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Skills inequalities in 21 countries: PIAAC results for prime-age adults

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  • Heisig, Jan Paul
  • Solga, Heike

Abstract

Only few previous studies have explored cross-national variation in the relationship between educational certificates and competences. In this paper, we investigate the certificate-competence relationship, operationalized as skills gaps by level of educational attainment. More importantly, we scrutinize how two aspects of educational stratification processes, vertical stratification and occupation-specificity, affects skills gaps. Using data on 25-54 year olds from the 2011/12 round of the Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC), we find that more occupation-specific education systems produce smaller differences in basic general skills between adults with low and intermediate levels of education. Higher levels of vertical stratification, by contrast, result in larger low-intermediate skills gaps. None of the two stratification aspects can however explain variations in the skills gaps between intermediate and high educated adults. We conclude by discussing the implications of our findings for labor market research.

Suggested Citation

  • Heisig, Jan Paul & Solga, Heike, 2014. "Skills inequalities in 21 countries: PIAAC results for prime-age adults," Discussion Papers, Research Unit: Skill Formation and Labor Markets SP I 2014-503, WZB Berlin Social Science Center.
    • Handle: RePEc:zbw:wzbslm:spi2014503
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Eric A. Hanushek & Guido Schwerdt & Ludger Woessmann & Lei Zhang, 2017. "General Education, Vocational Education, and Labor-Market Outcomes over the Lifecycle," Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 52(1), pages 48-87.
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    3. L. Bryan, Mark & P. Jenkins, Stephen, 2013. "Regression analysis of country effects using multilevel data: a cautionary tale," ISER Working Paper Series 2013-14, Institute for Social and Economic Research.
    4. Achen, Christopher H., 2005. "Two-Step Hierarchical Estimation: Beyond Regression Analysis," Political Analysis, Cambridge University Press, vol. 13(4), pages 447-456.
    5. David Marsden, 1990. "Institutions and Labour Mobility: Occupational and Internal Labour Markets in Britain, France, Italy and West Germany," International Economic Association Series, in: Renato Brunetta & Carlo Dell’Aringa (ed.), Labour Relations and Economic Performance, chapter 17, pages 414-438, Palgrave Macmillan.
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    1. Dutta, Sujoy, 2015. "An uneven path to accountability: A comparative study of MGNREGA in two states of India," Discussion Papers, Inequality and Social Policy SP I 2015-201, WZB Berlin Social Science Center.
    2. Solga, Heike, 2015. ""A fault confessed is half redressed": Review essay on low-achieving school leavers' access to apprenticeships and their returns to participation in prevocational training measures," Discussion Papers, Research Unit: Skill Formation and Labor Markets SP I 2015-501, WZB Berlin Social Science Center.

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