduates involved in the survey, which has mandated a reduction in fieldwork duration and unit costs. Although the seven Cawi surveys used here have different substantive and methodological characteristics, preliminary analysis reveals a common trend: the utmost participation is observed during the first few days immediately following initiation of fieldwork and, to a lesser degree, the delivery of follow-up reminders. Web respondents comprise a self-selected subgroup of the target population, having better academic performance and greater computer skills. A Cox regression model estimating response probability (or response time) shows, besides the obvious effects of certain personal and survey design characteristics, that faster response times are expressed by graduates in science or engineering and reporting good computer skills, whereas the fields of medicine/health and defence/security and no computer skills give rise to lower response probability. Ways to use these findings for fine-tuning data collection are discussed. |
| Keywords: | Cawi surveys, Response rate, University graduates,Cox regression |
| Date: | 2011–09 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:laa:wpaper:35&r=edu |
| By: | Brunilda Zenelaga (University Aleksandër Moisiu); Kseanela Sotirofski (University Aleksandër Moisiu) |
| Abstract: | Migration of high skilled workers, known as brain drain, is a relatively spread phenomena in both developed and developing countries. The brain drain phenomenon of the countries of the South-East Europe is determined to a large extent by common "push factors’ such as troubled economies, political instability, severe unemployment, and lack of respect of human rights, including the right to work. All these are especially true for post-communist societies, which are faced with the challenge of including the educated elite in the transition reforms that must take place to intensify bonds with the European Union. Brain gain consists of those "pull factors”, policies and strategies which create the conditions for encouraging the return of qualified nationals. From a point of view of duration, degree and impact on the development of the country, Albania constitutes the most striking example of brain drain in South East Europe. Indeed, Albania has one of the highest emigration rates in the world: during the 1990s almost 40% of lecturers and researchers left the country. Among these, 66% hold a PHD title. There are many examples of experts and students who study in Italy, and it is estimated that only 5% of them will return. Several reasons may explain the massive migration of high skilled workers from Albania, but this study is limited with those who went to Italy for study reasons. The main aim of the study is to carry out the main issues related to the reasons why the Albanians study in Italy and the ways they can be motivated to turn back and contribute to Albanian socio-economic development. A brief summary of related literature review, some qualitative data collected from semi-structured in-depth interview with 37 Master and Ph.D. students studying in Italy will be analyzed. The interviewed persons had emigrated for a better education. Among all traditional factors that determine the possible brain gain to Albania the authors find that the factors like socio-economic state, higher education system, government politics related to the orientation of returned students studying abroad, the teaching of democratic and transparency feelings and thoughts, the promoting of European rights and values, freedom, solidarity and security and the notification of European universities as an actor on the global stage are statistically important. Also some statistical data from CESS (Center for Economic and Social Studies) and Institute of Statistics related to Brain Gain process in the country will also be analyzed. This paper also attempts to assess the future trends of Albanians` move to Italy for study reasons and the turning scale to the country after their studies. |
| Keywords: | brain gain, brain drain, migration, transition |
| Date: | 2011–10 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:laa:wpaper:46&r=edu |
| By: | Terje Næss (Nordic Institute for Studies in Innovation, Research and Education-NIFU) |
| Abstract: | In Norway, as in most other countries, even most educational researchers and politicians agrees that knowledge worker jobs will be plentiful in the new knowledge economy and that new graduates from higher education not will have large problems in finding relevant employment in spite of their increasing numbers, there is still some disagreement about this. In Norway, the development on the graduate labour market is monitored by NIFU using graduate-surveys. According to the surveys, most graduates still find "relevant employment” after graduation. In this article we have explored the content of "relevant employment” by looking at various indicators for the skill level for those graduates who are in "relevant employment”; economic activity, sector, wages, and information-related work. This has been analysed for four fields of study; humanities, law, economics and science&technology, and by comparing the 1989/91- cohorts with the 2005/07-cohorts. All the indicators seem to indicate that "relevant employment” for the large part still is high-skill employment, and that there not is substantial deskilling or overqualification. Firstly, the large part of growth in graduate numbers has been absorbed by typical high-skill economic activities. This was however not mainly traditional academic work areas, but different types of "knowledge-intensive service production”. Especially important was ”professional and technical services” and information&communication. 43 per cent of the growth in recruitment occurred within these two economic activities. Wages in these two economic activities were also higher than in the traditional academic sector, indicating that the shift in recruitment to these two economic activities not should be interpreted as deskilling. For two other relatively important "new” work areas, for these groups of graduates, "cultural and other personal services” and "health care and social services”, however, and especially the first group, average wages was lower than in other economic activities, especially for the first group, which may indicate that the skill level is lower than in the traditional academic areas. Another important signal of large demand for graduates is that the business sector, which generally is thought of as more attractive than the public sector, accounted for three quarters of the increase in the number of employed graduates. This was not only because it was economic activities within the business sector domain that increased recruitment the most; there was also a general trend towards increased recruitment in business sector organization irrespective of economic activity. Lastly, nearly a third of the growth in recruitment was information-related work, also usually thought of as typical skilled work. |
| Date: | 2011–09 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:laa:wpaper:21&r=edu |