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Beyond the “Old Boys’ Network”: Social Networks and Job Finding at Community Colleges

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  • Maria Zhu

Abstract

Research and popular discourse on social networks in higher education have focused on elite universities, even though most students do not attend such institutions. This paper sheds novel light on how classmate networks at community colleges influence job finding. Using data from a state community college system linked to matched employer–employee records, I exploit quasi-random variation in class section enrollment within courses to detect network effects. I find students are significantly more likely to get a job at a classmate’s firm later than at the firm of a peer enrolled in a different section of the same course.

Suggested Citation

  • Maria Zhu, 2025. "Beyond the “Old Boys’ Network”: Social Networks and Job Finding at Community Colleges," Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 60(4), pages 1405-1434.
    • Handle: RePEc:uwp:jhriss:v:60:y:2025:i:4:p:1405-1434
    Note: DOI: https://doi.org/10.3368/jhr.0921-11888R2
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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • I23 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Higher Education; Research Institutions
    • I26 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Returns to Education
    • J2 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor

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