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Post-Secondary Education and Information on Labor Market Prospects: A Randomized Field Experiment

Author

Listed:
  • Pekkala Kerr, Sari

    (Wellesley College)

  • Pekkarinen, Tuomas

    (VATT, Helsinki)

  • Sarvimäki, Matti

    (Aalto University)

  • Uusitalo, Roope

    (University of Helsinki)

Abstract

We examine the impact of an information intervention offered to 97 randomly chosen high schools in Finland. Graduating students in treatment schools were surveyed and given information on the labor market prospects associated with detailed post-secondary programs. A third of the students report that the intervention led them to update their beliefs. Experimental estimates suggest that it also affected the application behavior of the least informed students. However, this group of affected students is not sufficiently large for the intervention to have an average impact on applications or enrollment.

Suggested Citation

  • Pekkala Kerr, Sari & Pekkarinen, Tuomas & Sarvimäki, Matti & Uusitalo, Roope, 2015. "Post-Secondary Education and Information on Labor Market Prospects: A Randomized Field Experiment," IZA Discussion Papers 9372, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    • Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp9372
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    education; information; earnings; randomized field experiments;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity
    • I23 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Higher Education; Research Institutions

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