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The Changing Occupational Distribution by College Major☆

In: Skill Mismatch in Labor Markets

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  • Michael R. Ransom
  • Aaron Phipps

Abstract

In this paper, we examine the occupational distribution of individuals who hold bachelor degrees in particular fields in the United States using data from the various waves of the National Survey of College Graduates. We propose and calculate indices that describe two related aspects of the occupational distribution by major field of study: distinctiveness (how dissimilar are the occupations of a particular major when compared with all other majors) and variety (how varied are the occupations among those who hold that particular major). We discuss theoretical properties of these indices and statistical properties of their estimates. We show that the occupational variety has increased since 1993 for most major fields of study, particularly between the 1993 and 2003 waves of the survey. We explore reasons for this broadening of the occupation distribution. We find that this has not led to an increase in reported mismatch between degree and occupation.

Suggested Citation

  • Michael R. Ransom & Aaron Phipps, 2017. "The Changing Occupational Distribution by College Major☆," Research in Labor Economics, in: Skill Mismatch in Labor Markets, volume 45, pages 129-171, Emerald Group Publishing Limited.
    • Handle: RePEc:eme:rleczz:s0147-912120170000045004
    DOI: 10.1108/S0147-912120170000045004
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Hemelt, Steven W. & Hershbein, Brad & Martin, Shawn & Stange, Kevin M., 2023. "College majors and skills: Evidence from the universe of online job ads," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 85(C).
    2. 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

    Keywords

    Occupations; college major; J24; J21;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity
    • J21 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Labor Force and Employment, Size, and Structure

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