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High School Employment, School Performance, and College Entry

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  • Lee, Chanyoung
  • Orazem, Peter F.

Abstract

The proportion of U.S. high school students working during the school year ranges from 23% in the freshman year to 75% in the senior year. This study estimates how cumulative work histories during the high school years affect probability of dropout, high school academic performance, and the probability of attending college. Variation in individual date of birth and in state truancy laws along with the strength of local demand for low-skill labor are used as instruments for endogenous work hours during the high school career. Working more hours during the academic year does not affect high school academic performance. However, increased high school work intensity raises the likelihood of completing high school but lowers the probability of going to college. These results are similar for boys and girls, and so working during high school does not explain the widening gap in college entry between men and women.

Suggested Citation

  • Lee, Chanyoung & Orazem, Peter F., 2008. "High School Employment, School Performance, and College Entry," ISU General Staff Papers 200806010700001232, Iowa State University, Department of Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:isu:genstf:200806010700001232
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    Cited by:

    1. Charles L. Baum & Christopher J. Ruhm, 2016. "The Changing Benefits of Early Work Experience," Southern Economic Journal, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 83(2), pages 343-363, October.
    2. Amy Bergenwall & E. Kelloway & Julian Barling, 2014. "Odd Jobs, Bad Habits, and Ethical Implications: Smoking-Related Outcomes of Children’s Early Employment Intensity," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 122(2), pages 269-282, June.
    3. Joseph Sabia & Daniel Rees, 2015. "Body weight, mental health capital, and academic achievement," Review of Economics of the Household, Springer, vol. 13(3), pages 653-684, September.
    4. Huzeyfe Torun & Semih Tumen, 2017. "The empirical content of season-of-birth effects: An investigation with Turkish data," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 37(57), pages 1825-1860.
    5. Huang, Fung-Mey & Liao, Jen-Che & Yi, Chin-Chun, 2020. "The impact of labor market work and educational tracking on student educational outcomes: Evidence from Taiwan," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 77(C).
    6. Mariya Burdina & James Davenport & Sue Lynn Sasser, 2016. "The Perceptions and Attitudes of Oklahoma College Students about Free Markets and Government Regulations," Journal for Economic Educators, Middle Tennessee State University, Business and Economic Research Center, vol. 16(1), pages 22-35, Fall.
    7. Brecht Neyt & Eddy Omey & Dieter Verhaest & Stijn Baert, 2019. "Does Student Work Really Affect Educational Outcomes? A Review Of The Literature," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 33(3), pages 896-921, July.
    8. Kroupova, Katerina & Havranek, Tomas & Irsova, Zuzana, 2024. "Student Employment and Education: A Meta-Analysis," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 100(C).
    9. Tjaša Bartolj & Sašo Polanec, 2018. "Does Work Harm Academic Performance of Students? Evidence Using Propensity Score Matching," Research in Higher Education, Springer;Association for Institutional Research, vol. 59(4), pages 401-429, June.
    10. Lesner, Rune Vammen & Damm, Anna Piil & Bertelsen, Preben & Pedersen, Mads Uffe, 2022. "The Effect of School-Year Employment on Cognitive Skills, Risky Behavior, and Educational Achievement," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 88(C).
    11. Russell Ormiston, 2016. "Does High School Employment Develop Marketable Skills?," Journal of Labor Research, Springer, vol. 37(1), pages 53-68, March.
    12. Bachmann, Andreas & Boes, Stefan, 2014. "Private transfers and college students’ decision to work," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 42(C), pages 34-42.
    13. Kasey S. Buckles & Daniel M. Hungerman, 2013. "Season of Birth and Later Outcomes: Old Questions, New Answers," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 95(3), pages 711-724, July.
    14. Moudud Alam & Kenneth Carling & Ola Nääs, 2015. "The Program and Treatment Effect of Summer Jobs on Girls’ Post-Schooling Incomes," Evaluation Review, , vol. 39(3), pages 339-359, June.
    15. Elliott Fan & Jin-Tan Liu & Yen-Chien Chen, 2017. "Is the Quarter of Birth Endogenous? New Evidence from Taiwan, the US, and Indonesia," Oxford Bulletin of Economics and Statistics, Department of Economics, University of Oxford, vol. 79(6), pages 1087-1124, December.
    16. Elliott Fan & Jin-Tan Liu & Yen-Chien Chen, 2014. "Is the 'Quarter of Birth' Endogenous? Evidence From One Million Siblings in Taiwan," NBER Working Papers 20444, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    17. Alam, Moudud & Carling, Kenneth & Nääs, Ola, 2013. "The effect of summer jobs on post-schooling incomes," Working Paper Series 2013:24, IFAU - Institute for Evaluation of Labour Market and Education Policy.
    18. Rune V. Lesner & Anna Piil Damm & Preben Bertelsen & Mads Uffe Pedersen, 2018. "Life Skills Development of Teenagers through Spare-Time Jobs," Economics Working Papers 2018-09, Department of Economics and Business Economics, Aarhus University.
    19. Russell Ormiston, 2016. "Does High School Employment Develop Marketable Skills?," Journal of Labor Research, Springer, vol. 37(1), pages 53-68, March.
    20. Laura M. Crispin & Michael Kofoed, 2019. "Does Time To Work Limit Time To Play?: Estimating A Time Allocation Model For High School Students By Household Socioeconomic Status," Contemporary Economic Policy, Western Economic Association International, vol. 37(3), pages 524-544, July.

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    JEL classification:

    • N30 - Economic History - - Labor and Consumers, Demography, Education, Health, Welfare, Income, Wealth, Religion, and Philanthropy - - - General, International, or Comparative

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