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The Problem of Overskilling in Australia and Britain

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Author Info
Kostas Mavromaras () (University of Melbourne and IZA)
Seamus McGuinness () (ESRI, Dublin)
Nigel O’Leary () (University of Swansea)
Peter Sloane () (University of Swansea and IZA)
Yi King Fok () (University of Melbourne)

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Abstract

This paper examines the parallel trends in education and labour market developments in Australia and Britain. It uses unique information in the WERS and HILDA surveys on reported overskilling in the workplace. To a degree, the overskilling information overcomes the problem of unobserved ability differences and focuses on the actual job-employee mismatch more than the conventional overeducation variables can. The paper finds that the prevalence of overskilling decreases with education at least for Australia, but the wage penalty associated with overskilling increases with education. Although the general patterns of overskilling (prevalence and penalties) are fairly similar between Australia and Britain, the problem appears to be greater in Britain.

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Publisher Info
Paper provided by Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA) in its series IZA Discussion Papers with number 3136.

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Length: 44 pages
Date of creation: Nov 2007
Date of revision:
Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp3136

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Related research
Keywords: overskilling; overeducation; Australia; Britain;

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Find related papers by 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

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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. Sloane, Peter J. & O'Leary, Nigel C., 2004. "The Return to a University Education in Great Britain," IZA Discussion Papers 1199, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA). [Downloadable!]
  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. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  3. 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.
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Cited by:
(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. Kostas Mavromaras & Seamus McGuinness & Yin King Fok, 2009. "Overskilling Dynamics and Education Pathways," Melbourne Institute Working Paper Series wp2009n22, Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research, The University of Melbourne. [Downloadable!]
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