Mismatch in the Spanish labor market : overeducation?

The objective of this article is to explain the job match which is assessed by comparing attained education and job-required education as reported by workers. We frame our empirical work according to the occupational mobility theory. Using a cross-section of workers from a representative survey of the Spanish labor force, we consider overeducated workers to be those who report that the level of education their jobs require is below the level of education they have attained. Our results indicate that overeducated workers have less experience, decreased on-the-job training and higher turnover than other comparable workers. We also observe an improvement in the job match over age and mobility.