The Impact of Military Work Experience on Later Hiring Chances in the Civilian Labour Market. Evidence from a Field Experiment

Stijn Baert,Pieter Balcaen

doi:10.5018/economics-ejournal.ja.2013-37

Abstract

Abstract This study directly assesses the impact of military work experience compared with civilian work experience in similar jobs on the subsequent chances of being hired in the civilian labour market. It does so through a field experiment in the Belgian labour market. A statistical examination of our experimental dataset shows that in general we cannot reject that employers are indifferent to whether job candidates gained their experience in a civilian or a military environment.

Highlights

Researchers have been studying the relationship between military experience and civilian labour market outcomes
Military experience may be used as a screening device for productivity determining physical and psychological traits (De Tray, 1982; Teachman and Tedrow, 2007)
Following Becker’s (1957) theory on the economics of discrimination, there exists a taste-based motivation for unequal treatment of workers with a military employment background on the one hand and a civilian one on the other

Summary

Introduction

Researchers have been studying the relationship between military experience and (later) civilian labour market outcomes. From a theoretical point of view, following human capital theory both general and specific training received in the military environment (with, e.g. a more important focus on physical shape and self-control), as opposed to that received in the civilian environment, may affect productivity (Bryant and Wilhite, 1990; Hartley and Sandler, 1995). Following Becker’s (1957) theory on the economics of discrimination, there exists a taste-based motivation for unequal treatment of workers with a military employment background on the one hand and a civilian one on the other.. Following Becker’s (1957) theory on the economics of discrimination, there exists a taste-based motivation for unequal treatment of workers with a military employment background on the one hand and a civilian one on the other.2 This last factor may be related to the armed forces’ image in the region (both in general and specific as an employer) Following Becker’s (1957) theory on the economics of discrimination, there exists a taste-based motivation for unequal treatment of workers with a military employment background on the one hand and a civilian one on the other. This last factor may be related to the armed forces’ image in the region (both in general and specific as an employer)

Methods

Results

Conclusion