IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/spr/jlabrs/v58y2024i1d10.1186_s12651-024-00370-1.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Test-based measurement of skill mismatch: a validation of five different measurement approaches using the NEPS

Author

Listed:
  • Stephan Bischof

    (Federal Institute for Population Research
    Leibniz Institute for Educational Trajectories)

Abstract

Skill mismatch is a key indicator of labour market research that has received significant attention. To date, various approaches of test-based measurement of skill mismatch have been used in research, generating differing results. However, it remains unclear which method is the most valid for measuring skill mismatch. This study provides a comparative validation of five commonly used approaches to test-based measurement of skill mismatches in reading and mathematics to detect the most valid method. Drawing on the 2016 wave of the German National Educational Panel Study (NEPS) Adult Cohort, I find significantly varying distributions for the different measurement approaches, and highly valid skill mismatch measures for the statistical and the mixed approach. Overall, the mixed approach emerges as the most valid method. The findings highlight the critical importance of measurement approaches in skill mismatch research.

Suggested Citation

  • Stephan Bischof, 2024. "Test-based measurement of skill mismatch: a validation of five different measurement approaches using the NEPS," Journal for Labour Market Research, Springer;Institute for Employment Research/ Institut für Arbeitsmarkt- und Berufsforschung (IAB), vol. 58(1), pages 1-17, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:jlabrs:v:58:y:2024:i:1:d:10.1186_s12651-024-00370-1
    DOI: 10.1186/s12651-024-00370-1
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1186/s12651-024-00370-1
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1186/s12651-024-00370-1?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Richard Desjardins & Kjell Rubenson, 2011. "An Analysis of Skill Mismatch Using Direct Measures of Skills," OECD Education Working Papers 63, OECD Publishing.
    2. Hartog, Joop, 2000. "Over-education and earnings: where are we, where should we go?," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 19(2), pages 131-147, April.
    3. van Buuren, Stef & Groothuis-Oudshoorn, Karin, 2011. "mice: Multivariate Imputation by Chained Equations in R," Journal of Statistical Software, Foundation for Open Access Statistics, vol. 45(i03).
    4. Britta Matthes & Bernhard Christoph & Florian Janik & Michael Ruland, 2014. "Collecting information on job tasks—an instrument to measure tasks required at the workplace in a multi-topic survey [Die Erfassung von Job-Tasks in persönlichen Befragungen. Ein neues Instrument z," Journal for Labour Market Research, Springer;Institute for Employment Research/ Institut für Arbeitsmarkt- und Berufsforschung (IAB), vol. 47(4), pages 273-297, December.
    5. Sicherman, Nachum & Galor, Oded, 1990. "A Theory of Career Mobility," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 98(1), pages 169-192, February.
    6. Rolf van der Velden & Mark Levels & Jim Allen, 2014. "Educational mismatches and skills: New empirical tests of old hypotheses," Investigaciones de Economía de la Educación volume 9, in: Adela García Aracil & Isabel Neira Gómez (ed.), Investigaciones de Economía de la Educación 9, edition 1, volume 9, chapter 34, pages 655-680, Asociación de Economía de la Educación.
    7. Michael J. Handel, 2016. "What do people do at work? [Was machen Menschen bei der Arbeit?]," Journal for Labour Market Research, Springer;Institute for Employment Research/ Institut für Arbeitsmarkt- und Berufsforschung (IAB), vol. 49(2), pages 177-197, October.
    8. Michele Pellizzari & Anne Fichen, 2017. "A new measure of skill mismatch: theory and evidence from PIAAC," IZA Journal of Labor Economics, Springer;Forschungsinstitut zur Zukunft der Arbeit GmbH (IZA), vol. 6(1), pages 1-30, December.
    9. Daniela Rohrbach-Schmidt & Michael Tiemann, 2016. "Educational (Mis)match and skill utilization in Germany: Assessing the role of worker and job characteristics [Qualifikatorisches (Mis)matching und die Ausnutzung von fachlichen Kenntnissen und Fäh," Journal for Labour Market Research, Springer;Institute for Employment Research/ Institut für Arbeitsmarkt- und Berufsforschung (IAB), vol. 49(2), pages 99-119, October.
    10. Gary S. Becker, 1964. "Human Capital: A Theoretical and Empirical Analysis with Special Reference to Education, First Edition," NBER Books, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc, number beck-5.
    11. Matthes, Britta & Christoph, Bernhard & Janik, Florian & Ruland, Michael, 2014. "Collecting information on job tasks - an instrument to measure tasks required at the workplace in a multi-topic survey," Journal for Labour Market Research, Institut für Arbeitsmarkt- und Berufsforschung (IAB), Nürnberg [Institute for Employment Research, Nuremberg, Germany], vol. 47(4), pages 273-297.
    12. Rolf van der Velden & Ineke Bijlsma, 2019. "Effective skill: a new theoretical perspective on the relation between skills, skill use, mismatches, and wages," Oxford Economic Papers, Oxford University Press, vol. 71(1), pages 145-165.
    13. Müge Adalet McGowan & Dan Andrews, 2015. "Skill Mismatch and Public Policy in OECD Countries," OECD Economics Department Working Papers 1210, OECD Publishing.
    14. Queralt Capsada-Munsech, 2019. "Measuring Overeducation: Incidence, Correlation and Overlaps Across Indicators and Countries," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 145(1), pages 279-301, August.
    15. Seamus McGuinness & Konstantinos Pouliakas & Paul Redmond, 2018. "Skills Mismatch: Concepts, Measurement And Policy Approaches," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 32(4), pages 985-1015, September.
    16. Nancy Kracke & Margarida Rodrigues, 2020. "A Task-Based Indicator for Labour Market Mismatch," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 149(2), pages 399-421, June.
    17. Allen, J.P. & Levels, M. & van der Velden, R.K.W., 2013. "Skill mismatch and skill use in developed countries: Evidence from the PIAAC study," ROA Research Memorandum 017, Maastricht University, Research Centre for Education and the Labour Market (ROA).
    18. Allen, J.P. & Levels, M. & van der Velden, R.K.W., 2013. "Skill mismatch and use in developed countries: Evidence from the PIAAC study," Research Memorandum 061, Maastricht University, Graduate School of Business and Economics (GSBE).
    19. Theo Sparreboom & Alexander Tarvid, 2016. "Imbalanced Job Polarization and Skills Mismatch in Europe," Journal for Labour Market Research, Springer;Institute for Employment Research/ Institut für Arbeitsmarkt- und Berufsforschung (IAB), vol. 49(1), pages 15-42, July.
    20. Sparreboom, Theo & Tarvid, Alexander, 2016. "Imbalanced job polarization and skills mismatch in Europe (Unausgewogene Jobpolarisierung und Qualifikationsmismatch in Europa)," Journal for Labour Market Research, Institut für Arbeitsmarkt- und Berufsforschung (IAB), Nürnberg [Institute for Employment Research, Nuremberg, Germany], vol. 49(1), pages 15-42.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Nancy Kracke & Margarida Rodrigues, 2020. "A Task-Based Indicator for Labour Market Mismatch," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 149(2), pages 399-421, June.
    2. Castro, Juan Francisco & Ortega, Lorena & Yamada, Gustavo & Mata, David, 2022. "The Magnitude and Predictors of Overeducation and Overskilling in Latin America: Evidence from PIAAC," IZA Discussion Papers 15143, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    3. Sandra Pérez Rodríguez & Rolf van der Velden & Tim Huijts & Babs Jacobs, 2024. "Identifying literacy and numeracy skill mismatch in OECD countries using the job analysis method," Oxford Economic Papers, Oxford University Press, vol. 76(3), pages 859-876.
    4. Kracke, Nancy & Reichelt, Malte & Vicari, Basha, 2017. "Wage losses due to overqualification: The role of formal degrees and occupational skills," IAB-Discussion Paper 201710, Institut für Arbeitsmarkt- und Berufsforschung (IAB), Nürnberg [Institute for Employment Research, Nuremberg, Germany].
    5. Nancy Kracke & Malte Reichelt & Basha Vicari, 2018. "Wage Losses Due to Overqualification: The Role of Formal Degrees and Occupational Skills," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 139(3), pages 1085-1108, October.
    6. Iakovlev, Vsevolod, 2024. "Skill vs. education types of labour mismatch and their association with earnings," Accountancy, Economics, and Finance Working Papers 2024-12, Heriot-Watt University, Department of Accountancy, Economics, and Finance.
    7. Dong-Hoon Shin & David Bills, 2021. "Trends in Educational and Skill Mismatch in the United States," Social Sciences, MDPI, vol. 10(10), pages 1-36, October.
    8. Morsy, Hanan & Mukasa, Adamon, 2019. "Youth Jobs, Skill and Educational Mismatches in Africa," MPRA Paper 100394, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    9. Hanan Morsy & Adamon N. Mukasa, 2019. "Working Paper 326 - Youth Jobs, Skill and Educational Mismatches in Africa," Working Paper Series 2452, African Development Bank.
    10. Pérez Rodrigues, Sandra & Huijts, Tim & van der Velden, Rolf & Jacobs, Babs, 2020. "Required literacy and numeracy skill levels for occupations in OECD countries," ROA Technical Report 008, Maastricht University, Research Centre for Education and the Labour Market (ROA).
    11. Giorgio Brunello & Patricia Wruuck, 2021. "Skill shortages and skill mismatch: A review of the literature," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 35(4), pages 1145-1167, September.
    12. David Boto-García & Marta Escalonilla, 2022. "University education, mismatched jobs: are there gender differences in the drivers of overeducation?," Economia Politica: Journal of Analytical and Institutional Economics, Springer;Fondazione Edison, vol. 39(3), pages 861-902, October.
    13. Igna, Ioana A., 2018. "The effects of educational mismatch on inventor productivity. Evidence from Sweden, 2003-2010," Papers in Innovation Studies 2018/8, Lund University, CIRCLE - Centre for Innovation Research.
    14. Sara Flisi & Valentina Goglio & Elena Claudia Meroni & Margarida Rodrigues & Esperanza Vera-Toscano, 2017. "Measuring Occupational Mismatch: Overeducation and Overskill in Europe—Evidence from PIAAC," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 131(3), pages 1211-1249, April.
    15. Mariana Olga De Santis & María Cecilia Gáname & Pedro Esteban Moncarz, 2022. "The Impact of Overeducation on Wages of Recent Economic Sciences Graduates," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 163(1), pages 409-445, August.
    16. Müge Adalet McGowan & Dan Andrews, 2015. "Skill Mismatch and Public Policy in OECD Countries," OECD Economics Department Working Papers 1210, OECD Publishing.
    17. Marta Palczyńska, 2021. "Overeducation and wages: the role of cognitive skills and personality traits," Baltic Journal of Economics, Baltic International Centre for Economic Policy Studies, vol. 21(1), pages 85-111.
    18. Joaquin Turmo-Garuz & M.-Teresa Bartual-Figueras & Francisco-Javier Sierra-Martinez, 2019. "Factors Associated with Overeducation Among Recent Graduates During Labour Market Integration: The Case of Catalonia (Spain)," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 144(3), pages 1273-1301, August.
    19. Yih‐chyi Chuang & Chia‐Yu Liang, 2022. "Overeducation and skill mismatch of university graduates in Taiwan," Review of Development Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 26(3), pages 1693-1712, August.
    20. Araújo, Isabel & Carneiro, Anabela, 2020. "Educational Mismatches of Newly Hired Workers: Short and Medium-run Effects on Wages," GLO Discussion Paper Series 668, Global Labor Organization (GLO).

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Skill mismatch; Measurement; Validation; Occupational skill requirements; Test-based skill mismatch; Statistical approach; Mixed approach; Job analysis approach; Worker assessment approach; Task approach;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C52 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Econometric Modeling - - - Model Evaluation, Validation, and Selection
    • J20 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - General
    • 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

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:spr:jlabrs:v:58:y:2024:i:1:d:10.1186_s12651-024-00370-1. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.