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College Openings and Local Economic Development

Author

Listed:
  • Berlingieri, Francesco
  • Gathmann, Christina
  • Quinckhardt, Matthias

Abstract

We study how the presence of a college affects the local economy using administrative data. Our analysis exploits the opening of new institutions of tertiary education across Germany in the 1980s and 1990s. The new college substantially increased the student population and share of high-skilled workers in the region. Yet, we find no effect on regional wages or employment indicating that the local economies did not experience additional growth through skill-biased technological change, for instance. Instead, there is sizable heterogeneity in the local gains: high-tech firms in manufacturing absorb most of the new college graduates, esp. in engineering professions. We find little impact on the low- or high-skilled service sector or employment in managerial professions. Finally, we show that local labor market conditions prior to the opening matter: in regions with a more dynamic labor market, the opening encourages firm creation and a permanent upskilling of the workforce. Areas with a less dynamic labor market experience little sustained growth in high-skilled workers who are absorbed by incumbent firms.

Suggested Citation

  • Berlingieri, Francesco & Gathmann, Christina & Quinckhardt, Matthias, 2022. "College Openings and Local Economic Development," CEPR Discussion Papers 17374, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    • Handle: RePEc:cpr:ceprdp:17374
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    2. Backes-Gellner Uschi & Lehnert Patrick, 2023. "Berufliche Bildung als Innovationstreiber: Ein lange vernachlässigtes Forschungsfeld," Perspektiven der Wirtschaftspolitik, De Gruyter, vol. 24(1), pages 85-97, April.
    3. Neumann, Uwe & Schmidt, Christoph M., 2024. "The dynamics of household location preferences in Germany," Ruhr Economic Papers 1126, RWI - Leibniz-Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung, Ruhr-University Bochum, TU Dortmund University, University of Duisburg-Essen.
    4. Eric Schuss, 2025. "The Effects of Expanding Higher Education on Wages and Employment in German Establishments," Economics of Education Working Paper Series 0239, University of Zurich, Department of Business Administration (IBW).
    5. Mona Foertsch & Felix Roesel, 2023. "Public Infrastructure and Regional Resilience: Evidence from the 1918 Spanish Flu in Germany," CESifo Working Paper Series 10705, CESifo.
    6. Robert Calvert Jump & Adam Scavette, 2024. "Do Research Universities Recession Proof Their Regions? Evidence from State Flagship College Towns," Working Paper 24-05, Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond.
    7. Markus, Philipp, 2023. "Effects of access to universities on education and migration decisions," Ruhr Economic Papers 996, RWI - Leibniz-Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung, Ruhr-University Bochum, TU Dortmund University, University of Duisburg-Essen.
    8. Goehausen, Johannes & Thomsen, Stephan L., 2024. "Housing Costs, College Enrollment, and Student Mobility," IZA Discussion Papers 16726, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).

    More about this item

    Keywords

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    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
    • J61 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers - - - Geographic Labor Mobility; Immigrant Workers
    • I23 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Higher Education; Research Institutions
    • I25 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Education and Economic Development

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