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Signaling and Employer Learning with Instruments

Author

Listed:
  • Gaurab Aryal
  • Manudeep Bhuller
  • Fabian Lange

Abstract

This paper considers the use of instruments to identify and estimate private and social returns to education within a model of employer learning. What an instrument identifies depends on whether it is hidden from, or transparent (i.e., observed) to, the employers. A hidden instrument identifies private returns to education, and a transparent instrument identifies social returns to education. We use variation in compulsory schooling laws across noncentral and central municipalities in Norway to, respectively, construct hidden and transparent instruments. We estimate a private return of 7.9 percent, of which 70 percent is due to increased productivity and the remaining 30 percent is due to signaling.

Suggested Citation

  • Gaurab Aryal & Manudeep Bhuller & Fabian Lange, 2022. "Signaling and Employer Learning with Instruments," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 112(5), pages 1669-1702, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:aea:aecrev:v:112:y:2022:i:5:p:1669-1702
    DOI: 10.1257/aer.20200146
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Chien-Chiang Lee & Fuhao Wang & Chi-Chuan Lee, 2025. "How does education promote green digital finance? Evidence from China," Financial Innovation, Springer;Southwestern University of Finance and Economics, vol. 11(1), pages 1-29, December.
    2. Markussen, Simen & Nareklishvili, Maria & Røed, Knut, 2024. "Overeducation and economic mobility," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 103(C).
    3. Krumme, Anna & Westphal, Matthias, 2024. "Monetary returns to upper secondary schooling, the evolution of unobserved heterogeneity, and implications for employer learning," Ruhr Economic Papers 1130, RWI - Leibniz-Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung, Ruhr-University Bochum, TU Dortmund University, University of Duisburg-Essen.
    4. Graetz, Georg, 2023. "Imperfect Signals," IZA Discussion Papers 16104, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    5. Cygan-Rehm, Kamila & Westphal, Matthias, 2024. "School starting age and the gender pay gap over the life cycle," Ruhr Economic Papers 1115, RWI - Leibniz-Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung, Ruhr-University Bochum, TU Dortmund University, University of Duisburg-Essen.
    6. Harry A Patrinos, 2022. "Returns to Education in Greece: Evidence from the 1977 Labor Market Survey using the Greek Civil War as an Instrument," Economics Bulletin, AccessEcon, vol. 42(1), pages 288-293.
    7. Bhuller, Manudeep & Sigstad, Henrik, 2024. "2SLS with multiple treatments," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 242(1).
    8. Nick Huntington-Klein, 2021. "Human capital versus signaling is empirically unresolvable," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 60(5), pages 2499-2531, May.
    9. Laura Ehrmantraut & Pia Pinger & Renske Stans, 2020. "Bildungsrendite: Was erhoffen sich Studierende von ihrem Abschluss?," ECONtribute Policy Brief Series 012, University of Bonn and University of Cologne, Germany.
    10. Beuermann, Diether W. & Bottan, Nicolas L. & Hoffmann, Bridget & Jackson, C. Kirabo & Vera-Cossio, Diego, 2024. "Does education prevent job loss during downturns? Evidence from exogenous school assignments and COVID-19 in Barbados," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 162(C).
    11. Mahdi Gholami & Samuel Muehlemann, 2024. "Pathways to Prosperity: The Roles of Cognitive and Non-Cognitive Skills in Employer Quality and Early Career Earnings," Economics of Education Working Paper Series 0212, University of Zurich, Department of Business Administration (IBW), revised Dec 2024.
    12. Manudeep Bhuller & Philipp Eisenhauer & Moritz Mendel, 2022. "Sequential Choices, Option Values, and the Returns to Education," Papers 2205.05444, arXiv.org, revised Jul 2024.
    13. Kamila Cygan-Rehm, 2022. "Lifetime Consequences of Lost Instructional Time in the Classroom: Evidence from Shortened School Years," CESifo Working Paper Series 9892, CESifo.
    14. Zhewen Pan & Zhengxin Wang & Junsen Zhang & Yahong Zhou, 2024. "Marginal treatment effects in the absence of instrumental variables," Papers 2401.17595, arXiv.org, revised Aug 2024.
    15. Marie Connolly & Catherine Haeck & Jean-William P. Laliberté, 2021. "Parental Education and the Rising Transmission of Income between Generations," NBER Chapters, in: Measuring Distribution and Mobility of Income and Wealth, pages 289-315, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    16. Gholami, Mahdi & Muehlemann, Samuel, 2024. "Math Skills, Selection in Training Firms, and Post-Training Wages," VfS Annual Conference 2024 (Berlin): Upcoming Labor Market Challenges 302349, Verein für Socialpolitik / German Economic Association.
    17. Mahmut Ablay & Fabian Lange, 2023. "Approaches to learn about employer learning," Canadian Journal of Economics/Revue canadienne d'économique, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 56(2), pages 343-356, May.
    18. David J. Deming & Mikko I. Silliman, 2024. "Skills and Human Capital in the Labor Market," NBER Working Papers 32908, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    19. Batistich, Mary Kate & Bond, Timothy N. & Linde, Sebastian & Mumford, Kevin J., 2024. "Statistical Discrimination and Optimal Mismatch in College Major Selection," IZA Discussion Papers 17237, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    20. Moeeni, Safoura & Wei, Feng, 2022. "The labor market returns to unobserved skills: Evidence from a gender quota," CLEF Working Paper Series 53, Canadian Labour Economics Forum (CLEF), University of Waterloo.
    21. Georg Graetz, 2021. "On the interpretation of diploma wage effects estimated by regression discontinuity designs," Canadian Journal of Economics/Revue canadienne d'économique, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 54(1), pages 228-258, February.
    22. Cahuc, Pierre & Hervelin, Jérémy, 2024. "The effect of workplace vs school-based vocational education on youth unemployment: Evidence from France," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 162(C).
    23. Jean-Sauveur Ay & Julie Le Gallo, 2021. "The signaling value of nested wine names," Post-Print hal-03268014, HAL.

    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • D82 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Asymmetric and Private Information; Mechanism Design
    • H75 - Public Economics - - State and Local Government; Intergovernmental Relations - - - State and Local Government: Health, Education, and Welfare
    • I26 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Returns to Education
    • I28 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Government Policy
    • 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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