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Dispersion in the Economic Return to Schooling

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Author Info
Colm Harmon (University College Dublin)
Vincent Hogan (University College Dublin)
Ian Walker (University of Warwick)

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Abstract

In this paper we extend the standard human capital earnings function to include dispersion in the rate of return to schooling by treating the return as a random coefficient. One motivation is that if the increase in supply of skilled workers has been brought about by dipping further into the ability distribution. Alternatively if the expansion in post-compulsory education comes about through relaxed credit constraints then we might expect this to increase average ability in the pool of educated workers. Either event might lead to a rise in the variance in returns. Based on a sample of data from the United Kingdom our estimates suggest that neither the mean nor the dispersion in returns to schooling has altered significantly over time. This is consistent with educational expansion not leading to a disproportionate inflow of low ability individuals into the system.

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File URL: http://www.ucd.ie/economics/research/papers/2001/WP01.16.pdf
File Format: application/pdf
File Function: First version, 2001
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Publisher Info
Paper provided by School Of Economics, University College Dublin in its series Working Papers with number 200116.

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Length: 11 pages
Date of creation: 20 Aug 2001
Date of revision:
Handle: RePEc:ucn:wpaper:200116

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Find related papers by JEL classification:
J31 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs - - - Wage Level and Structure; Wage Differentials
J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity
C31 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Multiple or Simultaneous Equation Models; Multiple Variables - - - Cross-Sectional Models; Spatial Models; Treatment Effect Models

References listed on IDEAS
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  1. Colm Harmon & Ian Walker, 1996. "The marginal and average returns to schooling," IFS Working Papers W96/11, Institute for Fiscal Studies.
    Other versions:
  2. Denny, Kevin & Harmon, Colm & Lydon, Raemonn, 2002. "Cross Country Evidence on the Returns to Education: Patterns and Explanations," CEPR Discussion Papers 3199, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  3. David Card & Thomas Lemieux, 2000. "Can Falling Supply Explain the Rising Return to College for Younger Men? A Cohort-Based Analysis," NBER Working Papers 7655, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
  4. Harmon, C & Ian Walker, 1995. "Estimates of the economic return to schooling for the UK," IFS Working Papers W95/12, Institute for Fiscal Studies.
  5. Harmon, Colm & Walker, Ian, 1999. "The marginal and average returns to schooling in the UK," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 43(4-6), pages 879-887, April. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  6. Colm Harmon; & Ian Walker, 1995. "Estimates of Economic Return to Schooling in the UK," Economics, Finance and Accounting Department Working Paper Series n540195, Department of Economics, Finance and Accounting, National University of Ireland - Maynooth.
  7. James J. Heckman & Lance J. Lochner & Petra E. Todd, 2003. "Fifty Years of Mincer Earnings Regressions," NBER Working Papers 9732, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  8. Lorraine Dearden & Steven McIntosh & Michal Myck & Anna Vignoles, 2000. "The Returns to Academic and Vocational Qualifications in Britain," CEE Discussion Papers 0004, Centre for the Economics of Education, LSE. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
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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. Christian Belzil & Marco Leonardi, 2006. "Can Risk Aversion Explain Schooling Attainments? Evidence From Italy," Post-Print halshs-00142551_v1, HAL. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  2. 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!]
  3. Charlotte Christiansen & Juanna Schröter Joensen & Helena Skyt Nielsen, 2006. "The Risk-Return Trade-Off in Human Capital Investment," IZA Discussion Papers 1962, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA). [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  4. Budria, Santiago, 2006. "Schooling and the distribution of wages in the european private and public sectors," MPRA Paper 90, University Library of Munich, Germany. [Downloadable!]
  5. 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:
  6. Christiansen, Charlotte & Nielsen, Helena Skyt, 2003. "The Educational Asset Market: A Finance Perspective on Human Capital Investment," Finance Working Papers 02-9, University of Aarhus, Aarhus School of Business, Department of Business Studies. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  7. Santiago Budría & Pedro Telhado Pereira, 2005. "Educational Qualifications and Wage Inequality: Evidence for Europe," IZA Discussion Papers 1763, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA). [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  8. Nevine Mokhtar Eid, 2008. "The Capital Asset Pricing Model: An Application on the Efficiency of Financing Higher Public Education in Egypt," Working Papers 8, The German University in Cairo, Faculty of Management Technology. [Downloadable!]
  9. Corrado Andini & Pedro Telhado Pereira, 2007. "Full-time Schooling, Part-time Schooling, and Wages: Returns and Risks in Portugal," IZA Discussion Papers 2651, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA). [Downloadable!]
  10. Chevalier, Arnaud & Harmon, Colm & Walker, Ian & Zhu, Yu, 2003. "Does Education Raise Productivity or Just Reflect It?," CEPR Discussion Papers 3993, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
  11. Stacey H. Chen, 2003. "Estimating the Variance of Wages in the Presence of Selection and Unobservable Heterogeneity," Discussion Papers 03-01, University at Albany, SUNY, Department of Economics.
  12. Abbas, Qaisar & Foreman-Peck, James, 2007. "The Mincer Human Capital Model in Pakistan: Implications for Education Policy," Cardiff Economics Working Papers E2007/24, Cardiff University, Cardiff Business School, Economics Section. [Downloadable!]
  13. Vincent Hogan & Ian Walker, 2003. "Education Choice under Uncertainty and Public Policy," Working Papers 200302, School Of Economics, University College Dublin. [Downloadable!]
  14. 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:
  15. Joop Hartog & Hans van Ophem & Simona Maria Bajdechi, 2004. "How Risky is Investment in Human Capital?," CESifo Working Paper Series CESifo Working Paper No. , CESifo Group Munich. [Downloadable!]
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