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Are Austrian Returns to Education Falling Over Time?

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  • Fersterer, Josef
  • Winter-Ebmer, Rudolf

Abstract

In this paper we make a systematic presentation of returns to education in Austria for the period 1981-1997. We use consistent cross-sections from the Mikrozensus and find falling returns over time. These falling returns are not caused by changes in the sample design and reduced willingness to reveal personal incomes in the survey. Moreover, it is shown that especially returns to university education have fallen. If the focus is not on mean returns, but if we apply quartile regression techniques, interesting patterns emerge: returns are falling the most in the lowest quartiles, but remain almost constant in the highest quartiles. The overall picture of falling returns is consistent with a rise in the supply of well-educated workers in the past two decades.

Suggested Citation

  • Fersterer, Josef & Winter-Ebmer, Rudolf, 1999. "Are Austrian Returns to Education Falling Over Time?," CEPR Discussion Papers 2313, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    • Handle: RePEc:cpr:ceprdp:2313
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Quartile Regression; Returns to Education; Sample Selection;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I21 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Analysis of Education
    • J31 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs - - - Wage Level and Structure; Wage Differentials

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