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Does Employer Learning Vary by Occupation?

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  • Hani Mansour

Abstract

Models of employer learning have two implications: first, the distribution of wages becomes more dispersed as a cohort of workers gains experience; second, the coefficient on an ability correlate that employers initially do not observe grows with experience. If learning by employers varies across occupations, both of these indicators of learning should covary positively across groups defined by a worker's initial occupational assignment. This paper tests these implications using data from the NLSY79 and CPS. I find that there is significant heterogeneity in the employer learning process across occupations and that occupational assignment affects the learning process independently of education.

Suggested Citation

  • Hani Mansour, 2012. "Does Employer Learning Vary by Occupation?," Journal of Labor Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 30(2), pages 415-444.
  • Handle: RePEc:ucp:jlabec:doi:10.1086/663590
    DOI: 10.1086/663590
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    Cited by:

    1. Konon, Alexander & Kritikos, Alexander S., 2017. "Media and Occupational Choice," IZA Discussion Papers 11015, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    2. Rune V. Lesner, 2016. "Testing for Statistical Discrimination based on Gender," Economics Working Papers 2016-07, Department of Economics and Business Economics, Aarhus University.
    3. Light, Audrey & McGee, Andrew, 2015. "Does employer learning vary by schooling attainment? The answer depends on how career start dates are defined," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 32(C), pages 57-66.
    4. Araki, Shota & Kawaguchi, Daiji & Onozuka, Yuki, 2016. "University prestige, performance evaluation, and promotion: Estimating the employer learning model using personnel datasets," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 41(C), pages 135-148.
    5. Tani, Massimiliano, 2017. "Local signals and the returns to foreign education," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 61(C), pages 174-190.
    6. Audrey Light & Andrew McGee, 2015. "Employer Learning and the “Importance†of Skills," Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 50(1), pages 72-107.
    7. Mohrenweiser, Jens & Wydra-Sommaggio, Gaby & Zwick, Thomas, 2015. "Work-related ability as source of information advantages of training employers," ZEW Discussion Papers 15-057, ZEW - Leibniz Centre for European Economic Research.
    8. Audrey Light & Andrew McGee, 2011. "Employer Learning and the “Importance” of Skills," Working Papers 11-02, Ohio State University, Department of Economics.
    9. NAKABAYASHI, Masaki, 2011. "Acquired Skills and Learned Abilities: Wage Dynamics of Blue-collar Workers in Internal Labor Markets," ISS Discussion Paper Series (series F) f153, Institute of Social Science, The University of Tokyo, revised Apr 2012.
    10. 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.
    11. Seik Kim & Emiko Usui, 2021. "Employer learning, job changes, and wage dynamics," Economic Inquiry, Western Economic Association International, vol. 59(3), pages 1286-1307, July.
    12. Melinda Petre, 2018. "Are Employers Omniscient? Employer Learning About Cognitive and Noncognitive Skills," Industrial Relations: A Journal of Economy and Society, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 57(3), pages 323-360, July.
    13. Rao, Neel, 2016. "Asymmetric information and search frictions: A neutrality result," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 147(C), pages 138-141.
    14. Kreisman, Daniel & Smith, Jonathan & Arifin, Bondi, 2021. "Labor Market Signaling and the Value of College: Evidence from Resumes and the Truth," IZA Discussion Papers 14483, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    15. Wang, Jun & Li, Bo, 2020. "Does employer learning with statistical discrimination exist in China? Evidence from Chinese Micro Survey Data," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 69(C), pages 319-333.
    16. Bordón, Paola & Braga, Breno, 2020. "Employer learning, statistical discrimination and university prestige," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 77(C).
    17. Homroy, Swarnodeep & Mukherjee, Shibashish, 2021. "The role of employer learning and regulatory interventions in mitigating executive gender pay gap," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 71(C).
    18. Sylvie Démurger & Eric A. Hanushek & Lei Zhang, 2019. "Employer Learning and the Dynamics of Returns to Universities: Evidence from Chinese Elite Education during University Expansion," NBER Working Papers 25955, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.

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    More about this item

    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
    • J71 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Labor Discrimination - - - Hiring and Firing
    • J62 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers - - - Job, Occupational and Intergenerational Mobility; Promotion

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