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A low-skill job after college: a stepping stone or a barrier?
[Un emploi peu qualifié après la fac : frein ou tremplin ?]

Author

Listed:
  • Michel Armel Ndayikeza

    (CERDI - Centre d'Études et de Recherches sur le Développement International - IRD - Institut de Recherche pour le Développement - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique - UCA - Université Clermont Auvergne, Université du Burundi)

Abstract

Going to college is a risky investment because there is no guarantee of securing a job after graduation. The transition from school to work is particularly complicated in low-income countries, where access to higher education has risen considerably over the past two decades, from 4.5% in 2000 to 9.5% in 2021 (WDI, 2025). Many graduates then find themselves in low-skill jobs, i.e. jobs that do not require a university degree, raising the question of the impact of these experiences on their future professional integration. In a context where the creation of skilled jobs is not keeping pace with the increase in the number of graduates (World Bank, 2023), this question becomes essential to inform the choices made by young people at the start of their careers.

Suggested Citation

  • Michel Armel Ndayikeza, 2025. "A low-skill job after college: a stepping stone or a barrier? [Un emploi peu qualifié après la fac : frein ou tremplin ?]," Post-Print hal-05385117, HAL.
    • Handle: RePEc:hal:journl:hal-05385117
    Note: View the original document on HAL open archive server: https://uca.hal.science/hal-05385117v1
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Judd B. Kessler & Corinne Low & Colin D. Sullivan, 2019. "Incentivized Resume Rating: Eliciting Employer Preferences without Deception," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 109(11), pages 3713-3744, November.
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