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Risk-Return Trade-Offs to Complete Educational Paths: Vocational, Academic and Mixed

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Author Info
Simone Tuor () (Institute for Strategy and Business Economics, University of Zurich)
Uschi Backes-Gellner () (Institute for Strategy and Business Economics, University of Zurich)

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Abstract

This paper investigates the rates of return and the risks of different types of educational paths after compulsory education. We distinguish a purely academic educational path from a purely vocational path and a mixed path with loops through both systems. To study the labor market outcome we compare earnings and calculate net return rates as well as risk measures to investigate whether different educational paths are characterized by different risk-return trade-offs. We use Lazear’s jack-of-all-trades theory on entrepreneurship to derive testable predictions about the labour market outcome of different combinations of education for entrepreneurs and employees. Our empirical results are based on the Swiss Labor Force Survey (SLFS) and demonstrate that mixed educational paths are well rewarded in the labor market. However, a high return is also associated with a high income variance which is driven by those who end up as entrepreneurs.

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File URL: http://www.isu.uzh.ch/leadinghouse/WorkingPapers/0031_lhwpaper.pdf
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Publisher Info
Paper provided by University of Zurich, Institute for Strategy and Business Economics (ISU) in its series Economics of Education Working Paper Series with number 0031.

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Length: 31 pages
Date of creation: Jun 2008
Date of revision:
Handle: RePEc:iso:educat:0031

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Related research
Keywords: risk-return trade-off; complete educational paths; occupational choice;

Other versions of this item:

Find related papers by JEL classification:
J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity
I21 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Analysis of Education
M53 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting - - Personnel Economics - - - Training

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  1. Uschi Backes-Gellner & Johannes Mure, 2008. "The Swiss Leading House on Economics of Education, Firm Behaviour and Training Policies," Economics of Education Working Paper Series 0014, University of Zurich, Institute for Strategy and Business Economics (ISU). [Downloadable!]
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