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Should states allow early school enrollment? An analysis of individuals’ long-term labor market effects

Author

Listed:
  • Katja Görlitz

    (HdBA
    IZA)

  • Pascal Heß

    (IAB Institute for Employment Research)

  • Marcus Tamm

    (HdBA
    IZA
    RWI–Leibniz-Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung)

Abstract

This study provides a policy evaluation of laws allowing early school enrollment of children, i.e., enrollment before the official school starting age. It investigates the effects of early enrollment on educational attainment, wages and employment. While the school starting age is usually determined by children’s date of birth and legal cutoffs, some German states allowed early enrollment in some years. Exploiting state and cohort variation, the results show that male early enrollees attain fewer years of schooling, enter the labor market earlier and have a larger labor market attachment at around age 16. Positive wage effects persist until approximately age 35. Results for women roughly resemble those for men, but they are less convincingly estimated.

Suggested Citation

  • Katja Görlitz & Pascal Heß & Marcus Tamm, 2025. "Should states allow early school enrollment? An analysis of individuals’ long-term labor market effects," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 68(5), pages 2383-2411, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:empeco:v:68:y:2025:i:5:d:10.1007_s00181-024-02702-z
    DOI: 10.1007/s00181-024-02702-z
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Early enrollment policy; Early school entry; Wages; Employment; School starting age;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I28 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Government Policy
    • J21 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Labor Force and Employment, Size, and Structure
    • J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity

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