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Leaving school in an economic downturn and self-esteem across early and middle adulthood

Author

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  • Johanna Catherine Maclean

    (Department of Economics, Temple University)

  • Terrence D. Hill

    (Department of Sociology, The University of Utah)

Abstract

In this study we test whether leaving school in an economic downturn impacts self-esteem. Self-esteem is an important dimension of non-cognitive skill that economists have recently begun to examine. Previous work documents that leaving school in a downturn persistently depresses career outcomes, and career success is an important determinant of self-esteem. We model responses to the Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale as a function of the state unemployment rate at school-leaving. We address the potential endogeneity of time and location of school- leaving with instrumental variables. Our results suggest that leaving school in an economic downturn lowers self-esteem men but effects do not emerge until middle adulthood, and are particularly strong for white and high skill men.

Suggested Citation

  • Johanna Catherine Maclean & Terrence D. Hill, 2015. "Leaving school in an economic downturn and self-esteem across early and middle adulthood," DETU Working Papers 1505, Department of Economics, Temple University.
    • Handle: RePEc:tem:wpaper:1505
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    Cited by:

    1. Julie L. Hotchkiss & Robert E. Moore, 2022. "Some Like it Hot: Assessing Longer-Term Labor Market Benefits from a High-Pressure Economy," International Journal of Central Banking, International Journal of Central Banking, vol. 18(2), pages 193-243, June.
    2. Johanna Catherine Maclean & Reginald Covington & Asia Sikora Kessler, 2016. "Labor Market Conditions At School-Leaving: Long-Run Effects On Marriage And Fertility," Contemporary Economic Policy, Western Economic Association International, vol. 34(1), pages 63-88, January.
    3. Till von Wachter, 2020. "The Persistent Effects of Initial Labor Market Conditions for Young Adults and Their Sources," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 34(4), pages 168-194, Fall.
    4. Yaa Akosa Antwi & Johanna Catherine Maclean, 2017. "State Health Insurance Mandates and Labor Market Outcomes: New Evidence on Old Questions," NBER Working Papers 23203, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    5. Maclean, Johanna Catherine & Webber, Douglas, 2022. "Government regulation and wages: Evidence from continuing coverage mandates," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 78(C).
    6. Maclean Johanna Catherine & Hill Terrence D., 2017. "Economic Conditions at School Leaving and Sleep Patterns Across the Life Course," The B.E. Journal of Economic Analysis & Policy, De Gruyter, vol. 17(2), pages 1-37, April.
    7. Shengjun Jiang, 2024. "Reasons for college major-job mismatch and subsequent job mobility and earnings growth," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 67(3), pages 1275-1301, September.
    8. Hovi Matti, 2020. "The Lasting Well-being Effects of Early Adulthood Macroeconomic Crises," Working Papers 1823, Tampere University, Faculty of Management and Business, Economics.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    self-esteem; non-cognitive skills; school-leaving; macroeconomic fluctuations;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I1 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health
    • I12 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health Behavior
    • J2 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor

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