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Earnings Dispersion, Risk Aversion and Education

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Author Info
Christian Belzil () (GATE - Groupe d'analyse et de théorie économique - CNRS : UMR5824 - Université Lumière - Lyon II - Ecole Normale Supérieure Lettres et Sciences Humaines)
Jörgen Hansen (Department of Economics - Concordia University)

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Abstract

We estimate a dynamic programming model of schooling decisions in which the degree of risk aversion can be inferred from schooling decisions. In our model, individuals are heterogeneous with respect to school and market abilities but homogeneous with respect to the degree of risk aversion. We allow endogenous schooling attainments to affect the level of risk experienced in labor market earnings through wage dispersion and employment rate dispersion. We find a low degree of relative risk aversion (0.93) and the estimates indicate that both wage and employment rate dispersions decrease significantly with schooling attainments. We find that a counterfactual increase in risk aversion will increase schooling attainments. Finally, the low degree of risk aversion implies that an increase in earnings dispersion would have little effect on schooling attainments.

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Paper provided by HAL in its series Post-Print with number halshs-00180125_v1.

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Date of creation: Apr 2004
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Handle: RePEc:hal:journl:halshs-00180125_v1

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Related research
Keywords: dynamic programming; earnings dispersion; human capital; returns to education; risk aversion;

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References listed on IDEAS
Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.:
  1. Rust, John, 1987. "Optimal Replacement of GMC Bus Engines: An Empirical Model of Harold Zurcher," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 55(5), pages 999-1033, September. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  2. Stephen V. Cameron & James J. Heckman, 1998. "Life Cycle Schooling and Dynamic Selection Bias: Models and Evidence for Five Cohorts of American Males," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 106(2), pages 262-333, April. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  3. repec:att:wimass:199429 is not listed on IDEAS
  4. Olson, Lawrence & White, Halbert & Shefrin, H M, 1979. "Optimal Investment in Schooling when Incomes are Risky," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 87(3), pages 522-39, June. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  5. Belzil, Christian & Hansen, Jörgen, 2002. "Unobserved Ability and the Return to Schooling," IZA Discussion Papers 508, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA). [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  6. Sherwin Rosen, 1985. "Implicit Contracts: A Survey," NBER Working Papers 1635, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
  7. John Rust, 1997. "Using Randomization to Break the Curse of Dimensionality," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 65(3), pages 487-516, May.
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  8. Christian Belzil & Jörgen Hansen, 2004. "A Structural Analysis of the Correlated Random Coefficient Wage Regression Model," Working Papers 0405, Groupe d'Analyse et de Théorie Economique (GATE), Centre national de la recherche scientifique (CNRS), Université Lyon 2, Ecole Normale Supérieure. [Downloadable!]
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  9. Mark R. Rosenzweig & Kenneth I. Wolpin, 2000. "Natural "Natural Experiments" in Economics," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 38(4), pages 827-874, December. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  10. Robert M. Sauer, 2004. "Educational Financing and Lifetime Earnings," Review of Economic Studies, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 71(4), pages 1189-1216, October. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  11. Johnson, Thomas, 1978. "Time in School: The Case of the Prudent Patron," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 68(5), pages 862-72, December. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  12. Levhari, David & Weiss, Yoram, 1974. "The Effect of Risk on the Investment in Human Capital," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 64(6), pages 950-63, December. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  13. Keane, Michael P & Wolpin, Kenneth I, 2001. "The Effect of Parental Transfers and Borrowing Constraints on Educational Attainment," International Economic Review, Department of Economics, University of Pennsylvania and Osaka University Institute of Social and Economic Research Association, vol. 42(4), pages 1051-1103, November.
  14. Eckstein, Zvi & Wolpin, Kenneth I., 1998. "Youth Employment and Academic Performance in High School," IZA Discussion Papers 18, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA).
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  15. Zvi Eckstein & Kenneth I. Wolpin, 1999. "Why Youths Drop Out of High School: The Impact of Preferences, Opportunities, and Abilities," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 67(6), pages 1295-1340, November.
  16. Yoram Ben-Porath, 1967. "The Production of Human Capital and the Life Cycle of Earnings," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 75, pages 352. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  17. Keane, Michael P & Wolpin, Kenneth I, 1997. "The Career Decisions of Young Men," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 105(3), pages 473-522, June.
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  18. Thierry Magnac & David Thesmar, 2002. "Identifying Dynamic Discrete Decision Processes," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 70(2), pages 801-816, March. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  19. Narayana R. Kocherlakota, 1996. "The Equity Premium: It's Still a Puzzle," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 34(1), pages 42-71, March. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  20. Kodde, David A, 1986. "Uncertainty and the Demand for Education," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 68(3), pages 460-67, August. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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(explanations, Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.)

  1. Diaz-Serrano, Luis & Hartog, Joop & Nielsen, Helena Skyt, 2003. "Compensating Wage Differentials for Schooling Risk in Denmark," IZA Discussion Papers 963, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA). [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  2. Joop Hartog & Luis Diaz-Serrano, 2004. "Earnings Risk And Demand For Higher Education: A Cross-Section Test For Spain," Economics, Finance and Accounting Department Working Paper Series n1370804, Department of Economics, Finance and Accounting, National University of Ireland - Maynooth. [Downloadable!]
  3. Luis Diaz-Serrano & J. Hartog, 2004. "Is there a Risk-Return Trade-off across Occupations? Evidence from Spain," Economics, Finance and Accounting Department Working Paper Series n1441004, Department of Economics, Finance and Accounting, National University of Ireland - Maynooth. [Downloadable!]
  4. Diaz-Serrano, Luis & Hartog, Joop, 2004. "Is There a Risk-Return Trade-Off across Occupations? Evidence from Spain," IZA Discussion Papers 1355, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA). [Downloadable!]
  5. Vincent Hogan & Ian Walker, 2006. "Education Choice under Uncertainty - Implications for Public Policy," Working Papers 200615, School Of Economics, University College Dublin. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  6. Migali, Giuseppe, 2006. "Funding Higher Education and Wage Uncertainty : Income Contingent Loan versus Mortgage Loan," The Warwick Economics Research Paper Series (TWERPS) 775, University of Warwick, Department of Economics. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  7. Beffy, Magali & Fougère, Denis & Maurel, Arnaud, 2009. "Choosing the Field of Study in Post-Secondary Education: Do Expected Earnings Matter?," IZA Discussion Papers 4127, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA). [Downloadable!]
  8. Sarah Brown & Karl Taylor, 2006. "Education, Risk Preference and Wages," Working Papers 2006002, The University of Sheffield, Department of Economics, revised Feb 2006. [Downloadable!]
  9. Joop Hartog & Hans van Ophem & Simona Maria Bajdechi, 2004. "How Risky is Investment in Human Capital?," Tinbergen Institute Discussion Papers 04-080/3, Tinbergen Institute. [Downloadable!]
  10. Thomas Brodaty & Robert Gary-Bobo & Ana Prieto, 2006. "Risk Aversion and Human Capital Investment: a Structural Econometric Model," THEMA Working Papers 2006-06, THEMA (THéorie Economique, Modélisation et Applications), Université de Cergy-Pontoise. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  11. Bas Jacobs, 2007. "Real Options and Human Capital Investment," CESifo Working Paper Series CESifo Working Paper No. , CESifo Group Munich. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
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