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Overskilling Dynamics and Education Pathways

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Author Info

  • Kostas Mavromaras

    (Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research, The University of Melbourne and IZA, Bonn)

  • Seamus McGuinness

    (Economic and Social Research Institute, Dublin)

  • Yin King Fok

    (Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research, The University of Melbourne)

Abstract

This paper uses panel data and econometric methods to estimate the incidence and the dynamic properties of overskilling among employed individuals. The paper begins by asking whether there is extensive overskilling in the labour market, and whether overskilling differs by education pathway. The answer to both questions is yes. The paper continues by asking whether overskilling is a self-perpetuating labour market state (state dependence), and whether state dependence differs by education pathway. The paper uses a dynamic random effects probit which includes Mundlak corrections and it models the initial conditions following Heckman's method. It finds that there is extensive overskilling state dependence in the workplace, and to the degree that overskilling can be interpreted as skills underutilisation and worker-job mismatch, this is an important finding. Overskilled workers with a higher degree show the highest state dependence, while workers with vocational education show none. Workers with no post-school qualifications are somewhere between these two groups. The finding that higher degree graduates suffer the greatest overskilling state dependence, combined with the well-established finding that they also suffer the highest overskilling wage penalty, offers an additional useful perspective to compare the attributes of vocational and degree qualifications.

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Bibliographic Info

Paper provided by Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research, The University of Melbourne in its series Melbourne Institute Working Paper Series with number wp2009n22.

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Length: 21 pages
Date of creation: Jul 2009
Date of revision:
Handle: RePEc:iae:iaewps:wp2009n22

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Postal: Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research, The University of Melbourne, Victoria 3010 Australia
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Keywords: Overskilling; education pathways; state dependence; dynamic estimation;

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References

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  1. Mavromaras, Kostas G. & McGuinness, Seamus & Fok, Yin King, 2007. "Assessing the Incidence and Wage Effects of Over-Skilling in the Australian Labour Market," IZA Discussion Papers 2837, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA).
  2. Francis Green & Steven McIntosh, 2007. "Is there a genuine under-utilization of skills amongst the over-qualified?," Applied Economics, Taylor and Francis Journals, vol. 39(4), pages 427-439.
  3. Mavromaras, Kostas G. & McGuinness, Seamus & O'Leary, Nigel C. & Sloane, Peter J. & Fok, Yin King, 2007. "The Problem of Overskilling in Australia and Britain," IZA Discussion Papers 3136, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA).
  4. P. J. Sloane & H. Battu & P. T. Seaman, 1999. "Overeducation, undereducation and the British labour market," Applied Economics, Taylor and Francis Journals, vol. 31(11), pages 1437-1453.
  5. Allen, Jim & van der Velden, Rolf, 2001. "Educational Mismatches versus Skill Mismatches: Effects on Wages, Job Satisfaction, and On-the-Job Search," Oxford Economic Papers, Oxford University Press, vol. 53(3), pages 434-52, July.
  6. Sicherman, Nachum & Galor, Oded, 1990. "A Theory of Career Mobility," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 98(1), pages 169-92, February.
  7. Séamus McGuinness, 2006. "Overeducation in the Labour Market," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 20(3), pages 387-418, 07.
  8. McGuinness, Seamus & Wooden, Mark, 2007. "Overskilling, Job Insecurity and Career Mobility," IZA Discussion Papers 2938, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA).
  9. Frances Ruane & Xiaoheng Zhang, 2007. "Location Choices of the Pharmaceutical Industry in Europe after 1992," The Institute for International Integration Studies Discussion Paper Series iiisdp220, IIIS.
  10. Seán Lyons & Karen Mayor & Richard S.J. Tol, 2008. "Environmental Accounts for the Republic of Ireland: 1990-2005," Papers WP223, Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI).
  11. Heckman, James J, 1991. "Identifying the Hand of the Past: Distinguishing State Dependence from Heterogeneity," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 81(2), pages 75-79, May.
  12. James J. Heckman, 1981. "Heterogeneity and State Dependence," NBER Chapters, in: Studies in Labor Markets, pages 91-140 National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
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Citations

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Cited by:
  1. Maite Bl�zquez & Santiago Budría, 2012. "Overeducation dynamics and personality," Education Economics, Taylor and Francis Journals, vol. 20(3), pages 260-283, March.
  2. Andersson Joona, Pernilla & Datta Gupta, Nabanita & Wadensjö, Eskil, 2012. "Overeducation among Immigrants in Sweden: Incidence, Wage Effects and State-Dependence," IZA Discussion Papers 6695, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA).
  3. Mavromaras, Kostas G. & Mahuteau, Stéphane & Sloane, Peter J. & Wei, Zhang, 2012. "The Effect of Overskilling Dynamics on Wages," IZA Discussion Papers 6985, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA).
  4. Baert, Stijn & Cockx, Bart & Verhaest, Dieter, 2012. "Overeducation at the Start of the Career: Stepping Stone or Trap?," IZA Discussion Papers 6562, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA).
  5. Piracha, Matloob & Vadean, Florin, 2012. "Migrant Educational Mismatch and the Labour Market," IZA Discussion Papers 6414, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA).
  6. Paula Herrera & Enrique López-Bazo & Elisabet Motellón, 2013. "“Informality and Overeducation in the Labor Market of a Developing Country”," IREA Working Papers 201305, University of Barcelona, Research Institute of Applied Economics, revised Apr 2013.

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