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The Effects of Computers and Acquired Skills on Earnings, Employment and College Enrollment: Evidence from a Fields Experiment and California UI Earnings Records

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  • Robert W. Fairlie
  • Peter Riley Bahr

Abstract

This paper provides the first evidence on the earnings, employment and college enrollment effects of computers and acquired skills from a randomized controlled trial providing computers to entering college students. We matched confidential administrative data from California Employment Development Department (EDD)/Unemployment Insurance (UI) system earnings records, the California Community College system, and the National Student Clearinghouse to all study participants for seven years after the random provision of computers. The experiment does not provide evidence that computer skills have short- or medium-run effects on earnings. These null effects are found along both the extensive and intensive margins of earnings (although the estimates are not precise). We also do not find evidence of positive or negative effects on college enrollment. A non-experimental analysis of CPS data reveals large, positive and statistically significant relationships between home computers, and earnings, employment and college enrollment, raising concerns about selection bias in non-experimental studies.

Suggested Citation

  • Robert W. Fairlie & Peter Riley Bahr, 2018. "The Effects of Computers and Acquired Skills on Earnings, Employment and College Enrollment: Evidence from a Fields Experiment and California UI Earnings Records," CESifo Working Paper Series 6860, CESifo.
    • Handle: RePEc:ces:ceswps:_6860
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    Cited by:

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    2. Yanguas, Maria Lucia, 2020. "Technology and educational choices: Evidence from a one-laptop-per-child program," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 76(C).
    3. Celeste K. Carruthers & Christopher Jepsen, 2020. "Vocational Education: An International Perspective," CESifo Working Paper Series 8718, CESifo.
    4. Eggenberger, Christian & Backes-Gellner, Uschi, 2023. "IT skills, occupation specificity and job separations," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 92(C).
    5. Denis Fougère & Ghazala Azmat & Alexis Lermite & Clémence Lobut, 2022. "L’impact du numérique sur les apprentissages des élèves : évaluation d’une politique d’équipement à grande échelle. Ensemble des résultats au cycle 4," Working Papers halshs-03915750, HAL.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    computer skills; earnings; employment; college enrollment; experiment;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I20 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - General

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