IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/osf/socarx/83upm.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

Whose Investments in Higher Education Have Been Most Influenced by Labor Market Conditions in Recent Decades?

Author

Listed:
  • Jiang, Dezhi

Abstract

Theoretically, high school graduates are more likely to enroll in college during periods of unfavorable labor market conditions because of a lower opportunity cost. However, how this causal relationship has varied in recent decades (from the 1980s to the 2010s), and how the gender and race heterogeneity of this causal effect differs over time are open empirical questions. This research utilizes continuity and a large sample size of the IPUMS Current Population Survey (IPUMS CPS) and finds the causal relationship has increased in recent decades. The estimates also show that the educational decisions of men are generally more sensitive to current labor market conditions than those made by women, but the gap between the sexes is diminishing. Further, the impact of labor market conditions on educational decisions is heterogeneous across race and ethnicity groups as some have been more influenced than others during some decades. Moreover, this research explores a way to use the new information from each year’s CPS October Education Supplement survey to update the estimates of this causal effect and compare the estimates to studies using the cohort survey or administrative data.

Suggested Citation

  • Jiang, Dezhi, 2021. "Whose Investments in Higher Education Have Been Most Influenced by Labor Market Conditions in Recent Decades?," SocArXiv 83upm, Center for Open Science.
  • Handle: RePEc:osf:socarx:83upm
    DOI: 10.31219/osf.io/83upm
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://osf.io/download/61f0a7959f195e07e62e243b/
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.31219/osf.io/83upm?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 J. Murnane, 2013. "U.S. High School Graduation Rates: Patterns and Explanations," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 51(2), pages 370-422, June.
    2. Hershbein Brad J., 2012. "Graduating High School in a Recession: Work, Education, and Home Production," The B.E. Journal of Economic Analysis & Policy, De Gruyter, vol. 12(1), pages 1-32, January.
    3. Jeffrey R. Brown & Caroline M. Hoxby, 2014. "How the Financial Crisis and Great Recession Affected Higher Education," NBER Books, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc, number brow12-2.
    4. Rivera Drew, Julia A. & Flood, Sarah & Warren, John Robert, 2014. "Making full use of the longitudinal design of the Current Population Survey: Methods for linking records across 16 months\m{1}," Journal of Economic and Social Measurement, IOS Press, issue 3, pages 121-144.
    5. Philippe Belley & Lance Lochner, 2007. "The Changing Role of Family Income and Ability in Determining Educational Achievement," Journal of Human Capital, University of Chicago Press, vol. 1(1), pages 37-89.
    6. Philip Oreopoulos & Kjell G. Salvanes, 2011. "Priceless: The Nonpecuniary Benefits of Schooling," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 25(1), pages 159-184, Winter.
    7. Barr, Andrew & Turner, Sarah, 2015. "Out of work and into school: Labor market policies and college enrollment during the Great Recession," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 124(C), pages 63-73.
    8. Harris Dellas & Plutarchos Sakellaris, 2003. "On the cyclicality of schooling: theory and evidence," Oxford Economic Papers, Oxford University Press, vol. 55(1), pages 148-172, January.
    9. Bridget Terry Long, 2014. "The Financial Crisis and College Enrollment: How Have Students and Their Families Responded?," NBER Chapters, in: How the Financial Crisis and Great Recession Affected Higher Education, pages 209-233, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    10. Jared Ashworth & V. Joseph Hotz & Arnaud Maurel & Tyler Ransom, 2021. "Changes across Cohorts in Wage Returns to Schooling and Early Work Experiences," Journal of Labor Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 39(4), pages 931-964.
    11. Alison Aughinbaugh & Charles Pierret & Donna Rothstein, 2005. "The impact of family structure transitions on youth achievement: Evidence from the children of the NlSY79," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 42(3), pages 447-468, August.
    12. Turner, Lesley J., 2016. "The returns to higher education for marginal students: Evidence from Colorado Welfare recipients," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 51(C), pages 169-184.
    13. Joseph G. Altonji & Prashant Bharadwaj & Fabian Lange, 2012. "Changes in the Characteristics of American Youth: Implications for Adult Outcomes," Journal of Labor Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 30(4), pages 783-828.
    14. Cunha, Jesse M. & Miller, Trey, 2014. "Measuring value-added in higher education: Possibilities and limitations in the use of administrative data," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 42(C), pages 64-77.
    15. Audra J. Bowlus & Haoming Liu, 2003. "The Long-term Effects of Graduating from High School During a Recession: Bad Luck or Forced Opportunity?," University of Western Ontario, Centre for Human Capital and Productivity (CHCP) Working Papers 20037, University of Western Ontario, Centre for Human Capital and Productivity (CHCP).
    16. Seth D. Zimmerman, 2014. "The Returns to College Admission for Academically Marginal Students," Journal of Labor Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 32(4), pages 711-754.
    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. Murat Demirci & Meltem Poyraz, 2021. "Post-Compulsory Schooling of Youth in Turkey during the Great Recession: A Case of Pro-cyclical Enrollment," Koç University-TUSIAD Economic Research Forum Working Papers 2117, Koc University-TUSIAD Economic Research Forum.
    2. Effrosyni Adamopoulou & Giulia Martina Tanzi, 2014. "Academic performance and the Great Recession," Temi di discussione (Economic working papers) 970, Bank of Italy, Economic Research and International Relations Area.
    3. Emanuela Ghignoni, 2015. "Family background and university dropouts during the crisis: the case of Italy," Working Papers in Public Economics 169, University of Rome La Sapienza, Department of Economics and Law.
    4. Heta Pöyliö, 2020. "Something Good Out of the Bad Times? The Impacts of Reduced Opportunity Costs on the Intergenerational Inequalities in College Enrollment," Sociological Research Online, , vol. 25(1), pages 23-45, March.
    5. Maclean, Johanna Catherine & Hill, Terrence D., 2015. "Leaving school in an economic downturn and self-esteem across early and middle adulthood," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 37(C), pages 1-12.
    6. Findeisen, Sebastian & Sachs, Dominik, 2015. "Designing efficient college and tax policies," Working Papers 15-09, University of Mannheim, Department of Economics.
    7. Christian Belzil & Jörgen Hansen, 2020. "The evolution of the US family income–schooling relationship and educational selectivity," Journal of Applied Econometrics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 35(7), pages 841-859, November.
    8. Rodney J. Andrews & Kevin M. Stange, 2019. "Price Regulation, Price Discrimination, and Equality of Opportunity in Higher Education: Evidence from Texas," American Economic Journal: Economic Policy, American Economic Association, vol. 11(4), pages 31-65, November.
    9. Karly S. Ford & Kelly Ochs Rosinger & Qiong Zhu, 2021. "Consolidation of Class Advantages in the Wake of the Great Recession: University Enrollments, Educational Opportunity and Stratification," Research in Higher Education, Springer;Association for Institutional Research, vol. 62(7), pages 915-941, November.
    10. Effrosyni Adamopoulou & Giulia Martina Tanzi, 2017. "Academic Drop-Out and the Great Recession," Journal of Human Capital, University of Chicago Press, vol. 11(1), pages 35-71.
    11. Eleanor Wiske Dillon & Jeffrey Andrew Smith, 2020. "The Consequences of Academic Match between Students and Colleges," Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 55(3), pages 767-808.
    12. Sergio Salas & Kathleen Odell, 2020. "Financial Deepening, Credit Crises, Human Capital and Growth," Working Papers 2020-01, Escuela de Negocios y Economía, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso.
    13. Jeffrey T. Denning, 2019. "Born under a Lucky Star: Financial Aid, College Completion, Labor Supply, and Credit Constraints," Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 54(3), pages 760-784.
    14. Kim, Sun Hyung, 2023. "The importance of social skills in recovery from graduating in a recession," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 205(C), pages 387-411.
    15. Anderson, Drew M., 2020. "When financial aid is scarce: The challenge of allocating college aid where it is needed most," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 190(C).
    16. Fabian T. Pfeffer, 2018. "Growing Wealth Gaps in Education," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 55(3), pages 1033-1068, June.
    17. Bonacini, Luca, 2020. "Unequal effects of the economic cycle on human capital investment. Evidence from Italian panel data," GLO Discussion Paper Series 733, Global Labor Organization (GLO).
    18. Arthi, Vellore & Parman, John, 2021. "Disease, downturns, and wellbeing: Economic history and the long-run impacts of COVID-19," Explorations in Economic History, Elsevier, vol. 79(C).
    19. Bautista, María Angélica & González, Felipe & Martinez, Luis R. & Muñoz, Pablo & Prem, Mounu, 2020. "Does Higher Education Reduce Mortality? Evidence from a Natural Experiment in Chile," SocArXiv 5s2px, Center for Open Science.
    20. Bautista, M. A. & González, F. & Martínez, L. R. & Muñoz, P. & Prem, M., 2020. "Chile’s Missing Students: Dictatorship, Higher Education and Social Mobility," Documentos de Trabajo 18163, Universidad del Rosario.

    More about this item

    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:osf:socarx:83upm. 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: OSF (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://arabixiv.org .

    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.