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College Majors and Skills: Evidence from the Universe of Online Job Ads

Author

Listed:
  • Steven W. Hemelt
  • Brad Hershbein
  • Shawn M. Martin
  • Kevin M. Stange

Abstract

We document the skill content of college majors as perceived by employers and expressed in the near universe of U.S. online job ads. Social and organizational skills are general in that they are sought by employers of almost all college majors, whereas other skills are more specialized. In turn, general majors––Business and General Engineering––have skill profiles similar to all majors; Nursing and Education are specialized. These cross-major differences in skill profiles explain considerable wage variation, with little role for within-major differences in skills across areas. College majors can thus be reasonably conceptualized as portable bundles of skills.

Suggested Citation

  • Steven W. Hemelt & Brad Hershbein & Shawn M. Martin & Kevin M. Stange, 2021. "College Majors and Skills: Evidence from the Universe of Online Job Ads," NBER Working Papers 29605, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    • Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:29605
    Note: ED LS
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    Cited by:

    1. Li, Hongyan & Xia, Xing, 2024. "Grades as signals of comparative advantage: How letter grades affect major choices," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 227(C).
    2. Raymundo M. Campos-Vázquez & Julio César Martínez Sánchez, 2024. "Habilidades buscadas por las empresas en el mercado laboral mexicano: un análisis de las ofertas laborales publicadas en internet/Skills sought by companies in the Mexican labor market: An analysis o," Estudios Económicos, El Colegio de México, Centro de Estudios Económicos, vol. 39(2), pages 243–278-2.
    3. Ludger Woessmann, 2024. "Skills and Earnings: A Multidimensional Perspective on Human Capital," CESifo Working Paper Series 11428, CESifo.
    4. Barbara Biasi & Song Ma, 2022. "The Education-Innovation Gap," CESifo Working Paper Series 9653, CESifo.
    5. Deborah M. Weiss & Matthew L. Spitzer & Colton Cronin & Neil Chin, 2024. "Why college majors and selectivity matter: Major groupings, occupation specificity, and job skills," Contemporary Economic Policy, Western Economic Association International, vol. 42(2), pages 278-304, April.

    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
    • J23 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Labor Demand
    • J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity

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