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Adults’ Cognitive and Socioemotional Skills and Their Labor Market Outcomes in Colombia

Author

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  • Pablo Acosta
  • Noël Muller
  • Miguel Sarzosa

Abstract

Previous research has shown that people with higher cognitive skills (mental abilities) and socioemotional skills (behaviors and personality) get better labor market outcomes. It is unclear, however, if this conclusion applies to low- and middle-income countries, given that existing literature builds on studies that are dominantly about high-income countries. In this paper, we explore how cognitive and socioemotional skills of adults, ages 15-64, relate to their labor market outcomes in the context of Colombia. Controlling for a range of cofounding factors in a cross-sectional survey, we find that adults with higher skills also have better outcomes, while cognitive and socioemotional skills correlate with different ones, seemingly through different channels. Adults with higher cognitive skills have better jobs (with higher earnings, more formal, and high-skilled) and are more likely to complete tertiary education. Socioemotional skills correlate more modestly with having a better job but more strongly with labor market participation and tertiary-education completion. Results suggest that adults with both cognitive and socioemotional skills tend to do better in the labor market and that policies boosting the development of both types may be beneficial in Colombia.

Suggested Citation

  • Pablo Acosta & Noël Muller & Miguel Sarzosa, 2020. "Adults’ Cognitive and Socioemotional Skills and Their Labor Market Outcomes in Colombia," Revista de Economía del Rosario, Universidad del Rosario, vol. 23(1), pages 109-148, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:col:000151:018111
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    File URL: https://revistas.urosario.edu.co/index.php/economia/article/view/8628
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Alderotti, Giammarco & Rapallini, Chiara & Traverso, Silvio, 2023. "The Big Five personality traits and earnings: A meta-analysis," Journal of Economic Psychology, Elsevier, vol. 94(C).
    2. Ajayi,Kehinde & Das,Smita & Delavallade,Clara Anne & Ketema,Tigist Assefa & Rouanet,Lea Marie, 2022. "Gender Differences in Socio-Emotional Skills and Economic Outcomes : New Evidencefrom 17 African Countries," Policy Research Working Paper Series 10197, The World Bank.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Colombia; returns to skills; cognitive skills; socioemotional skills; Big Five personality traits; latent skills; labor market outcomes; education; unobserved heterogeneity; structural estimations.;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity
    • J31 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs - - - Wage Level and Structure; Wage Differentials
    • I24 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Education and Inequality

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