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Recruiting and Retaining Teachers in the UK: An Analysis of Graduate Occupation Choice from the 1960s to the 1990s

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  • ARNAUD CHEVALIER
  • PETER DOLTON
  • STEVEN McINTOSH

Abstract

This paper examines the market for teachers in the UK from 1960 to 2002 using six graduate cohort data‐sets. We find that, while there is no strong evidence that teachers are underpaid, the relative wages in teaching compared with alternative professions have a significant impact on the likelihood of graduates choosing to teach. This wage effect is strongest at times of low relative teachers' wages, or following a period of decline in those wages. It is also strongest for those individuals who have more recently graduated, and for men.

Suggested Citation

  • ARNAUD CHEVALIER & PETER DOLTON & STEVEN McINTOSH, 2007. "Recruiting and Retaining Teachers in the UK: An Analysis of Graduate Occupation Choice from the 1960s to the 1990s," Economica, London School of Economics and Political Science, vol. 74(293), pages 69-96, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:econom:v:74:y:2007:i:293:p:69-96
    DOI: 10.1111/j.1468-0335.2006.00528.x
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Gibbons, Stephen & Silva, Olmo, 2008. "Urban density and pupil attainment," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 63(2), pages 631-650, March.
    2. Hof, Stefanie & Strupler Leiser, Mirjam & Wolter, Stefan C., 2011. "Career Changers in Teaching Jobs: A Case Study Based on the Swiss Vocational Education System," IZA Discussion Papers 5806, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    3. Varga, Júlia, 2007. "Kiből lesz ma tanár?. A tanári pálya választásának empirikus elemzése [Who becomes a teacher today?. An empirical analysis of choosing the teaching profession]," Közgazdasági Szemle (Economic Review - monthly of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences), Közgazdasági Szemle Alapítvány (Economic Review Foundation), vol. 0(7), pages 609-627.
    4. Fullard, Joshua, 2021. "Bad economy, good teachers? The countercyclicality of enrolment Into Initial Teacher Training Programmes in the UK," ISER Working Paper Series 2021-06, Institute for Social and Economic Research.
    5. Bart H. H. Golsteyn & Stan Vermeulen & Inge Wolf, 2016. "Teacher Literacy and Numeracy Skills: International Evidence from PIAAC and ALL," De Economist, Springer, vol. 164(4), pages 365-389, December.
    6. Juan Cándido Gómez Gallego & María Concepción Pérez Cárceles & Laura Nieto Torrejón (ed.), 2017. "Investigaciones de Economía de la Educación," E-books Investigaciones de Economía de la Educación, Asociación de Economía de la Educación, edition 1, volume 12, number 12, August.
    7. Varga, Júlia, 2013. "A közalkalmazotti béremelés hatása a tanárok pályaelhagyási döntéseire [The effect of a public-sector pay increase on teachers attrition]," Közgazdasági Szemle (Economic Review - monthly of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences), Közgazdasági Szemle Alapítvány (Economic Review Foundation), vol. 0(5), pages 579-600.
    8. Falch, Torberg & Johansen, Kåre & Strøm, Bjarne, 2009. "Teacher shortages and the business cycle," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 16(6), pages 648-658, December.
    9. James Walker & Anna Vignoles & Mark Collins, 2010. "Higher education academic salaries in the UK," Oxford Economic Papers, Oxford University Press, vol. 62(1), pages 12-35, January.
    10. Silva, Olmo, 2009. "Some Remarks on the Effectiveness of Primary Education Interventions," IZA Policy Papers 5, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    11. Barigozzi, Francesca & Parasnis, Jaai & Tani, Massimiliano, 2022. "Gender, Motivation, and Self-Selection into Teaching," IZA Discussion Papers 15532, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    12. Fullard, Joshua, 2021. "Relative wages and pupil performance, evidence from TIMSS," ISER Working Paper Series 2021-07, Institute for Social and Economic Research.
    13. Ellen Greaves & Luke Sibieta, 2014. "Estimating the effect of teacher pay on pupil attainment using boundary discontinuities," IFS Working Papers W14/03, Institute for Fiscal Studies.
    14. Sam Sims & Asma Benhenda, 2022. "The effect of financial incentives on the retention of shortage-subject teachers: evidence from England," CEPEO Working Paper Series 22-04, UCL Centre for Education Policy and Equalising Opportunities, revised Apr 2022.
    15. Steingrimsdottir, Herdis, 2020. "The decreased popularity of the teaching sector in the 1970s," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 74(C).
    16. repec:ces:ifodic:v:2:y:2004:i:4:p:14567719 is not listed on IDEAS
    17. Arnaud Chevalier & Peter Dolton, 2004. "The Labour Market for Teachers," Working Papers 200411, School of Economics, University College Dublin.
    18. Boyle Glenn, 2008. "Pay Peanuts and Get Monkeys? Evidence from Academia," The B.E. Journal of Economic Analysis & Policy, De Gruyter, vol. 8(1), pages 1-26, July.
    19. Geraldo Andrade Da Silva Filho & Cristine Campos De Xavier Pinto & Marcel De Toledo Vieira, 2016. "Does Money Move Teachers?," Anais do XLII Encontro Nacional de Economia [Proceedings of the 42nd Brazilian Economics Meeting] 240, ANPEC - Associação Nacional dos Centros de Pós-Graduação em Economia [Brazilian Association of Graduate Programs in Economics].

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    JEL classification:

    • J2 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor
    • J4 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Particular Labor Markets

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